Is Spring for Chinese Social Organizations Around the Corner?

“The government is to release control on social organization registrations.  Four categories of social organizations—trade associations and membership organizations, science and technology organizations, nonprofit and charity organizations and community service organizations — will be able to register directly with Ministry of Civil Affairs and its branches, without having to obtain additional supervision sponsorship.”  Mr. Ma Kai, Secretary General of the State Council announced on March 10th at the 3rd Plenary Meeting of the 1st Session of the 12th National People’s Congress ( NPC ) in Beijing.  Mr. Ma also stated that the policy for religion or law based organizations and overseas NGOs remains unchanged.

[tooltip content=”NGO注册的松绑政策是国务院机构改革和职能转变的一部分。这个改革的目的是减少政府微观管理，把部分职能交付给市场和社会。” url=”” ]The release of control over NGO registration is part of the package of State Council Institutional Restructuring, which is proposed and under discussion at the National People’s Congress.  The claimed purpose of this reform is to decrease government’s micromanagement and transfer part of government’s function to the market and the society.[/tooltip]

[tooltip content=”所有关注中国社会部门的人都知道，所谓“双重管理”是中国NGO面临的主要障碍之一。NGO在民政部门登记之前，必须先获得业务主管部门的许可。譬如说，一个帮助妇女就业的NGO，需要先获得类似妇联或者劳动就业相关协会的许可。但是，这些政府机构很少乐意承担“业务主管”的责任。所以，中国大量NGO要么没注册，要么以商业机构形式注册。据民政部的数据，截至2011年底，全国注册组织约为457,000，但有业内专家估计，没有注册的组织可能多达百万余个。” url=”” ]Anyone who follows Chinese social sector may have already been well informed that the so-called “double-track administration” has been one of the major obstacles faced by NGOs in China, which means an NGO had to be sponsored by a government agency in the field of operation for supervision before registering with the Ministry of Civil Affairs.  For example, an organization engaged in helping women’s employment should seek sponsorship from agencies like Women’s Federation or Labor and Employment Association etc..  However, government agencies are rarely willing to take responsibility in such sponsorship and supervision.  As a result, a huge number of operating NGOs in China either remain unregistered or register as a business entity.  According to Ministry of Civil Affairs, about 457,000 social organizations were registered with the ministry and its branches as of the end of 2011, but experts in the field estimate there were actually over 1 million unregistered social organizations in operation.[/tooltip]

[tooltip content=”了解这个背景，你将很容易理解这个新政策问什么能够在社会部门大受欢迎了。” url=”” ]Having this background in mind, you’ll easily understand why this new proposal has been warmly welcomed in the Chinese social sector. [/tooltip]

[tooltip content=”王振耀是中国公益研究院院长，也曾经是政府民政部门高管，他把这个变化称为具有里程碑的意义，它意味着中国社会改革的大幕即将开启，社会组织的建设将迎来的不仅仅是春天，可能更是如火如荼发展的夏天；杨鹏是壹基金的秘书长，他在微博上评论，“结社权是宪法规定的公民权利；没有一个正常国家，会去压制公民的慈善公益行动。开放注册，加强监管，用法治来保障公民公益权，这是顺天应人的好事。”； 一些草根NGO的领导人终于松了口气，“我们终于可以合法化了，可以见天日了。”； 全国政协委员、四川省律师协会副会长施杰说，这客观上将调动社会力量广泛参与社会公共服务的热情，增加社会公共服务的供给。” url=”” ]Wang ZhenYao, Dean of China Philanthropy Research Institute and former high-rank government official, praised the proposed change as “a great milestone, which indicates the social reform in China is about to start, and social organizations are not just going to approach a warm spring, but a prosperous “summer”.”; Yang Peng, the Executive Director of One Foundation, commented on his Weibo, “The Constitution has long stipulated the freedom for association.  There is no single “normal” country which would suppress its citizens from charity work.  Releasing the control and protecting citizens’ rights of doing good is a great deed to conforming to both natural law and human nature.”; Some leaders from grassroots organizations felt  relieved, ” Now we can finally expect to be official and come out of “darkness”!”;  Shi Jie, member of National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and VP of SiChuan Bar Association thought this new policy would be sure to mobilize people’s enthusiasm in participating in public affairs and result in an increase in social service.[/tooltip]

[tooltip content=”同时，社会部门也深知前方并非坦途。” url=”” ]At the same time, the sector is well aware of the potential challenges ahead.[/tooltip]

[tooltip content=”王振耀说距离真正的社会改革还有一大段路要走。他敦促政府注意3个领域的发展：第一，一定要尽快推进慈善领域的立法；第二，要建立财政投入社会建设的体制；第二，要建立财政投入社会建设的体制。” url=”” ]Wang ZhenYao saw a long way to go for a solid and successful social reform.  He suggested significant improvement in 3 major areas:  legislation on nonprofit and philanthropy to ensure the enforcement of law;  financial input from government for social services to support social organizations; tax reduction to stimulate donations.[/tooltip]

[tooltip content=”全国人大代表、广东省发改委主任李春洪认为政府的这个举措是史无前例的，和以前不同，这次政府要向社会放权。关键在于社会组织能否接住这部分职能。” url=”” ]While considering the nation-wide reform as unprecedent, Li ChunHong, member of NPC and Director General of Guangdong’s Development and Reform Commission, pointed out, “As the government, for the first time in history, is willing to empower the social sector, the real challenge is on social organizations themselves — are they capable enough to catch the ball?”  [/tooltip]

[tooltip content=”李春洪对此也许是深有体会吧。在政府决定全面推行这个政策前，广州就已经先行破冰。2011年底开始，广东省简化社会组织注册程序，废除双重管理。虽然社会组织不再需要为寻找业务主管单位操心，自身能力成了他们的新瓶颈。周丽辉是一家青少年药物成瘾关爱中心的总干事，经过1年奔波寻求业务主管单位未果后，她终于在2011年12月成立了这个机构。虽然她可以调动一个广大的志愿者团队，但她的真正挑战是寻求专业的业务支持，目前只能求助于来自香港的专业团队。” url=”” ]Li ChunHong was probably speaking from his own experiences.  Before the government rolled out the national policy change, GuangDong province had already pioneered in social organization registration and administration.  Since late 2011, GuangDong has abolished the double-track registration process for social service organizations.  While organizations no longer need to worry about sponsorship, capacity becomes the bottleneck.  Zhou LiHui is the director of an NGO helping youth with drug addiction. After a year-long painful frustration on obtaining sponsorship, she finally got her NGO registered in December 2011. Although she has access to mobilize a large volunteer group, her new challenge is to obtain professional guidance for her staff of 3 full timers, and currently has to seek professional guidance from an organization in HongKong.[/tooltip]

[tooltip content=”同时，一些研究者和从业者也对NGO未来的独立性表示担忧，担心他们会对政府合同过度依赖而失去机构自身的独立性。” url=”” ]Meanwhile some researchers and practitioners in the social sector also express concerns on the independence of social organizations, as they may become too reliant on government’s contract. [/tooltip]

[tooltip content=”新政策也许还需要几个月才能完全实施。但是在经过多年的呼吁和争取后，中国社会部门的一个重要障碍被移除了，这的确是件令人鼓舞的事情。那么下一步会是什么呢？” url=”” ]It may still take months before this new policy is fully executed.  But it’s indeed encouraging to see one of the major obstacles removed in the development of Chinese social sector, after years and years of advocacy from the sector.  What would be the next?[/tooltip]