The goal of the project is to generate greater public input into Azerbaijan’s draft legislation process.

To this end, ELA selects five pieces of important draft legislation, including draft legislation on detention/detention facilities, not-for profit organizations, education, political parties and one more pieces of draft legislation have yet to be selected.

For each of the five draft laws, there will be organized two roundtables for about 30 participants, one after the first reading and one after the second reading of the draft law in Parliament (In Azerbaijan, draft laws are voted upon by the Members of Parliament after the third reading in Parliament.)

The roundtables will bring together stakeholders, civil society experts and government officials, including members of the Parliamentary Commission responsible for drafting the laws to discuss the draft legislation.

The first roundtable will allow stakeholders to give input as early in the process as possible. To educate Azerbaijan’s public about the draft legislation, there will be published newspaper articles on the draft legislation and the discussion of the draft legislation in an Azerbaijani-language newspaper “Ayna” and a Russian-language newspaper “Echo”. In the articles, readers will be provided with contact information for the Parliament and ELA and will be encouraged to contribute to the debate by mail, fax or email.

ELA will analyze recommendations made during the roundtable and the input given by the public and prepare a recommendation package for the Parliamentary Commission.

After the second reading in Parliament, the second roundtable will be organized again for stakeholders, civil society experts and government officials, including members of the Parliamentary Commission responsible for drafting the law. The participants will discuss the draft law, consider why certain recommendations were not included, if such occurred, and will make additional recommendations for further changes.

ELA will publish analytical newspaper articles – four page-long articles after the first roundtable and two page-long articles after the second roundtable - on the draft legislation and the discussion of the draft legislation in an Azerbaijani-language newspaper “Ayna” and a Russian-language newspaper “Echo”. In the articles, readers will be provided with contact information for the Parliament and ELA and will be encouraged to contribute to the debate by mail, fax or email.

Again, ELA will analyze recommendations made during the roundtable and the input given by the public and prepare a recommendation package for the Parliamentary Commission.

After the Parliament adopts draft legislation as a new law after the third reading, ELA will publish two page-long newspaper articles on the new legislation in an Azerbaijani-language newspaper “Ayna” and a Russian-language newspaper “Echo” and hold a press conference.