Togolese CSOs reject NGO bill that would criminalise them

Association

On 8th July, several Togolese civil society organisations came together to discuss the need to modify a law from 1901 that still regulates the freedom of association in Togo. They are concerned that although the old law no longer responds to the needs of the present, amendments proposed by the government could make the current situation even worse by criminalising organisations working on governance issues. By introducing a variety of legal regimes, the bill proposed by the government would also create inequalities among CSOs and the possibility of arbitrary treatment. Civil society representatives also emphasised that most civil society organisations have been excluded from the drafting process.