The Spanish coordination of development NGOs denounces an increase in legislation worldwide persecuting cooperation

The Coordination for Development NGOs, the Spanish state network of social organizations and platforms established in 1986 also denounces a growing criminalization of national and international cooperation and human rights’ defender organizations.

This second-level organization issued such statements on the occasion of the day of cooperation actors, observed on 8 September. This day came after the United Nations approved, in 2000, the “Millennium Declaration” to reduce the level of extreme poverty.

The Coordination of Development NGOs also provided figures for this persecution: from 2007 to 2017 more than 1,150 humanitarian workers were killed around the world. During this same period, 1,743 attacks on such workers were registered, with 1,110 injured and 942 kidnapped.

63.4% of the 7,676 persons working in development NGOs in Spain work in other countries, and most of them are local staff. They are engaged in 3,600 projects and programmes in 105 countries, especially in Africa, South America and the Caribbean, helping around 35 million people.