Azerbaijani Leadership Should Seriously Develop Principles of Open Government

The leaders of Azerbaijan are only nominally committed to the principles of open government. This is stated in the report of the local alliance " NGO Network Against Corruption" on the results of monitoring activities with government agencies in September 2012 to October 2013.

As said in the document is limited and difficult access to public information in many extractive industries and other areas that provide income to the state budget . Not upgraded a database of normative legal acts selectively data comes late, there is a difference between the information in the portals of relevant agencies and said base (http://e-qanun.az).

Besides, are not ensured access to NGO accountability of public bodies , not to mention their participation in the activities of the government . Electronic services to the public do not cover all spheres of society . Opaque activities of bodies to ensure financial control , including verification of income taxes . Not transparent no structure extraction of mineral resources . Poorly established to promote and disseminate public materials about open government , even senior officials often have a vague idea about the essence of the subject .

Existing legislative restrictions on access to public information and other civil liberties do not allow for public participation in the formation of an environment conducive to open government information. The role of civil society in the country's life from year to year narrows , government officials do not provide tax returns on their income, which indicates the inadequacy of resources and institutional capacity of the local authorities for full cooperation with the international organizations.

In order to improve the National Action Plan to promote open government in the years 2012-15 under obligations to the UN General Assembly adopted several recommendations. As part of the document should be made public and government agencies responsible for specific areas of performance, including public awareness; break data on the performance requirements of the act; indicators add to document the effectiveness of the results , and to ensure full monitoring of the implementation of the National Plan with the participation of representatives of civil society and strengthening the role of NGOs in this process.

Also recommended to establish a platform for dialogue between the government and NGOs to create a unified model index "Open Door " with the participation of civil society, as well as to learn from experience in reliable partners such as Georgia and Moldova, have achieved considerable success in implementing similar plans .

Azerbaijan - one of the 61 countries - participants of the commitment to open government , created September 20, 2011 at the 66th UN General Assembly . President Ilham Aliyev in this regard on September 5 of the same year issued a decree "On the National Action Plan to promote open government in the years 2012-15 ." The main drawback of the document - the lack of specific artists and responsible for its implementation structures , mixing powers of central and local executive authorities , the lack of separation data enforce the provisions of a statute.

Following the adoption of two documents formed an alliance of non-governmental organizations - " National Budget Group " and " NGO Network against Corruption ." While state agencies have implemented 10 % of the recommendations emanating from the international requirements . Strictly adheres to the approved plan office services and social innovation (ASAN) at the head of state , as well as some part of government structures , including the State Social Protection Fund , the portal e-gov.az, controlled by the Ministry of Communications , Office of the fight against corruption and the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan . - 17D-