NGO Laws in Selected Arab States

In the last two decades, much has been written about the emergence of civil soci-ety organizations and the important role that they can play in a country’s economic and political development. Broadly speaking, civil society organizations are the charitable foundations, civic associations, non-governmental organizations, volunteer groups, trade unions, professional organizations, and social movements—everything from medical charities, sports clubs, and environmental groups to women’s and human rights groups—that make up the “third sector” of modern life, separate from both the government and the marketplace.