Regulatory Alerts2019-01-01
Law No. 149 of 2019 Issuing the Law Regulating the Practice of Civil Society Work
The President of Egypt issued Law No. 149 of 2019 to comprehensively regulate and supervise civil society work by establishing strict licensing, registration, and operational frameworks for associations, institutions, unions, and foreign NGOs. The legislation mandates a one-year compliance period for existing entities to regularize their status, prohibits unlicensed civil society activities, and authorizes the competent ministry and administrative courts to dissolve non-compliant organizations and transfer their assets to a state support fund. Furthermore, the law defines key civil society terms, restricts foreign membership to 25%, imposes strict eligibility criteria for board members, and repeals previous regulations to consolidate state oversight over the sector.