Health and Social Committee hosts a number of Representatives from Civil Society Organizations
20 ابريل 2025
The Health and Social Committee of the Shura Council held its eleventh meeting of the second regular session (2024–2025) of the Tenth Term (2023–2027), on Sunday morning, under the chaired of H.E. Mansour Zaher Al-Hajri, head of the Committee, and in the presence of their Excellencies members of the committee.
The meeting was dedicated to continuing the deliberations on the Draft Law on Civil Society Institutions, referred by the government as part of the legislative process stipulated in the Law of the Council of Oman. The draft law comprises 83 articles distributed across six chapters, regulating the administrative, organizational, and financial aspects of civil society institutions in the Sultanate of Oman.
The Committee’s commitment to promoting community partnership and drawing on the views of relevant stakeholders, the Committee hosted representatives from the Omani Journalists Association, the Omani Film Society, the Omani Theatre Association, and the Omani Society for Writers and Literati. The discussions focused on several provisions of the draft law, particularly definitions and the legal framework governing associations.
The meeting witnessed extensive discussions on the importance of enacting a comprehensive law that organizes the functioning of civil society associations of all types, emphasizing the need to take into account the specific roles and mandates of each organization. This would ensure clarity of roles and enhance complementarity among efforts
The discussions also addressed the regulatory relationship between the competent ministry and civil society institutions, the role of public benefit associations, as well as the relationship between the law’s executive regulations and the internal bylaws governing associations post-enactment. The Committee also reviewed observations and recommendations from the competent ministry on various articles of the draft law.
This legislative initiative aligns with the Sultanate’s efforts to enhance the environment for civil work, regulate the establishment of associations and their funding mechanisms, and ensure transparency in their governance—enabling them to efficiently fulfil their developmental and social roles. It also seeks to reinforce principles of governance, broaden societal participation, and promote synergy between civil society institutions and state entities.