BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 21. The official opening of the Forum for Cooperation of Azerbaijani Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) was held in Khankendi at the Congress Center on October 20, 2025, dedicated to the "Year of Constitution and Sovereignty," Trend reports.
The event kicked off with a moment of silence to pay tribute to those who laid it all on the line for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and constitutional order, and then the national anthem took center stage and a video titled "Letter to the Martyr," voiced by People’s Artist Fakhraddin Manafov.
A special video featuring statements by national leader Heydar Aliyev on constitutional development was also presented. Executive Director of the State Support Agency for NGOs, Aygun Aliyeva, highlighted that annual sessions of Azerbaijani NGOs, conducted since 2023, serve as an important platform to evaluate past achievements, current status, and prospects. She noted that the agency completed 67 directives under 19 state programs with a 97 percent success rate, marking a first in the organization's history. Plans were announced for upcoming forums, including the NGO Solidarity Forum of Organization of Turkic States (OTS) member countries, the first Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan NGO forum, and a cooperation platform between Azerbaijani and Chinese NGOs.
Special Representative of the President in Khankendi, Aghdere, and Khojaly districts, Elchin Yusubov, emphasized the importance of NGO participation in the reintegration and reconstruction of liberated territories.
"Such meetings will further strengthen cooperation between state institutions and civil society, fostering joint activities in the spirit of the Constitution and promoting Azerbaijani realities internationally," he stated.
Tural Aliyev, Head of the NGO Relations and Communications Sector of the Presidential Administration, stressed that relations between the state and NGOs in Azerbaijan have moved beyond a "support model," focusing on mutual responsibility, trust, and transparency.
"This marks a transition to a new phase. The objective is not merely to fund projects but to assess their impact and systemic impact and turn initiatives into lasting social value. Today, Azerbaijan’s NGO sector demonstrates heightened activity, strong morale, a professional atmosphere, and proactive engagement. Beyond organizing events, the focus is on work aimed at target audiences with measurable outcomes, accompanied by increasing accountability," he added.
Chairman of the Karabakh Revival Foundation Rahman Gadjiev noted the sector’s shift from quantity to quality, highlighting collaborative competitions for NGOs in mine clearance and unexploded ordnance initiatives. Khalid Rajabov, Director of Social Investments at bp for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, expressed confidence that joint grant competitions with the State Support Agency for NGOs would mark a successful beginning.
Sevinj Orujova, Chairperson of the Public Association for Support of Martyrs’ Families "Zefer," highlighted the paramount significance of a consolidated NGO stance in safeguarding sovereign interests.
"If a project expresses a specific goal, the process transforms it into a sustainable mechanism. Projects deliver temporary results, but processes ensure enduring values. Today, Azerbaijani civil society is closer than ever to achieving this transition," Director of the Constitutional Studies Foundation Alimammed Nuriyev said.
The forum, led by host Dilyara Salim, additionally presented a multimedia segment encapsulating perspectives from Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations regarding the 'Year of Constitution and Sovereignty' and perpetuated its agenda through a series of four panel discourses.
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