Legal and fiscal developments
Changes to Jersey law will allow establishment of mixed foundations free of UK mainland charity regulation
As a result of legislative changes in the Channel Island of Jersey, from this month, philanthropists will now be able to set up a foundation with a mixture of charitable and non-charitable purposes, free from UK mainland charity regulation. Jersey foundations will have features of both corporations and trusts. They will have to be registered in Jersey, will be subject to Jersey law and will have to have at least one Jersey resident on their council of members.
Legal and fiscal developments
Russia moves to ease legislative burden on NGOs, Azerbaijan postpones vote on potentially punitive legislation
Amid fears in the non-profit community of a crackdown on NGOs, Azerbaijan’s parliament has decided to postpone indefinitely a vote on legislative amendments that would place severe restrictions on the country’s NGOs. The news follows representations by the Azeri ombudsman Elmira Suleimanova, acting at the request of non-profit groups, to parliament to stop or to push back to the autumn a hearing on the changes. Among other measures, the amendments would require NGOs to limit their foreign funding to 50 per cent of their entire budget and would ban foreigners from setting up NGOs.
Legal and fiscal developments
Progress for third sector in Kyrgyzstan and Laos
An agreement was signed in May between the government of Kyrgyzstan and the country’s third sector committing both parties to cooperation in a number of areas, including enforcement of legislative norms, guaranteeing human and citizens’ rights within the country; and public supervision over government’s decision-making at all levels. In addition, the government of Laos has passed a law which allows local NGOs to register and operate as independent entities for the first time.
