The draft law on amendments to the law on non-profit organisations received the third reading in the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan, the press office of the Parliament of the Republic Jogorku Kenesh reported.
These amendments introduce the new legal terms, such as «foreign non-profit organisation», «subdivisions of foreign NGOs» and «non-profit organisation acting as a foreign agent».
The parliamentarians noted that this step aims to ensure transparency and openness of the activities of such organisations. The draft law was initiated by 18 parliamentarians, and the document now has been submitted to President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov for approval.
After the draft law received the second reading, over a dozen foreign non-profit organisations operating in Kyrgyzstan requested four international financial institutions, including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, to lobby the Government of Kyrgyzstan regarding this law. They expressed concerns that the new law could restrict the freedom of expression of human rights defenders and public activists.
