By Janet Sesay
Civil Society Organizations across the country, including National and International Organizations yesterday organized a national conference on the NGO Policy Development Cooperation Framework at the Young Sportsmen Club (YSC), Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
This policy Development Cooperation Framework outlines Sierra Leone’s broad principles for development cooperation and defines the overall objectives and principles surrounding the development partnership, as well undertakings by the various partners supporting the Sierra Leone development process.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law, Ibrahim Tommy, stated that they, as different Civil Society Organizations across the country, make sure that citizens in the country get the policies of knowing their right as citizens.
He said a non-Governmental Organization (NGO) operating in Sierra Leone shall mean any independent, not for profit making, non-partisan and charitable organization with the primary objectives of enhancing the social, environmental, cultural and economic well-being of communities without any form of religious, political or ethnic discrimination in line with existing policy and legal framework.
He said this is a second reminder to the government that they embrace the Development Cooperation Framework document made by the government last year, but he is asking them to stop short and review the document in the interest of the country.
Saffea Senessie, the Country Director of International Rescue Committee, stated that they are seriously concerned with the Development Framework document made by the government, as it will impose severe restriction on them as organizations and it will also impinge on the exercise of their freedom of expression and freedom of association.
He said Civil Society Organizations are legitimate in every society and that legitimacy is ensured in law and the role that they play is there for everybody to see.
He said, in the content of that document, there are quite a number of issues to look at and if those issues are enforced into law it will make them very difficult to do their work.
He said the relationship between NGOs and the government should be strong, but in this case there is no legitimacy between them and they, as organizations, are here to work and support the government where they are unable to play a vital role in the country.
He said they were hoping that, with the new administration, things will change but they are seeing the same old thing. He said that they are not against accountability or transparency but what they are against is taking their space in playing vital roles in the society.
He called on the government to re-open a dialogue of the Development Cooperation Framework document and if they look again at the document and amend the mistakes written on that document it will be in the interest of not only the NGO organizations but to the country as a whole and will help in the development of the country.
The National Coordinator of the Women against Violence and Exploitation in Society, Hannah Yambasu, said they have not come together to fight about this document but to discuss and ratify the issues written on the document which will help bring development in the country.
She said they are not against the document but what is written on the document will affect their work. As a result they are kindly asking the government to look again into the document and at the end of the day they will all come together and work to get a better Sierra Leone.
She continues that they as organizations will not shut down because they are the voice of the people and they stand on a different platform to build up Sierra Leone.
Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai explained that the government of Sierra Leone remains committed to providing the enabling environment for Non-Governmental organizations to operate and contribute to national development in a free, responsive, transparent and accountable manner.
He said the government reports indicate a 58% increase in registered NGOs operating in the country since 2015 and guidance and support to derive the maximum benefit.
He furthered that the NGOs policy, which was crafted in 2009, was reviewed in 2018 in respect of the prevailing circumstances to harmonise and make user friendly, existing policies as well as the principles of promoting a much more robust partnership between government and NGOs and it considers similar practices, international principles on partnership relationship between NGOs and the state under the remit of the National Constitution of Sierra Leone.
He ended that the government recognizes the invaluable role that NGOs play in promoting national development and believe that both parties must work closely to ensure mutual trust, confidence and transparency within a strengthened partnership framework, and this framework serves to guide the activities of NGOs to make them more responsive, productive and accountable to the general citizenry, while assuring them of optimal freedom and autonomy in the dispensation of their visions, missions and operations and on the other hand shall also ensure it provides the services required to enhance the partnership.