Lack of Transparency
NGO Monitor sues EU over lack of NGO funding transparency
On January 20, 2010, NGO Monitor filed suit against the European Commission in order to obtain vital information related to EC funding of NGOs. After initially rejecting NGO Monitors request one year ago, citing unspecified security factors, the EC provided a disk of documents with most details deleted. The ECs allocation process has no transparency regarding decision-making or evaluation procedures. Many of the politicized NGOs funded by the EU are active in the strategy of demonization, seeking to isolate Israel using tactics such as lawfare and boycott campaigns.
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Analysis of EC Response on Funding for Political NGOs
The EU claims to fund projects that advance human rights, peace, tolerance, and confidence building measures, but the activities of many NGO grantees are inconsistent with these goals. The ECs NGO selection process and the evaluation criteria remain entirely hidden. Responding to NGO Monitors request under EU transparency regulations, the EC belatedly provided a CD of about 50 documents, from which most of the relevant information was deleted. Although the EC claims to fund projects and not organizations, EC funding can comprise as much as 75% of an NGO recipients entire budget.
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The Goldstone "Fact Finding" Mission and the Role of Political NGOs
The Goldstone Mission chose officials from radical anti-Israel NGOs to testify including Al Haq, AIC, and the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP). The GCMHP representative used Nazi rhetoric. HRW has obsessively supported Goldstone, who was a member of HRWs board. The process for the selection of witnesses are completely hidden, and some including PCHR were not made public. Seven NIF-funded Israeli NGOs claimed that Israel acted punitive[ly] and deliberately and knowingly shelled civilian institutions. The Mission has violated the London-Lund guidelines, lacking objectivity, transparency, neutrality, and professionalism.
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