Find Civil Society expertise in Mozambique

The NGO community in Mozambique began its engagement with the country’s development process at the end of the civil war in 1992, an association which became more pronounced in the aftermath of the catastrophic floods of 2000. International NGO support covers most sectors and there are now 250 NGOs working in the country.

In the 1990s, most of civil society’s efforts were concentrated on reconstruction. NGOs such as the HALO trust, a UK-funded charity, were leading efforts to remove debris and landmines from the country’s 16-year civil war. Following on from the civil war and the floods of 2000, the relief efforts of thousands of NGOs involved the distribution of food, rehabilitation of infrastructure, health services, education, water and sanitation, agricultural extension and vocational training. The nature of the reconstruction efforts on both occasions, post civil war and post floods, is characteristically long-term, resulting in NGOs becoming an inextricable part of Mozambique’s development process.

The Government of Mozambique’s Decree 55/98 regulates the registration and activities of foreign NGOs. International NGOs must register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and are required to provide significant details on their organisation’s projects, staffing, and finances. Domestic NGOs must register with the Ministry of Justice. The registration process for foreign NGOs can take several months.

There are over 21 unions which function in Mozambique, and these are accommodated into two main branches – The Organisation of Mozambican Workers (OTM) and the Confederation of Free and Independent Trade Unions (CONSILMO). The latter is now established as a separate union.

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