confirms that registration is mostly rejected for technical reasons, mainly due to incomplete registration documents. The MoI data also indicate that the Ministry dissolved three associations in 2018 because respective members violated the associations’ bylaws.10 On the other hand, the ICHR received one complaint in the West Bank, claiming that the MoI denied approval for incorporating the Jam’iyyat Tamkeen [Tamkeen Association], a charitable association dedicated for the empowerment of persons with disabilities in society. According to the MoI, some members of the Association were not approved for security reasons. Associations continued to be subjected to security vetting – a measure which is not provided for by the Law on Charitable Associations and Civil Society Organisations and its bylaw. This procedure is also in conflict with the Council of Ministers’ Decision on Suspension of the Security Clearance Requirement as well as the ruling of the High Court of Justice on the 2012 case of civil servants, which considered that the security clearance requirement violated the Basic Law. In addition, external remittance transfers issued by associations continued to be subject to approval by the MoI. According to the Ministry, remittances from abroad did not require prior approval. This was not the case with non-profit companies, including human rights organisations in the Gaza Strip. Funding of the latter continued to be subject to approval by the Council of Ministers, posing a severe restriction on the right to freedom of association. According to the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, access to funding is an intrinsic element of the right to freedom of association and free functioning of civil society organisations. To realise the right to freedom of association, the ICHR reiterates recommendations of its 23rd Annual Report. Of these, Article 4 of the Council of Ministers’ Decision No. 8 of 2015 on the Amending Regulation of the Regulation on Non-profit Companies should be revoked. This provision subjects funding of non-profit companies, including civil society organisations, to prior approval of the Council of Ministers. The MoI should suspend security clearance as a requirement for registering charitable associations. This unlawful requirement places unjustified restrictions on the right to freedom of association. 2.1.8 Right to political participation and to hold public office The General Personnel Council (GPC) developed and approved performance appraisal forms for employees of the higher category, including for undersecretaries, assistant undersecretaries, and directors general.11 A manual was also compiled for the performance appraisal of these categories. On the 10 ICHR researcher interview with Mr. Mustafa al-Agha, Deputy Director General of the MoI Nongovernmental Organisations Department, Gaza, 22 January 2019. 11 See Decision No. 2 of 2018 on the Approval of Performance Appraisal Forms for Employees of the Higher Category (Undersecretaries, Assistant Undersecretaries and Directors General), Palestinian Official Gazette, Issue 145, Palestinian Official Gazette, 26 July 2018. 22 The Status of Human Rights in Palestine