Azernews.Az

Scores of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations have opposed suggested changes to the country`s law on NGOs that envision more financial accountability.
50 groups have set up the Committee to Protect Civil Society to advance their campaign, and at least that many NGOs have now joined the protests.
The Milli Majlis (parliament) is preparing to introduce amendments to the Law on Non-governmental Organizations and discuss the changes this week. NGOs are worried about the prospect of having to undergo audits and issue transparent financial reports. Another concern for these organizations pertains to their budgets. Under the bill, if over half of NGOs` revenues cone from foreign donors, their operation will be shut down.
The rules of registration are also to be altered. Under proposed regulations, organizations failing to register with the state will not be allowed to operate and, if such activities are revealed, violators may face administrative penalties.
Moreover, opening a local office by foreign NGOs will require a respective inter-governmental agreement between their home country and Azerbaijan.
However, the NGO committee intends to undertake a number of counter-steps until the legislature tables the proposed changes on Friday. These include issuing a statement, adopting appeals to parliament, the president, international groups and diplomatic missions, trying to arrange television debates, and drafting legal feedback on the proposed amendments. Also, the NGOs plan to stage a protest on the day discussions will proceed in the Milli Majlis.
Ali Hasanov, head of the Presidential Administration socio-political department, said the proposed amendments comply with international standards.
"Quite frankly, I cannot comprehend the NGOs` concerns. Changes to be made to this law will not cause any problems for existing NGOs. In other words, existing NGOs have undergone registration and continue their activity in line with the standing legislation. The changes also reflect strengthening inter-governmental relations. Therefore, there are no grounds for concern."

CE concerned
The Council of Europe has said it is "very concerned" about some of the proposed changes to the law on NGOs.
"Amendments as proposed, which will be reportedly submitted for parliamentary decision this Friday, may create serious obstacles for the freedom of expression and normal functioning of the civil society in Azerbaijan," three top CE officials warned in a statement. "They may even lead to the closing of the Council of Europe School of Political Studies in Baku."
The statement was released by Samuel Zbogar, Slovenian Foreign Minister and Chairman-in-office of the CE Committee of Ministers, Lluis Maria de Puig, President of the CE Parliamentary Assembly and Terry Davis, Secretary General of the organization.
"We call on the authorities to postpone the decision on the proposed amendments. The Council of Europe is ready to provide assistance in order to ensure that any changes will be in line with the Council of Europe standards of democracy and human rights," the statement suggested.