1. Best experience of Azerbaijan on cooperation between government authorities and the civil society After restoring independency, in Azerbaijan was enshrined development of civil society on the bases of democracy focusing bilateral cooperation between government authorities and civil society. Azerbaijani government’s legislation bases in order to provide free and independent actions of NGOs and mass media that’s very important institutions for civil society. Nowadays, more than 3000 NGO-s have been registered in Azerbaijan.

2. NGO-s can be divided into more than 20 groups according to the directions of activity Human rights defenders organizations Youth and children organizations Education Media Health Culture Care of Disabled people Ecology, Environment Human trafficking Drug addiction, Corruption Struggling against terrorism and etc.

3. Concept of State support About 15 Ministries, foundations and organizations which get finance from state budget give grants tens of millions euro to NGO-s. Concept of State support to NGO-s was approved, the Council of State Support to NGO-s under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan was created in 2007. 1 2 There was created Youth Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2011. Foundation gives material and technical support, too. Both foundations is not only give grants to NGO-s, but also the foundations are considered as the partners of the NGO-s. NGO Council and Youth Foundation financed 5000 projects of NGO-s, total budget is about 30 million euro in last 3 years and half.

4. Mass Media State Support Fund Azerbaijan takes one of the leading stands among CIS countries and Eastern Europe according to quantity of Mass Media. About 5000 Mass Media organizations registered in Azerbaijan. State registration process of Mass Media organizations was extremely simplified. Nowadays only submission of documents to the Ministry of Justice is required for publications of newspaper, magazines, foundations and news agency. After the following 7 days it is possible to start printing publications. One might say that at present in Azerbaijan we have one of the most liberal and democratic laws regarding to Mass Media. But Azerbaijan went forward and in 2009 there was created Mass Media State Support Fund in order to strengthen civil society, especially media organizations. Since 2009 Fund has been granting in the amount of 20 mil euro. 1

5. 1. Council of Observors at NGO Council and Youth Foundation 2. Working group on of Commission on combating Corruption which is created in 2005 3. The Joint Group on Human Rights- 2005 4. The Commission on Pardon Issues under the President of Azerbaijan Trilateral cooperation-between companies, NGO-s and state bodies

6. In 2014 January Azerbaijani Parliament accepted law on “Public Participation” to enhance cooperation bridge between civil society and state bodies, to provide supervision of society on government authorities. According to this law in all state bodies there will be created public councils that will be consist of different experts from civil society, media organizations and private sectors. It has been already established in Ministry of Youth and Sport, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Ministry of Justice, State Social Protection Fund of Azerbaijan Republic. Only in Public Council of Ministry of Youth and Sport are included about 250 youth organizations. Law on “Public Participation”

7. Thank you for the attention!