Azerbaijani Government Formalizes Legislative Amendments on Donation

The Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan has made amendments to the decision "On approval of the unified budget classification" on foreign donor activities in accordance with the legislative changes last year.

Donors are ranked as the official representatives of foreign countries and their financial and credit institutions as well as international, charitable, humanitarian and other non-governmental organizations, and individuals.

All international donors can work in the country and provide grants after the registration and approval of the Ministry of Justice.

Requirements for grants are unchanged. They can be used for education, science, health, culture and sports, but not for direct profit, struggle for political power, lobbying for the adoption of laws and regulations for political ads, campaign financing of political organizations or political figures.

 Tighter policy in foreign aid to local NGOs was held in 2014 in three stages – a number of restrictive amendments to the law "On non-governmental organizations (public associations and foundations)", "On Grants", and other state acts were adopted.

These changes have led to a serious restriction of the activities of foreign donors in Azerbaijan and paralyzed the civil sector. The social, educational, medical, economic and legal programs, whose funding was not even fulfilled by the government, were blocked.

Authorities believe that the activities of foreign funds in Azerbaijan are aimed at provoking color revolutions. This, in particular, has been repeatedly said by the head of the Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev. However, the head of the Economic Research Center Gubad Ibadoglu believes that the authorities are afraid of NGOs as institutions of public control over the government of the country occupying the 126^th place in the world corruption rating. -0-