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Hence, local civil society organisations (CSOs) operate often under a variety of different licenses, register as private companies or do not get registered at all. Despite a very committed civil society, there are only about 100 officially licensed NGOs in Kuwait, while the majority of non-registered NGOs have to act without a secure legal status in the country. The main reason for this lies partly in the expensive and demanding registration process for charitable foundations in Kuwait. The Kuwaiti government responded to these continuing difficult conditions by passing a new NGO law last year, which has been seen by many local CSOs as a promising step forward.

Nevertheless, additional transformation and development obstacles continue to exist and pose a challenge to civil society organisations in Kuwait. The sector lacks active networks and exchange platforms for CSOs that could be efficiently used to support effective information sharing and foster greater collaboration. Moreover, there is no common “code of conduct” and only few institutions seek to promote transparency in regard to their activities. Even internal structures, such as the division of roles and responsibilities, tend to be dispersed and difficult to understand. All these factors contribute to the non-profit sector’s lack of transparency, resulting in a general lack of public trust towards CSOs in Kuwait. This situation is a major obstacle to the sector’s efforts to be recognized as an important partner for the country’s development.

Against this background, the Regional Office Gulf States in cooperation with “The en.v Initiative”, an NGO specialising in the development of the Kuwaiti civil society, is organising a two-day workshop on “Trust through transparency: Common standards for Kuwait’s civic sector” from May 29 – 30. Under the guidance of the German trainer Dr Nicole Renvert and Kuwaiti co-trainer Mr Abdullah Al Khonaini, 20 representatives from Kuwaiti CSOs will learn how to promote transparency successfully within their organisations and the sector as a whole.

Concluding the workshop, participants will develop a voluntary code of conduct for NGOs in Kuwait, which will compromise international best practices and also take local conditions into account. Thereby, the workshop aims at strengthening the capacity of local CSOs regarding transparency and accountability.