Civil Society Organisations Act of Bhutan 2007

The Civil Society Organisations Act of Bhutan 2007 is the principal legislative framework governing the registration, regulation and operation of non-governmental organisations in Bhutan. It was enacted by the 87th session of the National Assembly of Bhutan in 2007, immediately before the kingdom's transition to parliamentary democracy, and provides the legal basis on which both Bhutanese and foreign civil society organisations are recognised and supervised.^[1]

The Act creates two categories of registered organisation. Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs) are bodies whose activities are oriented to the welfare of the public at large, including charitable, educational, scientific, religious, cultural, environmental and human-rights work. Mutual Benefit Organisations (MBOs) are member-based associations whose primary purpose is to advance the interests of their members. The Act establishes the Civil Society Organisations Authority (CSOA) as an autonomous regulatory body responsible for registration, accreditation and supervision.^[2]

As of recent counts published by the CSOA, around fifty PBOs and a smaller number of MBOs are registered under the Act. The registered sector includes prominent organisations such as the Tarayana Foundation, RENEW, the Bhutan Foundation, the Royal Society for Protection of Nature, the Loden Foundation and the Bhutan Media Foundation.^[3]

Background

Before 2007 there was no general legal framework for non-governmental organisations in Bhutan. The country's first registered civil society bodies — including the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (1987) and the Bhutan Youth Development Fund (1999) — were created under specific Royal charters or executive orders. As Bhutan prepared for parliamentary democracy under the 2008 Constitution, the Royal Government concluded that a general legal framework was required both to support the emergence of a civil society sector and to specify boundaries for its activities.

The Civil Society Organisations Bill was introduced into the National Assembly in 2007 and passed by the 87th session of the Assembly the same year. It received Royal Assent and entered into force shortly thereafter. The substantive Civil Society Organisations Authority was established in 2009, and the supporting Civil Society Organisations Rules and Regulations were issued in 2010.^[1][2]

Provisions of the Act

Definitions and categories

The Act defines a civil society organisation as a non-profit, non-governmental association of persons formed for a public or mutual benefit purpose. It distinguishes between Public Benefit Organisations and Mutual Benefit Organisations, and provides separate registration tracks for foreign organisations operating in Bhutan, which require accreditation in addition to registration.^[2]

Registration requirements

Registration requires the submission of a constitution or articles of association, a statement of objectives, a list of office bearers, evidence of initial funding, and an undertaking to comply with Bhutanese law. PBOs must additionally satisfy the Authority that their activities are oriented to public benefit and that they meet criteria of governance, transparency and accountability set out in the regulations.

The CSO Authority

The Civil Society Organisations Authority is an autonomous statutory body. The Act assigns it three functions: review and approval of registration applications, accreditation of foreign CSOs, and ongoing supervision of registered organisations to ensure compliance with the Act, with the rules and regulations issued under it, and with the organisation's own constitution.^[2] The Authority has the power to suspend or deregister organisations for non-compliance.

Restrictions

The Act prohibits CSOs from engaging in party-political activity, from acting in ways that threaten national security or public order, and from contravening provisions of the Constitution and other laws. The 2010 rules add reporting and audit requirements and specify procedures for sanctions.

Registered sector

The registered CSO sector in Bhutan is comparatively small. The CSOA's published lists record around fifty PBOs and a smaller number of MBOs. Major PBOs span environment and conservation, women's empowerment, youth and education, disability, media, and Buddhist cultural and religious work. Bhutanese commentators have noted that the sector remains heavily concentrated in Thimphu, that funding is dominated by a small number of international donors, and that organisations working on overtly political or human-rights themes are limited in number compared with regional peers.^[3][4]

Debates and proposed reform

The Act has been the subject of recurrent policy debate. Civil society leaders writing in The Druk Journal and submissions to the Bhutan Media Foundation's 2023 review have argued that registration procedures are slow and overly demanding for small community-based organisations, that the prohibition on political activity is interpreted broadly enough to deter legitimate advocacy on social policy, and that the Authority's resources are insufficient to provide the supportive supervision the Act envisages.^[4][5]

The Royal Government has signalled openness to amendment, and proposals discussed in successive five-year plans have included streamlined registration for small community organisations, clearer limits on the Authority's discretion to refuse or revoke registration, and explicit provision for advocacy work by PBOs on matters of public interest. As of 2026 no comprehensive amendment of the Act has been enacted.

References

1. Civil Society Organizations Act of Bhutan 2007 — Office of the Attorney General
2. Civil Society Organizations Act of Bhutan — International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
3. List of Public Benefit Organisations — Civil Society Organisations Authority
4. Nurturing Civil Society — The Druk Journal
5. Finding a Common Narrative for Civil Society Organisations in Bhutan — Bhutan Media Foundation
6. Civil Society Briefs: Bhutan — Asian Development Bank