Brazil To Supervise
Action Of Foreign NGOs
Brazilian Ministry of
Justice issued a decree
on Friday ordering the
re-registration of all
foreign non-governmental
organizations that
operate in the country.
There will be severe
rules for the operation
of foreign NGOs in
Brazil, according to
Brazilian Minister of
Justice Tarso Genro.
He said President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva
would sign, until the
end of July, a decree
requiring that all NGOs,
foreign and domestic,
clarify their objectives
and present a plan of
action.
Genro said it was a
policy to separate the
good ones from the bad.
"We want to separate the
wheat from the chaff."
Romeu Tuma Jr, National
Secretary of Justice,
said there are currently
167 foreign NGOs
operating in Brazil,
with 27 operating in the
northwestern state of
Amazon.
Investigations carried
out by Brazilian
government have revealed
that some of those NGOs
are involved with
bio-piracy and have
bought land in frontier
areas.
The new decree demands
that all foreign NGOs
that keep offices and
employees in Brazil must
declare their aims and
work plans, describe
where and how they
operate and identify all
its directors and
employees.
Thus, Brazilian
authorities will know
who finances the NGOs,
Genro said, adding that
the purpose of the new
decree is to give the
government some control.
Brazilian Federal Police
and the Brazilian
Institute of Environment
and Renewable Natural
Resources (Ibama) will
be responsible for the
supervision of the NGOs.
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