The government of Belarus adopted a regulation removing the last restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the process of registration of civil society organisations (CSOs).
From May 2020, the procedure for offline registration of the two legal forms of CSOs (institutions and unions of legal entities) has been restricted through one of the earliest technical steps in the process - the verification and confirmation of the name. This is when it is checked that the names of newly registered CSOs are not identical to already existing organisations. Due to the pandemic, the approval of the name could only be processed online or by post, not in person. This measure was introduced by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of 22 May 2020, №305 (‘On measures to combat the spread of infection caused by COVID-19’).
State of emergency was not declared in Belarus because of the pandemic, and all measures in response to COVID-19 were already cancelled in 2022-2023. While the restriction on CSO name approval was meant to be temporary, it was only repealed now, through a special governmental decision. The Resolution of the Council of Ministers of December 22, 2023, №933 renews the possibility of personal application, thereby eliminating the digital divide. It is still possible to carry out the procedure online or by post.
Participating in this procedure in person makes it easy to hear the official's clarifications and to improve the name immediately on the spot. This is crucial since while the procedure is a purely technical check, in practice, however, authorities often misuse it as a pretext to block unwanted initiatives and as a barrier to register new CSOs at this early stage.
It is important to note that despite this positive development, civil society in Belarus operates in a highly restrictive environment and many fundamental freedoms are lacking. For a full context of the civil society environment in Belarus, see the CSO Meter reports.