17:22, 12 July 2016

"Civil Society Platform" urges to return Azerbaijan into "Open Government Partnership"

A session of the public association "Civil Society Platform", June 28, 2016. Photo http://www.contact.az/docs/2016/Politics/062800160418ru.htm#.V4UNPvmLTbg

The public association "Civil Society Platform" has called on the Azerbaijani authorities to restore the full-fledged membership in the "Open Government Partnership" by following the requirements of the organization.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 4, at the meeting of the Governing Committee of the "Open Government Partnership", it was decided to decrease the Azerbaijan's status from a full-fledged member to "an inactive member of the Partnership." The body was created to find solutions to the urgent problems of the country. The founders claimed no political objectives of the association.

The "Open Government Partnership" (OGP) is an international organization, which was officially established on September 20, 2011, to approve the ideals of open state, including development of administrative professionalism open to civilian control. Its creation involved the US, the UK, Brazil, Norway, Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines, and South Africa.

Oktai Gyulalyev, a member of the PGO, has noted that Azerbaijan has become the only country which status in the "Open Government Partnership" was lowered. According to Oktai Gyulalyev, that fact "not only adversely affects the country's image, but also can create problems with the external financial borrowings, which are necessary for Azerbaijan because of falling oil prices."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Faik Medzhid

Source: CK correspondent