BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 5. A unified digital ecosystem is being developed for the state financing of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Azerbaijan.
The issue was discussed at a roundtable titled "Digitalization and Innovations in the NGO Sector" organized by the National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Board of the National NGO Forum of Azerbaijan Ramil Isgandarli said that a presidential decree envisages improving the e-government information system, creating an electronic participation subsystem, and establishing a unified platform based on a "one-stop shop" principle for financing NGOs from the state budget.
He noted that digitalization is no longer a choice for NGOs but has become one of the key areas of institutional development.
Azerbaijani MP Azer Allahveranov said NGOs that effectively use digital technologies and artificial intelligence have more flexible management models, communicate more effectively with society, and expand opportunities for international cooperation.
He added that artificial intelligence can serve as a tool to assist with project preparation and information gathering, while professional expertise remains essential.
A representative of the Agency for State Support of Non-Governmental Organizations Fatima Bayramli said work is currently underway to create the "State Support for Non-Governmental Organizations" information system.
The new system will enable NGOs to carry out applications, evaluation, financing, implementation, monitoring and reporting processes related to state support entirely in a digital environment. This will create a unified digital ecosystem for state financing of NGOs.
According to Bayramli, the system will be integrated with other state information resources and will allow electronic registration of grant agreements and submission of related notifications, eliminating the need for paper-based document circulation.
She added that the use of artificial intelligence solutions is also planned for detecting plagiarism during project evaluations and supporting other processes.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Public Association "Support for Information and Social Initiatives" Jasar Huseynzade said that although NGO activity in digital media has increased, further work remains needed to develop online resources.
He emphasized the importance of expanding the use of digital platforms by organizations and strengthening awareness in this area.
Chairman of the Azerbaijan Journalists Network Ayaz Mirzayev said digital transformation should place people and the influence of civil society at the center rather than focusing solely on technology.
He highlighted the importance of increasing joint digital projects among NGOs, strengthening visibility on international platforms, and making more effective use of digital databases.
The discussions covered the use of artificial intelligence tools, digital management systems, electronic participation mechanisms, cybersecurity, data protection, social media strategies, and expanding cooperation between the state, NGOs and the private sector.
