The Support Council for NGOs attached to the President of Azerbaijan Republic was created by the Presidential decree on 13 December 2007. Having undergone the long-lasting selection and election procedures, the members of the Council has finally been announced to the public. As it was announced earlier, out of 11 members of the Council, 3 represent state bodies and 8 represent NGOs. Azay Guliyev, right, the president of National NGO Forum, was appointed chairman of the NGO Council. (17-APR-08)

Written by Shahla Ismayilova / HRH Azerbaijan on the basis of materials from Media Forum, 1news.az, Yeni Musavat   

Members of the Council
From state bodies the members are:
Tahir Suleymanov – the head of the Public and Political Department Sector of the Presidential Executive Administration
Ilgar Mamedov – the head of the Chief Department on Registration and Notary, within the Ministry of Justice
Vugar Mejidlie – the deputy-head of the Department on Funding the Social Spheres, within the Ministry of Finances

From NGO-s the members are:
Azay Guliyev – the president of National NGO Forum
Gulnara Huseynova – the president of Republican Association of People Ill with Hemophilia
Vugar Qedirov – the chair of the Youth Organization on Refugees and IDP-s
Sahib Mamedov – the chair of Citizens’ Labor Rights Protection League
Rena Mirzazadeh – chairwoman of Gender and Human Rights Research Union
Alimamed Nuriyev – the president of “Constitution” Research Foundation
Jeyhun Osmanly – the president of Azerbaijan Volunteers’ Public Union
Dilara Veliyeva – the president “Mulk” Public Association

Leadership in the NGO Council
Parliamentarian Azay Guliyev, who is going to resign from his current position as head of the National NGO Forum, was selected to be chairman of the Support Council for Nongovernmental Organizations by the President. Tahir Suleymanov was selected to be assistant chairperson and Vugar Majidlie was selected to be secretary of the organization. 

Activities of the NGO Council
Through this government controlled Support Council for NGO-s Azerbaijan’s government plans to provide support to local NGOs. Within the year there will be allocated 1,5 mln. manats to NGOs as a part of state support. It is also planned to hold a Republican NGO Forum with participation of leaders of all the active NGO-s working in the republic. The forum will be organized with the goal to get the suggestions of the NGOs for the development of NGO sector.

Within the nearest future the Council will decide the procedural issues regarding the grants to NGO-s, including the size of grants. It is also planned to provide the NGO-s with technical equipment, required for successful activity and development.