- Intensive discussions are underway in Azerbaijan on the amendments, made to the legislation regarding non-governmental organizations. What is your position on this issue?
- Foreign non-governmental organizations’ activities in Azerbaijan have been regulated by our legislation so far. However, the experience has shown that some amendments should be made to the legislation in this regard as part of the measures on transparency and fight against corruption. The goal is to increase transparency in this field. How can those NGOs talk about transparency, while there is no transparency in their activities? They are operating thanks to grant projects, but not basing on a voluntary basis. Recent researches have also shown us that unfortunately, there are many gaps in this field. There are serious shortcomings regarding expenditure of funds, taxes, as well as spending grant funds for external purposes. In other words, problems faced by the representatives of foreign NGOs in the country were due to these gaps. We are speaking about specific organizations that are not operating basing on the legal agreements signed with Azerbaijan in accordance with their regulations and using the aforementioned ways. Of course, this is unacceptable. In fact, these problems also exist in the countries where the head offices of these foreign organizations are located.
The public has so far been informed about their non-transparent activity in Azerbaijan. However, we have always met it patiently as these issues are sensitive aspects in civil society. It is also known that significant reforms have been conducted in this field in recent years. First of all, the Council of State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations under the Auspices of the President is functioning. This means that the president himself supports NGOs. Secondly, there are many fields that several state authorities, based on the legislation, can finance the civil society in these fields, including culture and environment. We no longer see the need for such extensive activities of foreign donors in Azerbaijan. The researches also show that most of the funds allocated by them have been spent inappropriately and served other purposes. They have committed serious violations.
- The amendments made to the legislation requires additional information related to the activities of the foreign NGOs’ representations in Azerbaijan as well as reception of reference from relevant executive authority by the organization intending to get grants from abroad this cause some people’s questions. What was the need for these remarks in the amendments?
- I have a question to them: Why a person who carries out this process should conceal this information. For example, a foreign non-governmental organization implements a certain project in Azerbaijan. First of all, there should be need for implementation of that project in Azerbaijan. Sometimes, terrorist organizations, like ISIL are established thanks to such unnecessary projects. For example, various organizations have carried out a number of projects in the West, financed some unnecessary projects, ideas and eventually a terrorist organization, like ISIL has emerged. In other words, the necessity of the project’s idea should be determined beforehand. It should be determined that does our society need the project in terms of its idea? Secondly, its necessity from financial perspective should be considered. Secondly, its necessity in terms of funding should be looked through. If there are enough state resources in any field—ecology, culture, or legal reforms—then there’s no need for foreign donators. In general, foreign donators are needed only for a particular transition period, which Azerbaijan has gone through long before. Now, Azerbaijan is among the investing countries.
As regards the requirement of a reference from the relevant executive authority, that reference is the one related to necessity. This is needed to define those necessities in advance. In the current stage, that’s what is needed.
- So that means Azerbaijan’s cooperation with those international organizations is gradually coming to a halt?
- On the contrary, transparency is proposed for cooperation. Azerbaijan is entering into a new stage in cooperation with international NGOs, which means all remark, if there were any, will be eliminated. Imagine a foreign NGO has shown everything in the contract it has signed in Azerbaijan clearly and transparently ahead of time, in this case there’s going to be no remark about its activities. However, as I have already said, we no longer need foreign donators on that field. For instance, there’s no need for projects of legal reforms—anti-corruption, ASAN Service, etc.—to be funded. We don’t need them any more, they do. Yes, if they come up with any new ideas, we’re ready to hear them. But there’s nothing right now. However, there are some issues we can cooperate in, such as issue of refugees.
- What else is expected regarding the legislation on local NGOs?
- Most of the current amendments are about national NGOs. It has clearly been expressed in the amendments. This issue will soon be discussed in the plenary meeting.
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