Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Administrator
Published on 2024-02-17 09:41:52
Nicaise Moulombi at the Minister of the Interior to present the reasons for the bill on associations
Nicaise Moulombi, 2nd Vice President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), a significant member of civil society and responsible for several non-governmental organizations advocating for environmental protection, was received by Herman Immongault, Minister of the Interior and Security, who was surrounded by his collaborators. This took place on February 14, 2024, at the ministry headquarters. The two parties discussed the proposal for a law on associations, focusing on the factors that motivated the urgency of such a law and its content.
Nicaise Moulombi is engaging, as usual. He presented and captivated his audience. The Executive Secretary of the Network of Civil Society Organizations for Green Economy in Central Africa, captivated his audience with his presentation of the reasons for the bill on associations.
This presentation focused on two essential points:
The determining factors
The initiative for this new law on associations was motivated by the Liberation Coup of August 30, 2023, the six objectives of the Transition Charter, and three main factors:
– The rehabilitation of pluralist democracy
– The context of international cooperation
– Legal necessities
Regarding the rehabilitation of pluralist democracy, Nicaise Moulombi recalled a bit of Gabon’s history. “The restoration of democracy in Gabon in 1990 allowed for the rehabilitation of the associative movement. During the National Conference, there were 170 associations of all categories.” He added that this number could be multiplied by 10 today, as the development of this phenomenon demonstrates the vitality of the democratic system.
The Executive Secretary of the Network of Civil Society Organizations for Green Economy in Central Africa went further by indicating that “increasingly, other non-state actors, also known as civil society, that is, various associations and non-governmental organizations play a central role in the development of legal texts, in the education of citizens, in the promotion and defense of their rights, in meeting their specific needs, in contesting arbitrary decisions by the state, etc… to the point of even supplanting the role of public authorities. This is why associations have entered into the fields of economics, social, environmental, religious, sports, cultural, scientific, and family.”
In his presentation, Nicaise Moulombi also looked at the law in the international context. For him, the evolution of the role of associations is all the more remarkable, supported strongly by international donors, Western powers, and international institutions. For them, he stated, “associations must be true drivers on political, social, economic, humanitarian, and cultural levels and must be involved in projects implemented in Gabon and benefit from direct subsidies. These organizations must therefore be taken seriously by state actors, as well as the law that governs them.”
In terms of legal necessities, Nicaise Moulombi advocates for the implementation of new rules for the constitution, operation, financing, and dissolution of associations that take into account the democratic context and the effervescence of the associative movement, which necessitates a redefinition of the national legal framework. Indeed, law no. 35/62, adopted in a political and institutional context particularly favorable to the power of the executive, appears to be clearly adapted today with the promotion of participative democracy symbolized by the growing role of associations and NGOs.
It should be noted that Nicaise Moulombi is a responsible member of several organizations:
– President of the non-governmental organization Healthy Environment Growth (CSE)
– Executive Secretary of the Network of Civil Society Organizations for Green Economy in Central Africa (ROSCEVAC)
Read the original article(French) on Gabon News
