The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) will hold a regional conference May 12-15 in Sinaia, Romania, on the laws and regulations governing not-for-profit organizations in the ex-communist world. The conference is intended to be "the kick-off event for an interactive process that will develop sound legal structures for civil society in countries in the region of Eastern and Central Europe." Other conference co-sponsors are the Soros Foundation for an Open Society, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the European Cultural Centre.

The focus of this conference will be on the part of civil society that is comprised by humanitarian, public service, environmental, charitable, advocacy and educational organizations. Topics dealing with the regulation of trade unions, political parties, religious organizations and cooperatives will not be addressed at this time. Participation is limited to invitees from Eastern and Central Europe. A similar conference focusing on the newly independent states (NIS) will be held at a later date.

Participation at this conference is limited to approximately 60 individuals. Persons interested in attending should address a letter to the executive director of ICNL.

ICNL is a legally registered public charity, organized to support the develop-ment "of laws and regulatory systems that permit and encourage the growth of a voluntary, independent, charitable sector in societies throughout the world." Technical assistance projects coordinated by ICNL are staffed by lawyers and other experts who volunteer their time. These technical assistance teams are international in make-up "in order to reflect perspectives from both civil law and common law traditions."

ICNL has on-going projects in all the countries in Central and Eastern Europe and in most of the NIS, as well as in other regions of the world. Founders of ICNL are its Executive Director, Karla Simon, Professor of Law at Catholic University of America and Visiting Scholar at the Yale Law School and the Yale Program on Nonprofit Organizations (PONPO). Leon Irish, Vice President and Senior Counsel of the Aetna Life & Casualty Company, is the other founder of ICNL and its President.

ICNL has prepared a series of detailed reports on the legal situation affecting NGOs in many countries in the region. For example, in March and April of 1993, ICNL submitted lengthy comments to the Russian government on drafts of Russian Federation laws on charities and noncommercial organizations. Its Blueprints Project offers guidelines to new governments on the main elements or issues that should be addressed by laws governing "third sector" organizations. ICNL also has materials that summarize concisely the main provisions of United States tax laws affecting not-for-profit organizations.

Other ICNL projects include a multi-disciplinary "Polish Independent Sector Project," which is studying the development of the independent sector in Poland since 1984. Partners in this project are Dr. Malgorzata Fuszara and Dr. Jacek Kurczewski, researchers at the Institute of Applied Social Science at the University of Warsaw. ICNL also is working to put together a major international project "leading to reform of religious freedom laws around the world." As part of this project, it has assembled a consortium of religious and non-denominational organizations to sponsor a conference in October in Provo, Utah, on the theme, "Evolving Protections of the Religious Sector: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Perspectives." Leaders from Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, and other countries will attend.

To obtain copies of reports or publications, or for further information about ICNL, contact:

Karla W. Simon
Executive Director
International Center
for Not-for-Profit Law
27 Main Street
Farmington, CT 06032
Tel/fax: (203) 676-0609

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Center for Civil Society International [email protected]