Peru: Impact of international cooperation law on NGOs

Legislation enacted this week in Peru expanding Government control over organisations that receive international cooperation funding is a worrying curb on civic space and human rights work.

This law, which modifies legislation governing the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (ACPI), contains elements that could unduly restrict freedom of association, among them disproportionate administrative requirements and the need for prior approval for projects.

We are also deeply concerned that the law significantly restricts access to justice, impacting especially those in a vulnerable situation and living in poverty, as it classifies the use of donor funding for legal assistance in cases against the Peruvian State as a serious offence punishable by heavy fines or even de-registration.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk calls on the Peruvian Government to respect its obligations under international law and to provide and protect an enabling environment in which civil society can play its essential role.