A bill passed by Angola's parliament on January 22, 2026, to regulate nongovernmental organizations would significantly expand government control over civil society and undermine fundamental freedoms, Human Rights Watch said today. President João Lourenço should not sign the bill into law but return it to parliament for revisions that ensure compliance with Angola's international human rights obligations.
The draft Law on the Statute of Non-Governmental Organizations grants broad administrative powers allowing the authorities to authorize, monitor, suspend, and financially restrict organizations, undermining their independence and ability to operate freely. Parliament approved the bill, which the executive introduced in 2023, after review and revision, but without major changes.
"Angola's draft law to regulate nongovernmental groups contains excessive and vague controls that endanger the free and effective functioning of civil society," said Sheila Nhancale, Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "President Lourenço should call for a revised bill that strengthens, rather than restricts, civil society's work and that is in line with Angola's human rights obligations."
The bill passed with 106 votes in favor from the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola) and the opposition Social Renewal Party (Partido de Renovação Social), and 77 votes against from the primary opposition party, National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola or UNITA).
UNITA lawmakers criticized the legislation for treating civil society as inherently risky and shifting control of a fundamental right from the courts to administrative authorities.
Human Rights Watch found several provisions of the draft law incompatible with international human rights standards. Article 6 requires groups to obtain administrative authorization to carry out their activities, establishing a vague licensing system without clear criteria, timelines, or guarantees of judicial oversight. This effectively transforms the right to freedom of association into a privilege subject to government discretion.
Articles 7 and 34 allow extensive government monitoring of groups' activities and finances, empower authorities to determine where projects may operate, and permit assessments of the "suitability" of leadership bodies. These provisions undermine organizational autonomy and raise serious concerns about privacy and data protection.
The legislation lacks strong safeguards to protect personal data, authorizing extensive collection and information-sharing between state bodies, exposing activists and organizations to potential misuse of sensitive information.
Article 30 authorizes administrative suspension of groups for up to 120 days, renewable, based on loosely defined "strong indications" of unlawful conduct or threats to national security, without requiring prior judicial approval. Such vague standards put groups at risk of abuse and risks silencing critical voices, Human Rights Watch said.
The draft law also imposes strict financial controls, including requiring all funds to pass through domestic banks and banning international capital transfers. These restrictions could obstruct legitimate humanitarian, development, and human rights work that depends on cross-border cooperation and assistance.
Throughout the bill, vague terminology such as "immoral," "non-compliant," "appropriate measures," and "strong indications" grants wide discretion to the authorities, contrary to the principle of legal certainty required for any restriction on fundamental rights.
Civil society groups across Angola have criticized the law as unconstitutional and warned it will further shrink civic space.
"This framework allows authorities to control civil society through administrative measures rather than lawful, proportionate regulation," Hermenegildo Teotónio, a lawyer and deputy chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of the Angolan Bar Association, told Human Rights Watch. "Without clear limits and independent oversight, the risk of repression is high."
Zola Álvaro, a human rights activist working with a local organization in Luanda, the capital, told Human Rights Watch that: "The law would make NGO work increasingly difficult due to excessive bureaucracy and government interference."
Under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, restrictions on freedom of association, expression, and peaceful assembly must be lawful, necessary, proportionate, and subject to effective safeguards.
On January 22, parliament also approved, in general terms, a draft law addressing online misinformation. Media freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, warned that vague definitions and harsh penalties could be used to suppress free expression.
Together, the two proposed laws signal a broader trend toward expanding government control over civic and public life in Angola, Human Rights Watch said.
"The draft law to regulate nongovernmental groups represents a serious setback for civil society and democratic freedoms in Angola," Nhancale said. "Concerned governments should send a strong public message to the president and parliament that any law regulating civil society should advance the rights to organize and participate in public life."
