Ali Huseynli: No need to amend Azerbaijani legislation on NGOs

Baku. 18 April. REPORT.AZ/ "If the European Union and the Council of Europe properly worked with us not within 4 days, but for a year, no recommendations would occur. There is no specific comment, it is impossible to find. There are general recommendations. Our legislation on non-governmental organizations complies with common European standards and Convention".

Report informs, Chairman of the parliament's Committee on Legal Policy and State Building, Ali Huseynli said addressing the conference on the topic of coordination of Azerbaijani legislation and practice on non-governmental organizations with European standards.

He said that the system in Azerbaijan may not match with practice of some countries: "Do you mean European countries have electronic registration? If you invited Milli Majlis representatives as experts during preparation of the report, they would explain introduction of national laws. Taking into account these recommendations, the parliament's Committee on Legal Policy and State Building sees no reason to amend the existing legislation. You should take this into consideration. We have repeatedly met with representatives of non-governmental organizations while amending the legislation. We are aware of the problems faced by non-governmental organizations. We are aware of the problems during financial transactions, contact with banks. We think over this problem. I'd like to emphasize again that I see no need to discuss amendments to the law. Recent amendments to the legislation related to ensuring transparency. If any deficiencies in the introduction of the law, we are ready to hold discussions with local non-governmental organizations".

Notably, in the framework of "Civil society dialogue in Azerbaijan", which is joint project of the European Union and Council of Europe, a joint report developed together with Expert Council on NGO Law of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe. The report includes several recommendations.