Putin approved the separation of NGOs in the political and social – RBC

Putin approved the separation of NGOs in the political and social – RBC

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a plenary session of the All-Russia Forum” State and civil society »

Photo: TASS

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking Thursday at a forum of non-profit organizations (NPOs), “The State and Civil Society: Cooperation and Development”, gave his definition of NGOs engaged in political activity. The forum was organized by the Public Chamber and fund operators presidential grants.

«When we talk about NGOs working in the political sphere, I think that it should be an activity which aims to address national problems” – said the head of state. According to Putin, such tasks are to improve the political, judicial and law enforcement systems, as well as advocacy. NGOs involved in such activities should be supported. “But NGOs can not and MUST NOT be used to solve the partisan issues, or is itself the essence of NGO disappears,” – said the president.

In the Russian legislation the definition of political activities of NGOs given only adopted in 2012. Amendments to the law ” On non-profit organizations. ” Engaging in political activities, coupled with the receipt of funds from abroad is fraught with organizations on the roster of “foreign agents».

Putin supported the idea to allocate more grants to regional NGOs and called on the authorities of the Federation to create favorable conditions for them to work. According to him, the work in the social sphere can even be transferred to NGOs, because “they are more sensitive to the problems of society.” At the same time, Putin did not support the proposal of the Public Chamber (OP) led by its Secretary Alexander Brechalovym on tax preferences and exemptions for socially-oriented NGOs.

«Of course, I want to support, to provide certain preferences and privileges, but we know that often happens in life. As soon as someone else gets some benefits, be sure to stand beside those who are in direct relation to this activity, to put it mildly, does not have, but uses the existing legal instruments in order to organize commercial activities “, – said the president. Benefits will be possible when it is clearly defined the concept of “socially oriented NGOs,” he explained.

On the register of NGOs that actively proposes to create OD, president has not spoken. This idea, as well as the division of NGOs on social and political, the forum supported the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia Ella Pamfilova. According to the Ombudsman, the registry will help reduce the arbitrariness in regard to NGOs that are inconvenient for the authorities of different levels. Pamfilova also said that it concerned about the state of human rights organizations, and the fact that in some areas there are none. “Human rights defenders – one of the foundations of civil society, they are white and fluffy, otherwise it is not human rights,” – said Pamfilova, adding that help create the conditions for self-organization of people have regional authorities. In addition, the Ombudsman stressed, must facilitate reporting NCB, or “about every ruble need to write three papers».

Order government of President at the forum will be developed in the near future, most likely, in a few weeks, says source in the Kremlin. A number of ministries (including Justice, Economy, Labour and Health) in conjunction with the Public Chamber will have to develop criteria that will distinguish socially oriented NGOs (discussed in the name of “public benefit”) from others. In addition to defining criteria, agencies will have to offer the president mechanisms of selection of NGOs and formation of the registry, which says a representative of the Public Chamber, a source explained RBC. Quickly, this work will not be done, because it is a “systemic improvement of the legal field,” says a source in the Kremlin.

Find the definition of social NGOs and to prepare proposals on the roster will be possible in the course of this year, according to Secretary of OP Brechalov. Only then can we talk about the benefits of such organizations, he added.

Before distinguish between NGOs on the political and social, you must first give them a clear definition, member of the Presidential Council on Human Rights and the Public Chamber Elena poplar-Soldunova. “We need to slow down,” that there was no situation after the adoption of the law “Foreign Agents” when “plummeted confidence in the nonprofit sector,” she says. “The main thing is that there are no” bad “and” good “NGO, that is not discrimination,” – said the expert.