7.1 Freedom to associate

Democratic societies are characterised, inter alia, by giving their citizens the right and freedom to associate. The exercise of this freedom produces the wide array of organisations and associations which operate in civil society. These include, as noted earlier, political groups, religious organisations, trade and labour unions, professional groupings and a wide range of cultural, artistic, sporting, recreational, trade, commercial and business entities. It is within this general freedom to associate in democratic societies that NGOs, too, are formed and operate.

In many countries, indeed, voluntarism, as the voluntary act of association to form NGOs and more general volunteer work are sometimes called, is actively promoted by governments. It is at the heart of the first defining characteristic of NGOs.