Philea submits comments to UN special rapporteur consultation
In advance of the 50th Human Rights Council, Philea submitted comments to the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. We joined partners, including WINGS, the Council on Foundations, ICNL, ECNL, the NPO coalition on FATF and others in expressing concerns about ongoing legislation across the world that restricts philanthropic cross-border funding or erects barriers to the operation of philanthropic actors. You can read our full contribution here.
The Special Rapporteur, Clément N. Voule, will present his new report on trends, developments, and challenges regarding the ability of civil society organisations to access resources, including foreign funding, at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council to take place in June 2022. Philea, as the voice of Philanthropy in Europe, focused its submission on Europe while also flagging concerns in a global context. The submission referred to foreign funding restrictions and an overall trend of tighter reporting and transparency rules caused on occasion by over-implementation of money laundering and terrorism financing policy. The contribution also suggested possible solutions including a better implementation of the EU non-discrimination principle and overcoming barriers to tax-effective philanthropy; and the creation of a European supranational legal form. It also stated the need for caution to ensure that EU and national policy on money laundering and terrorism financing is risk-based and proportionate; and applied in a meaningful way to public-benefit foundations/organisations (in particular the policy on beneficial ownership) to avoid undue restrictions on (cross-border) public-benefit work.
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