FRANCE: National human rights body calls for the abandonment of the Republican commitment contract for associations

– Analysis of the draft bill on Strengthening republican values by Commission nationale consultative des droits de l’homme – CNCDH, Published in April 2021

In its second opinion on the bill to strengthen respect for the principles of the of the Republic, the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights – CNCDH reaffirms that despite the amendments made by the the National Assembly, this text must be subject to numerous revisions.
The provisions of the bill are problematic in two respects in particular: they are intended to be widely applied, whereas they target very specific situations and some of them infringe on fundamental rights and freedoms.
This opinion is structured around an article-by-article study of the bill, targeting the most critical articles. Formulating thirty-five recommendations, the CNCDH calls for the abandonment of the Republican commitment contract for associations and opposes the implementation of a double declaration system for associations and religious unions. The CNCDH also wishes that the obligation of neutrality can only be extended to persons in direct relation with the users of public services. It also makes recommendations concerning the articles relating to online hate, education, sports and the conditions for the of implementation of the exercise of religion.

Read it here (in French)