Post-Soviet Civil Society Development in the Russian Federation: The Impact of the NGO Law

Abstract

The passing of the Russian NGO Law in mid-2006 set clear parameters for Russian NGO activity and civil society development. In this paper we assess the impact of the NGO Law on both NGOs and Russian civil society. Our findings illustrate that the NGO Law has led to a reduction in NGO activity and curtailment of civil society development. We conclude thatRussian civil society appears to be dominated by groups funded and thus controlled by the state. This has implications for Russia's on-going democratic development.

Governance networks and vertical power in Russia – Environmental impact assessments and collaboration between state and non-state actors

“…Despite heightened state control of civil society, culminating in a law in July 2012 stipulating that private organisations receiving funding from abroad are to be treated as "foreign agents" (Crotty, Hall, and Ljubonwnikow 2014), 4 activism has increased significantly over the past few years (Fröhlich 2012). The Russian government has enforced the formation of "constructive cooperation" between loyal civil society organisations and the state (Ljubownikow, Crotty, and Rodgers 2013), created new arenas for cooperation (Petrone 2011;Tarasenko 2010), and encouraged bottomup initiatives, while acting at the same time as a regulating force (Chebankova 2012).…”

Public opinion on human rights in Putin-era Russia: Continuities, changes, and sources of variation

“…Some argue that Putin’s tactic of labeling oppositionists as traitorous dupes of enemy states helped inspire a larger global backlash against democracy assistance efforts by autocratic leaders (Carothers 2006; Mendelson 2015a). A 2006 law made it increasingly difficult for NGOs to operate by tightening registration and accounting requirements (Crotty, Hall, and Ljubownikow 2014). A more ominous 2012 law requires “political” NGOs that receive foreign funding to register as “foreign agents” and to declare themselves to be such in all interactions with the public, effectively making it impossible for them to operate.…”

Russia: Public Debate and the Petroleum Sector

“…They are sometimes regarded with suspicion by the establishment, because they are thought to be acting in the interest of foreign countries, seeking to undermine the competitiveness of Russian business by insisting on strict environmental standards (for further discussion, see Lee et al 2012). Their existence became increasingly precarious after the adoption in 2006 of a new law on NGOs and again with amendments in 2012 to the Law on Non-Commercial Organizations (Crotty et al 2014). Under these amendments, Russian non-commercial organizations that receive funding from abroad and are involved in political activities are classified as 'foreign agents' (Gosudarstvennaya Duma 2012).…”