On January 10, 2006, Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a bill that will limit and regulate the activities of NGOs operating in the Russian Federation. This new legislation requires all Russian NGOs to disclose their finances and sources of funding, and it also requires that their activities comply with Russian “national interests.” Putin has claimed that the law is necessary “to prevent financing political activities from abroad,” but human rights groups and foreign governments have expressed concerns that this law will be used as a tool to crush political opponents. The new law may also hinder the work of legitimate human rights groups, many of them being funded by the U.S. government or American foundations.
 
Is this law consistent with international practices and NGO transparency laws in other countries? What role do NGOs play in the Russian democratization process, and will the new law impact civil society and civil rights there? How will it affect foreign aid to Russia? These and other questions will be the subject of a panel discussion organized by “NGO Watch,” a joint collaboration of AEI and the Federalist Society.