Europaudvalget 2013-14
EUU Alm.del Bilag 162
Offentligt
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   w  w  w  .  i  r  f  s  .  o  r  g  
       
TO:  Mr.  Holger  K.  Nielsen,  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  
 
CC:  Members  of  Danish  Parliament;  Members  of  Danish  Government    
 
 
December  13,  2013  
 
                                                                                                                                   APPEAL  
 
Weak  document  undermines  human  rights  and  civil  society  work  in    
the  Eastern  Partnership  countries  
 
Your  Excellency,  
 
We   are   writing   to   express   our   deep   concern   regarding   the  
Danish   Neighborhood   Programme   2013-­‐2017,  
the  
document   which   clearly   lacks   long-­‐term   strategic   vision   for   the   Eastern   Partnership   region   and   undermines  
international,   regional   and   national   efforts   to   promote   human   rights   and   democratization   in   this   complex   but  
important  region.  At  the  same  time,  we  would  like  to  
enquire  about  Danish  government’s  strategy  for  human  rights  
and  democratization  in  Azerbaijan  
over  the  next  few  years.  
 
While  Sweden,  Norway,  Netherlands  and  other  European  countries  consistently  backed  the  human  rights  and  civil  
society  work  in  Azerbaijan,  Denmark  has  chosen  a  different  approach.  As  evidenced  by  exclusion  of  Azerbaijan  as  a  
country  from  the  Danish  Neighborhood  strategy,  the  Danish  government  seems  to  be  less  concerned  about  human  
rights  and  democratization  when  it  comes  to  Azerbaijan  than  other  countries  of  the  Eastern  Partnership.  
 
The  Danish  Neighborhood  Programme  2013-­‐2017  
sets   Armenia,   Belarus,   Moldova   and   Ukraine   as   priority   countries  
for  Danish  development  assistance  in  the  Eastern  Partnership  region,  passing  Azerbaijan  and  Georgia.  In  the  light  of  
recent   political   developments   around   Vilnius   summit,   this   choice   has   proved   to   be   a   failure.   Rather   than   signing   and  
initialing,   Ukraine   and   Armenia   rejected   an   Association   Agreement   with   the   European   Union.   Due   primarily   to  
Russian   pressure,   Armenian   President   Sarkisjan   declared   in   September   that   his   country   would   not   sign   the  
agreement  and  would  join  the  Eurasian  Customs  Union  instead
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.    
 
Azerbaijan   is   currently   negotiating   the   contours   of   its   own   partnership   track   with   the   EU,   and   the   international  
community  continues  to  encourage  Azerbaijan  to  build  the  democratic  and  economic  institutions  and  conduct  the  
reforms  necessary  for  a  deeper  relationship  with  the  Euro-­‐Atlantic  community.  As  a  civil  society,  we  believe  that  a  
democratic,  prosperous  and  secure  Azerbaijan  will  benefit  not  only  the  Azerbaijani  people  but  also  its  neighbors,  i.e.  
Armenia  and  Georgia.  
 
There  is  certainly  a  space  for  Denmark  to  play  a  role  here,  and  we  call  on  the  Danish  government  to  revisit  
Danish  
Neighborhood   Programme   2013-­‐2017,   and   immediately   start   negotiations   with   Azerbaijani   civil   society   vis-­‐à-­‐vis  
promotion   of   human   rights   and   good   governance.  
We’ve   been   lacking   that   Danish   government   attention   and  
support   since   the   of   media   and   democratization   program   funded   by   Danida,   and   implemented   by   International  
Media  Support  (NB:  program  ended  in  2012).      
 
In   the   meantime,  
we   call   on   your   ministry   to   closely   monitor   implementation   of   the   new   Danida’s  
Technical  
Assistance  to  the  Media  and  Democratisation  Programme  in  the  Eastern  Partnership  Countries  and  Turkey  (2012-­‐
2016)
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.  We  have  serious  concerns  over  design  and  implementation  of  this  action.  It  has  been  a  year  now  since  the  
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http://www.eurasianet.org/node/67482
http://um.dk/en/danida-en/activities/business/contracts/long/contracts-awarded-by-danida2/contracts-awarded-by-danida-2012/
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program   start,     but   no   serious   move   has   been   made   to   fulfill   the   program   objectives.   To   the   contrary,   wrong,  
regressive  decisions  have  been  adopted  by  the  agency  managing  the  grant.    
 
One  of  those  strategically  wrong  decisions  was  the  decision  to  exclude  Azerbaijan  from  the  program.  This  decision  
has  been  made  without  any  consultations  with  civil  society  in  Azerbaijan.    
 
In  the  light  of  above-­‐mentioned,  we  are  deeply  disappointed  with  the  decision  of  Danida  to  trust  important  human  
rights  and  democratization  project  to  the  consultancy  company  with  strong  business  interests  in  region,  Niras,  which  
continues   to   ignore   Azerbaijani   civil   society   calls   for   cooperation,   despite   of   the   initial   commitment   to   work   with  
these  NGOs.      When  a  human  rights  NGO  sends  numerous  work-­‐related  emails  to  the  company,  trusted  by  Danida  to  
manage   Danish   tax   payers   funds,   and   does   not   receive   a   single   reply,   then   there   is   a   big   question   mark   over   this  
company  competencies  and  competencies  of  those  at  Danida  who  made  a  funding  decision  vis-­‐à-­‐vis  this  company.  
From   our   perspective—and   please   forgive   us   if   we   are   speaking   in   ignorance-­‐   there   had   been   a   lack   of   research/  
assessment  and  consultations  with  local  media  and  civil  society,  prior  to  making  this  funding  decision.    
Denmark's  development  cooperation  is  laid  down  and  administered  on  the  basis  of  the  Danish  Act  on  International  
Development   Cooperation   (Consolidated   Act   no.   541   of   10/07/1998).   In   line   with   the   Act   on   International  
Development  cooperation,  the  Government  every  year  presents  to  the  Parliament  its  plan  and  priorities  for  Danish  
development  assistance  for  the  coming  five  year  period.  We  
therefore   call   on   your   Ministry   to   revisit   the  Danish  
Neighborhood  Programme  2013-­‐2017,  which  proved  to  be  a  weak  document,  design  a  new  action  plan  and  submit  
it  to  the  discussion  of  the  Parliament  as  soon  as  it  possible.    
 
A  new  Act  on  International  Development  Cooperation  (Act  no.  555  of  18/06/20125)  was  adopted  by  Parliament  in  
May  2012  and  entered  into  force  on  1  January  2013.  Increased  transparency  both  at  partner  country  level  as  well  as  
in  Denmark  is  a  key  element  in  the  act.  We  therefore  urge  you  
to  engage  in  close  monitoring  of  the  implementation  
of   the   Danida’s  
Technical   Assistance   to   the   Media   and   Democratisation   Programme   in   the   Eastern   Partnership  
Countries   and   Turkey   (2012-­‐2016)  
  and   make   public   all   the   information   related   to   the   execution   of   the   program  
since  it  started  in  December  2012.  
 
Finally,  we  urge  your  Ministry,  and  Danida  in  particular,  to  engage  in  direct  and  constructive  communication  with  the  
civil  society  of  Azerbaijan.  
 
Thank  you  very  much  for  your  consideration  of  this  appeal.  
 
 
Yours  sincerely,    
 
 
 
 
Emin  Huseynov  
 
Chairman  and  CEO  
 
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