Briefing Paper 11. Developments in the Regulations of NGOs via Government Counter- Terrorism Measures and Policies

The US government’s promulgation of counter-terrorism measures (CTMs) will significantly affect the operations of development focused NGOs. It is difficult to accurately assess the nature and significance of the impacts, for evidence is anecdotal, trends slow to develop and many other factors affect NGO decisions. The somewhat guarded nature of CTM discussion among NGOs also prevents firm conclusions. Nevertheless, it is clear that the omnipresence of terrorism, increasing mistrust between governments and NGOs and a broadening view of what constitutes “material support” to terror, means that CTMs are set to be a long-term and burdensome operational reality for NGOs.