Democratic Governance, Transparency and Accountability Group

OSI/International Policy Fellowship

 

Azerbaijan: problems of good governance in extxractive industries and mechanisms of effective public monitoring

 

Final Activity Report

 

Sabit Bagirov

 

Project Advisor: Dr. Alan Doig

 

 

In the time period between January and December 2006, I carried out the following work:

  1. continued work on filling my web site with new material (newspaper and magazine publications, presentations at workshops, conferences and roundtables);
  2. developed a work plan to Research Paper;
  3. continued updating the database with new legal acts (laws, presidential decrees, government resolutions, oil contracts, etc.) regulating the activities of government agencies and companies involved in the development of oil-fields and in governing oil revenues;
  4. carried out an analysis of the collected legal acts and identified provisions which need to be improved from the standpoint of ensuring good governance;
  5. in late April 2006 attended a IPF-organized Advocacy Training-Seminar for developing effective advocacy strategies for policy actions. The seminar helped obtain important recommendations from the group advisor; reviewed and discussed the specific project deliverables;
  6. carried out calculation of expected revenues of the State Oil Fund, state budget and the State Oil Company on the base of some corrections on the schedule of investment in oil and gas development projects;
  7. studied annual Oil Fund reports for the last five years starting from 2001. This helped better understand the work of the fund, its reporting system, work with foreign managers on managing the fund’s resources;
  8. completed work on the Policy Paper and published it in English in 300 copies. The Policy Paper was then disseminated among participants of the international EITI Coalition in Oslo in October 16-17, 2006, at an 12th International Anti-Corruption Conference of Transparency International in Guatemala in November 15-18, 2006, at a number of conferences, roundtables and workshops in Azerbaijan and Georgia;
  9. conducted interviews with government officials and well-known experts. These included leaders and senior officials from the Oil Fund, Finance Ministry, Chamber of Accounts, MPs, representatives of the State Oil Company;
  10. continued work on studying the experience of other countries in governing the revenues obtained as from the development of natural resources. Also studied the introduction of EITI in other countries;
  11. identified activity directions and tasks of local NGOs in monitoring the government’s measures towards governing oil revenues. Took active part in the organization and implementation of the “Oil Revenues Belong to All” Campaign;
  12. made presentations at conferences;
  13. wrote articles for local newspapers and gave many interviews to local and foreign media, as well as Radio Liberty and BBC.
  14. wrote the Research Paper