Round table "Providing Legal Aid in New Conditions for Activity of Public Organizations" was organized in Minsk on January 22. The meeting was dedicated to discussion of the Draft Law "On Public Associations" and to developing a strategy for providing legal aid to the subjects of civil society.
The event was organized by the Executive Bureau of the Assembly of NGOs, Foundation for Legal Technologies and Belarusian Office of American Bar Association (ABA/CEELI), and it gathered more than 60 lawyers who provide legal aid to NGOs in all regions of Belarus.
The participants have discussed possible problems, which may arise before public associations in case the new version of the Law "On Public Associations" is adopted. The speakers presented analysis of the Draft Law. It was highlighted that in case of adoption of a new Law, there may be a call for one more re-registration of public associations. In addition, the participants have discussed how NGOs could initiate changes into the current text of the draft law and how they could lobby proposals on improvement of the legislation on public associations.
Work at plenary session included long discussions, and work in small groups was dedicated to the problems of legal addresses for non-profit organizations, information exchange and coordination of the work of lawyers, joint educational activities and consultations. As a result of discussions, the participants worked out proposals on improving the coordination between the lawyers who provide legal aid to NGOs in Belarus, participants have also developed plans of activity in case of possible re-registration of public associations.
Within the round table, the Foundation for Legal Technologies has organized a master-class "Legal Status of Non-Profit Organizations: Problem Areas". At the master-class, the participants discussed the problems of legal status of Belarusian NGOs. On the same day, there was a presentation of an internet-resource of the Foundation for Legal Technologies (nopi.iatp.by), and its subdivision "Law on NGOs" dedicated to the legal aspect of NGO activity.