For more information on announcements, click on Announcements.

Upcoming Events

Brown Bag Lunch on Civil Society in China
Event delayed. New information will be posted as soon as it is available.

The World Bank will host a Brown Bag Lunch on the Legal Framework for Civil Society in China, to be conducted by ICCSL. Further information about attending the meeting can be obtained from Sun Limei, lsun@worldbank.org.



PROMOTING AN ENABLING LEGAL ENVIRONMENT FOR CIVIL SOCIETY AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN COUNTRIES IN ASIA.

Launched in 2005 by the International Center or Civil Society Law (ICCSL), the Asia-Pacific Centre for Civil Society Law (APCCSL) seeks to protect human freedoms, by improving the laws that affect the freedoms of belief, expression, association, assembly, information, and participation throughout Asia Pacific Region.

APCCSL pursues its mission through three separate but inter-related programs: Research and publications; technical assistance; and education and professional development.

Highlights:
 
November 2009
 

Visit of Chinese Delegation to ICCSL

  

ICCSL hosted a Chinese delegation to the United States, comprised of government officials and CSO leaders. The aim of the delegation was to discuss the role of civil society in environmental protection. Our discussions also ranged over a number of civil society issues, including new developments with regard to the documentation system for a local entity to begin work for public benefit and the proposed charity law.
 
 
June 2009
 

China Visit June 2009
Prof. Lester Salamon of the Center on Civil Society of Johns Hopkins University joined Prof. Karla Simon of the Columbus School of Law of the Catholic University of America and Dr. Leon Irish, President of ICCSL, in a visit to China in early June. The principal purpose was to have a seminar at the World Bank's Beijing office to discuss the draft report "Outsourcing Social Services to CSOs: Lessons from Abroad," which was prepared for the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Click here for more details and photos from the 2009 China visit.

 
 
December 2007
 

Prof. Karla Simon participated in the "International Symposium on Legal Issues for NPOs" held in Beijing, China. The seminar was sponsored by GTZ, the German international development agency, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MoCA). The report on the symposium, which details the discussions and conclusions, is currently being translated into Chinese for use by the Ministry in the development of new legislation (the proposed Charity Law) and regulations. More photos from the symposium are available in the Picture Gallery.

 
What our partners are saying:

From an NGO activist in Mongolia:

Thanks for care about the tax law; your comments were very helpful for us.

From a Japanese civil society researcher and activist:

Thanks again for helping to reform Japanese legal system for not-for-profit organizations. I am sure you and Lee played very important roles. In the quite near future, I would like to trace your roles for the Japanese reform.

From a Chinese law professor and researcher:

I have owned a copy of your long report (144 pages) on taxation of Chinese NPOs. This is the first authoritative research and detailed analysis; now all other Chinese research articles refer to your report. Interestingly, you two are the important drafters. Thanks for your hard work for my country.



Asia-Pacific Centre For Civil Society Law
Washington, DC +1.202.319.5451 +1.202.319.4459 (fax)
Beijing 86 1371 896 2831 (phone)
http://www.apccsl.org
info@apccsl.org
webmaster@apccsl.org

For more information on news items, click on APCCSL News.

September 2009

China

Study on Outsourcing Released on World Bank Website

The World Bank has released the study conducted by ICCSL entitled "Outsourcing Social Services to CSOs: Lessons from Abroad." It is available here. The study involved a collaboration between Dr. Irish and Prof. Simon of ICCSL and Dr. Lester Salamon of Johns Hopkins University.  The report was completed in June, 2009.

January 2009

China

Developments in the Charter 08 Movement

In December 2008, on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, more than 300 Chinese intellectuals and human rights activists issued "Charter 08," a document calling for more democracy in China.