Azeri Govt offered to simplify NGO registration and receipt grants thereby

A package of proposals aimed to improve the legal environment for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has been lodged to the Government of Azerbaijan by a group of 29 civil society activists. They offer to cancel the earlier adopted amendments, which toughen the control over NGOs, to simplify registration of them and the procedure of issuance and receiving of grants.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in February 2014 Azerbaijan adopted the amendments, under which the NGOs, unregistered by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), factually lost their chances to use grants. The current legislation obliges NGOs to report, every 90 days, to state agencies about any changes in their registry lists, introduces new rules for inspecting the NGOs' activities and introduces new types of violations, for which NGOs and their leaders may be fined.

Today, "the unified package of proposals aimed at improving the legislation regulating the activities of civil society" has been released on behalf of 29 rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and NGO leaders. The document is addressed to the Azerbaijani Government, and local and international public. According to the authors, the proposals will help to launch "a free and stable operation of the civil society in the country."

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