The 219 CSO Sustainability Index for the Middle East and North Africa reports on advances and setbacks in seven key dimensions affecting the sustainability of the CSO sectors in eight countries: Egypt,Iraq,Jordan,Lebanon,Libya,Morocco,Yemen,and,for the first time,Tunisia.
Several themes emerge from a review of the 219 country reports. First,the legal environments governing CSOs continued to deteriorate,with more than half of the countries included in this edition of the Index reporting increasing problems with registration and government harassment,in addition to violations of the freedom of assembly. On the positive side,organizational capacity improved in four countries (Egypt,Iraq,Libya,and Yemen),driven by advances in constituency building. The infrastructure supporting the sector also improved in four countries (Egypt,Iraq,Jordan,and Morocco),with CSOs having more access to various support services and increasingly developing coalitions and intersectoral partnerships.
In 219,CSOs in most of the countries covered by this edition of the Index operated in unstable environments marked by public discontent,conflict,and limited civic freedoms.
The Index is a useful source of information for local CSOs,governments,donors,academics,and others who want to better understand and monitor key aspects of sustainability in the CSO sector.