On November 22, 2007, ECNL’s local partner "National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan", hosted a roundtable for local NGOs to discuss their suggestions for establishing a new office on NGO-government cooperation. The event was opened by the President of the "National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan" Azay Guliyev and convened some 30 participants, including parliamentary representatives, NGO representatives and journalists.
ECNL's Senior Legal Advisor Dragan Golubovic provided his comments on the issues that have to be addressed in the light of the recently signed Presidential Decree on the State Support for NGOs in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Topics covered included the legal framework for the new Council on NGO-government cooperation, its content and administrative procedures. The issues of accountability and transparency were also addressed.
ECNL's work in Azerbaijan is made possible through the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) project entitled “Strengthening the Legal Framewok for Citizen Action”, which extends through December 2008.