Top Ten Events of Social Organizations in 2012

In 2012, China's social organization construction and management made new progress. To better review the annual development of social organizations, the Ministry of Civil Affairs' Bureau of Non-Governmental Organization Management and seven other units, following the principles of "highlighting importance, focusing on guidance, and considering comprehensiveness," selected the top ten events of social organizations in 2012.
        1. The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China put forward new requirements for the construction of social organizations. The report of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to "accelerate the formation of a modern social organization system characterized by separation of government and society, clear powers and responsibilities, and legal autonomy," emphasizing the need to "deeply promote the separation of government and society," "strengthen the Party building work of social organizations," "give full play to the collaborative role of various grassroots organizations," "encourage and guide social forces to run education," "support the development of charity," "encourage social medical care," "strengthen foreign exchanges of non-governmental groups," and "guide social organizations to develop healthily and orderly." These are of great significance to ensuring the correct direction of the construction and development of social organizations in China and guiding their healthy and orderly development.
       2. Social organizations for AIDS prevention and control played an active role and received high praise from central leaders. On the eve of World AIDS Day 2012, central leaders including Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang successively visited AIDS patients and volunteers, held talks with representatives of social organizations for AIDS prevention and control, and highly praised the active role of these social organizations.
        3. The central government emphasized that government administrative management and public services should be appropriately entrusted to social organizations. At the 13th National Civil Affairs Conference held on March 19, 2012, Premier Wen Jiabao emphasized that government administrative management tasks and public services suitable to be provided through the market and society can be appropriately entrusted to social organizations, intermediary agencies, communities, and other grassroots organizations. The "Decision of the State Council on the Sixth Batch of Cancellation and Adjustment of Administrative Approval Items" stipulates that for matters that citizens, legal persons, or other organizations can decide independently, where market competition mechanisms can effectively regulate, and where industry organizations or intermediary agencies can self-regulate, the government must withdraw. In line with this spirit, the People's Government of Guangdong Province officially issued the first batch of lists of social organizations to which functions are transferred, service purchases, and qualified social organizations, expanding the development space for social organizations.
        4. The central government allocated 200 million yuan of special funds for the first time to support social organizations participating in social services. In 2012, the central government allocated 200 million yuan of special funds to support social organizations participating in social services. The funded projects include four major categories: development demonstration projects, social service pilot projects, social work service demonstration projects, and personnel training demonstration projects.
        5. The newly revised Civil Procedure Law explicitly clarified the qualification of social organizations as subjects of public interest litigation for the first time. On August 31, 2012, the 28th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress passed the amendment to the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, which stipulates that "for acts that pollute the environment, infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of many consumers, and damage social public interests, the legally prescribed organs and relevant organizations may file lawsuits with the people's courts." This is the first time that China's law has established a public interest litigation system and explicitly included social organizations as one of the subjects of public interest litigation.
        6. Some grassroots Party organizations and Communist Party members of social organizations received central commendations. On June 28, 2012, the National Advanced Model Workers and Outstanding Party Members Commendation Conference was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. For the first time, social organizations were recognized as a category, with 22 advanced grassroots Party organizations and outstanding Communist Party members receiving central commendations, and 218 excellent guiding units receiving recognition from relevant departments.
        7. The reform of the social organization registration management system progressed in an orderly manner. In 2012, according to the national "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" outline, and based on the integrated functions of registration management and business supervision for social organizations in categories such as public welfare charity, social welfare, and social services, the Ministry of Civil Affairs launched nationwide direct registration of social organizations after consultation and recognition with relevant departments for cross-departmental and cross-industry social organizations. Nineteen provinces carried out or piloted direct registration of social organizations; nine provinces delegated registration management authority for non-public fundraising foundations; eight provinces delegated registration management authority for chambers of commerce outside their jurisdictions; four provinces piloted registration of foreign-related private non-enterprise units; the Standing Committee of the Yunnan Provincial People's Congress formulated local regulations for direct registration and management of industry associations by civil affairs departments. Significant achievements were made in promoting the reform of the social organization registration management system and guiding the healthy and orderly development of social organizations.
        8. Social organizations were included as a category of provincial people's congress representatives for the first time. In 2012, the 12th People's Congress of Guangdong Province divided representatives into 15 major categories and 32 subcategories by industry, adding social organizations as a major category and allocating 9 provincial people's congress representative seats to social organizations across the province, accounting for 1.1% of all representatives. Social organizations were officially included as a category of provincial people's congress representatives for the first time. This indicates further recognition of the role and representativeness of social organizations in participating in economic and social development.
        9. Multiple social organization public welfare projects won the "China Social Innovation Award." On December 22, 2012, the second "China Social Innovation Award" (2012) was announced in Beijing, selecting 10 winners including the China Social Welfare Foundation's "Free Lunch Project" and 14 finalists including the Shenzhen Pengxing Social Work Service Agency's "Harmonious Home Shenzhen Anti-Domestic Violence Social Worker Assistance Program." The "China Social Innovation Award" was initiated by the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau, Peking University, and other units, aiming to discover and encourage innovative behaviors of various social organizations in solving social problems, meeting social needs, creating social value, and promoting social progress.
        10. The Ministry of Civil Affairs vigorously strengthened the construction of social organization behavior norms. In response to issues in recent years such as lack of transparency in the use of public welfare funds, irregular evaluations, and arbitrary charges by some social organizations that have caused widespread social doubts, in 2012, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, together with relevant departments, vigorously strengthened the construction of social organization behavior norms, issuing a series of regulations on standardizing foundation behavior, cooperation activities of social groups, seminars, forums, evaluation and commendation activities held by social organizations, social organization evaluation indicators, and administrative penalty procedures of registration management authorities. These measures indicate that social organization management is shifting from post-event investigation and passive response to more emphasis on pre-event regulation and proactive guidance, which helps guide and promote social organizations to strengthen self-discipline and develop healthily and orderly.