VZCZCXRO7362
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #1890 2961412
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231412Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4381
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MOSCOW 011890 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EAID KDEM PREF RS
SUBJECT: OCTOBER 23 NGO RE-REGISTRATION UPDATE 
 
REF: MOSCOW 11831 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) We continue to receive positive reports on the 
re-registration of foreign NGOs.  Of the 29 NGOs that USAID 
is tracking, another three have been registered by the 
Federal Registration Service (FRS) since October 20, bringing 
the total re-registered to eleven.  Of the remaining 
eighteen, seventeen have submitted their applications.  These 
seventeen are keeping a low profile at this time, although a 
number of them "pre-funded" sub-grantees prior to the October 
18 deadline.  The FRS is not expected to share further 
information with the public about the re-registration status 
of other foreign NGOs until October 27. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Although some Western press reports have suggested 
that human rights NGOs are "not getting registered," the 
evidence to date has not reflected a targeting of these 
rights-based NGOs.  The Danish Refugee Council was 
re-registered October 19 (reftel). Medecins Sans Frontieres 
has also been re-registered, as have Oxfam and the 
International Center for Crisis Prevention.  Two bellwethers, 
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have been late 
in submitting their applications.  Human Rights Watch (HRW) 
has not yet submitted all of its documents to the FRS, but 
hopes to do so within the next two weeks.  HRW's interlocutor 
at the FRS has assured it that there will be no problems. 
Sergei Nikitin, Amnesty International's Head of Office told 
us that its re-registration application was submitted on 
October 16. (NOTE: The rules allow the FRS 30 days in which 
to review applications, although it has been processing 
re-registration packets in less time than that.)  In the 
meantime, both of these organizations have temporarily ceased 
external activities. 
 
¶3. (SBU) COMMENT.  Most NGOs expect to be re-registered and 
there is every indication that the FRS is attempting to 
process their applications expeditiously.  The new pressing 
deadline is October 31, when registered NGOs will have to 
submit their third quarter reports and their 2007 program 
reports.  The committee that has been directed to formulate 
guidance for the contents of the program report was 
established only last week and has yet to meet.  Embassy will 
continue to monitor both the re-registration process and 
reporting requirement developments.  END COMMENT. 
 
BURNS