Azerbaijan’s membership in the Open Government Partnership is lowered

On May 4,  in the Cape Town (South Africa) was held a regular meeting of the steering committee of the international initiative Open Government Partnership, which addressed the issue of Azerbaijan's membership. The participants decided to downgrade the status of a full member to the "inactive" of the country.

Of the 22 members of the Steering Committee  16 voted "for" this solution, 3 - "against", 3 – abstained, Turan was told a member of the Board of the NGO coalition to increase transparency in the extractive industries Gubad Ibadoglu.

The reason for lowering the status of Azerbaijan became the ongoing persecution and restrictions on the development of civil society institutions in the country. The Steering Committee has seen in such a policy a "restriction" of opportunities for NGO activities, undermining the principles and values of "Open Government Partnership".

"Azerbaijan is given a year to fulfill obligations to the "Open Government Partnership."  During this time, concrete steps to address the country's civil society issues need to be taken. In the meantime, Azerbaijan is deprived of the right to vote and participates in activities only as an observer," said Ibadoglu.

Azerbaijan is represented in the initiative "Open Government Partnership" since 2011. As part of its commitment, the country adopted a National Action Plan for the Promotion of Open Government for 2012-2015 and the National Action Plan to combat corruption for 2012-2015.

Immediate  plans of actions should be taken before July 2015. However, the National Action Plan for the promotion of open government in the 2016-2018 was adopted only  on April 27, 2016.

A year ago, the status of Azerbaijan was lowered from  full membership to candidate-country also in the Transparency Initiative in the extractive sphere.-03B-