On September 8, 2007, ECNL participated in a seminar to discuss the White Paper on NGO Sector in Azerbaijan held by National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan.
The seminar was dedicated to the White Paper on NGO sector in Azerbaijan. The document was prepared by local experts within the framework of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) project entitled Strengthening the Legal Framewok for Citizen Action Through Freedom of Association.
The White Paper focused on three main areas:
- NGO-Government cooperation,
- public financing of NGOs and
- NGO participation in legislation process.
Some 30 local NGO representatives and also parliamentarians Ms. Lala G.Abasova and Mr. Azay Guliyev attended the event. Mr. Azay Guliyev welcomed the participants and Dragan Golubovic gave an opening speech, where he specifically mentioned good international practices on public financing of NGOs.
Then the participants divided into three groups to continue the discussion according to the areas of interest. The White Paper is now available for public discussion. President Ilham Aliyev has recently signed a presidential Decree on the State Support for NGOs in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The decree emphasizes the necessity for increasing state support to NGOs and improving government-NGO relations.
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.