The reforms in the self-government bodies will allow bringing of the Azerbaijani legislative base to conformity with the European Self-government Charter, which wa ratified in Baku in 2002, Trend reports quoting Caroline Martin, the Project Director on the National Association of Minucipalities of Azerbaijan (NAMA) establishing program, representing the Secretariat of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CLRA CE), as saying in an interview to the agency.
She stressed that the position of CLRA CE on problems in the development of local and regional democracy in Azerbaijan was reflected in recommendation 126 of 2003. The recommendation underlines the legislative efforts in Azerbaijan must be directed to self-government, particularly, determination of legal function framework of municipalities, as well as determination of resources of local self-government bodies.
As to the establishment of the NAMA program, Martin called the current stage of the implementation of the project well developing. The working group on the establishment of NAMA discusses exact aspects related to founding and functioning of the association. Martin noted the meetings of the working group would last till late 2006, while the establishment of NAMA was planned for early 2007.
The establishment of NAMA will allow the Azerbaijani municipalities to develop single positions on different actual problems of their activities both within the country and in the international level. It will stimulate development of democracy in the local level, she underlined.