Rauf Zeini: Civil Society contributes to the Defence of the Independence and Sovereignty of its Country

The capital of Azerbaijan hosted an All-Republican Forum of the National Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations. Up to 300 NGO leaders took part in the event.

Member of the General Council of the Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly, President of the National NGO Forum Rauf Zeini stressed that a new period begins in the activities of the structure; also, he noted that over the past 25 years, the organization, in the process of building civil society in the country, has carried out effective activities in the development of NGOs, strengthening this movement in regions and bringing the truth about Azerbaijan to the world community. According to him, the Forum, actively involved in the construction of civil society in the country, unites hundreds of NGOs of various profiles.

Over the past month, the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum held forums in 5 regions of the republic - Lankaran, Guba, Sheki, Ganja and Nakhchivan. More than 250 local NGOs took part in these events. Today, regional forums end with a national forum.

Rauf Zeini noted that forums are regularly held in the regions. According to him, at the organization’s regional forums, the current state of civil society, upcoming tasks are analyzed. Public discussions are held about the processes taking place in the country, the attitude of civil society to certain processes; NGOs share their opinions and proposals. A member of the General Council of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly noted that non-governmental organizations also have a responsibility to protect the independence and sovereignty of their country and its future development. He also said that a congress of the National NGO Forum will take place in March.

The National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan was founded on June 11, 1999 by 95 non-governmental organizations in order to expand and coordinate the NGO movement, as well as ensure their mutually beneficial cooperation with government agencies, municipalities, national and international donors, the media and the private sector. Currently, the Forum unites more than 600 organizations.