AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC STATE COMMITTEE ON AFFAIRS WITH DIASPORA
REGULATION

Confirmed by the decree of
the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
on 14 May 2009

5. The expenses and activity of the Committee are financed by the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan and sources stipulated by the legislation.
6. The Committee is located in Baku.

Main activities of the Committee
The main duties of the Committee are the follows:
7.1 Working with diaspora participates in forming a unified state policy and ensures the implementation of this policy;
7.2 ensures the development of the business area with the diaspora;
7.3 To help Azerbaijanis living in foreign countries to protect rights and freedoms, to preserve and develop their national entity, to study and wide application of mother tongue according to the generally accepted principles and norms of the international law, to the international contracts supported by the Republic of Azerbaijan, the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the legislation of the foreign states;
7.4 To provide favorable conditions for Azerbaijanis living abroad to create and develop close relations with the state organs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and non-governmental organizations and also provide with correct information about the internal and foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, about the economic, social and cultural life in the country;
7.5 To enlist Azerbaijanis living abroad in economical, social and cultural development of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in political life of the state and the society, also in establishment and development of mutually favorable relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and other states;
7.6 According to the international legal regulations, to help Azerbaijanis living abroad to realize their right to establish national-cultural autonomies and social organizations;
7.7 Collects, analyzes, evaluates information about the situation of Azerbaijanis living abroad and establishes a special data bank for this purpose;

7.8. Operates in other directions defined by the legislation.

Main duties of the Committee
The Committee carries out the following duties in accordance with the directions defined by this Regulation :
8.1 To liaise contacts with their historical homeland within the framework of international law, adopting, developing their mother tongue, national and spiritual values, as well as establishing contacts with diasporas of other peoples who have a friendly attitude to Azerbaijan, to the Azerbaijanis living abroad, to their organizations, to the mass media; to provide various organizational, informational, material and moral assistance in order to study their experience;
8.2 To inform compatriots living abroad, as well as other peoples who have friendly attitude to Azerbaijan with an independent, legal and secular state, democratic society building, socio-economic, socio-political and cultural development in the Republic of Azerbaijan;
8.3. To ensure implementation of state programs and development concepts within their competence;
8.4. Coordinate activities of other executive authorities related to diaspora sphere;
8.5. To ensure within their authority the implementation of international agreements that Azerbaijan is a part.
8.6 To systemize national ideas and national-cultural values serve for national unification and solidarity of the world Azerbaijanis, to provide their spread among the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan and compatriots living in foreign countries;
8.7 With the help of the state organs to aid the cultural centers, cultural-enlightenment organizations, libraries, archives, museums, theatres, musical ensembles and creative collectives of Azerbaijanis living abroad;
8.8 To involve Azerbaijanis living abroad to the process of economic reforms carried out in the Republic of Azerbaijan and to create favourable conditions for them to invest in Azerbaijan and to function independently in foreign countries;
8.9 To aid in mutual correlation between Azerbaijanis living in foreign countries, to support their organization, to provide the relations of the established social, cultural and other unions with the Republic of Azerbaijan;
8.10 Corresponding to the principle of protection and preservation of human rights determined by the international documents, to support Azerbaijanis living in foreign countries to provide their national and citizenship rights; to work out favorable system of the activities with related structures of the country of Azerbaijanis settlement and to aid in the solution of the problem;
8.11 To aid participation of the representatives of relating state and non-governmental organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the important measures held by Azerbaijanis living in foreign countries;
8.12 To involve well disposed to Azerbaijan Diasporas in popularization of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the world and protection of the interests;
8.13 To ensure that the budget funds, loans, grants and other financial resources allocated to on work with diaspora are effectively utilized;
8.14 In accordance with the legislation, take necessary measures to protect state secrets and confidentiality; as well as to take appropriate security measures in line with the activities;
8.15 To provide public awareness about their activities;
8.16 To provide training of personnel in the field of diaspora work :
8.17 Within their authority to take measures in the direction of improving the structure and activity of the Committee;
8.18 To consider applications and complaints on the activities of the Committee and to take action in accordance with the legislation;
8.19 To submit to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan periodic and annual reports on the condition of the Azerbaijanis living abroad and their work, activities of Azerbaijani diaspora organizations, as well as about the work that has been done in the development of cooperation with Diaspora organizations of other peoples who are friendly to Azerbaijan ;
8.20 To facilitate the expansion of ties with diasporas of other peoples who are friendly to Azerbaijan , to help the formation of Azerbaijani diaspora in foreign countries, to strengthen the organization and lobbying activities, to represent the Azerbaijanis in separate international organizations;
8.21 To conduct roundtables, workshops and conferences on the problems of Azerbaijanis living abroad, as well as activities of Azerbaijani diaspora organizations;
8.22 To take measures aimed at protecting national and civil rights of Azerbaijanis living abroad, to learn their socio-economic, socio-political, cultural and moral problems and submit proposals to the relevant foreign states through the state structures of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
8.23 To organize the opening and activity of schools and Azerbaijani cultural centers in the countries and regions where the Azerbaijanis live compactly jointly with diplomatic missions of the Republic of Azerbaijan abroad in their mother tongue;
8.24 To organize and orientate on the subject material, moral and humanitarian assistance of diaspora representatives to the Azerbaijani state and its citizens to the Azerbaijanis living abroad, as well as other peoples who are friendly to Azerbaijan;
8.25 If necessary, to contribute to the involvement of diaspora organizations of Azerbaijanis living abroad and their public associations, as well as other peoples who are friendly to Azerbaijan, at republican and international events;
8.26 To furtherance Azerbaijanis living abroad to study in educational institutions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to engage in scientific and other creative activities;
8.27 To participate in the preparation of mother tongue textbooks, relevant curriculums and materials for Azerbaijanis living abroad, their schools and other centers;
8.28 According to the directions of activity fulfill other duties provided by the legislation.

Rights of the committee
9. The Committee has the following rights to carry out its duties:
9.1 to draft a legislative act relating to the diaspora work and participate in their preparation;
9.2 To initiate the initiative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to support international treaties on work with diaspora;
9.3 In accordance with the diaspora affairs to request the necessary information (documents) from the central and local executive organs, individuals and legal entities and receive such information (documents) from them;
9.4 In accordance with the legislation, in order to protect the rights of Azerbaijanis living abroad to cooperate with the relevant state bodies (agencies) of foreign states and relevant international organizations:
9.5 To summarize the experience of foreign countries in the field of organization and conduct of work with diaspora and to ensure the application of advanced experience;
9.6 Within its powers to hold the conferences, meeting, seminars, exhibitions and other measures;
9.7 To carry out information and publication activity about the Azerbaijanis living in foreign countries;
9.8 With the purpose to carry out the affairs with Azerbaijanis living abroad, to give the instructions about workers newly-appointed to diplomatic representations of the Republic of Azerbaijan in foreign countries by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
9.9 To establish the commissions, coordination boards and the boards of experts, also working groups on the affairs with Azerbaijanis living in foreign countries;
9.10 In accordance with the legislation to involve independent experts and specialists in their activities;
9.11 On the matters under its power, to carry out other rights defined by the legislation.

V. ORGANIZATION OF ACTIVITY OF THE COMMITTEE
10. The Apparatus and its structures and other subordinate entities (legal entities, organizations, etc.) constitute the single system of the Committee. The Committee carries out its activities directly and through those bodies.
11. The structure of the Committee is determined by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The list of subordinate entities (legal entities, organizations, etc.) that are not included in the structure of the Committee, as well as the number of employees of the Committee and its structure are approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
12. The activity of the Committee is headed by the Chairman of the Committee, appointed and dismissed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Chairman of the Committee is personally responsible for the implementation of the tasks entrusted to the Committee and implementation of the rights.
13. The Chairman of the Committee has a First Deputy and two Deputies appointed and dismissed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Deputies of the Committee fulfill the duties entrusted to them by the Chairman and are personally responsible for that.

14. Chairman of the Committee:
14.1. Shall organize and govern the Committee's activities;
14.2. Shall approve regulations (charters) of structural divisions and structures of the Committee's administration and other subordinate entities (legal entities, organizations, etc.);
14.3. Shall approve the structure of the Committee's local and other structures within the defined structure, salary fund and the number of employees; approves expenditure estimate table of organization within the budget allocation;
14.4 Shall appoint to position and removes from position employers of the apparatus and the heads of the subdivisions and subordinate organizations (legal entities, organizations and so on), takes measures to encourage and discipline them;

14.5 According to the Legislation, shall give orders and decrees that are binding , approve (sign) Normative and Legal acts organizes and carries out their execution;
14.6. Shall regularly submits reports and information on the activities of the Committee to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
14.7 Shall annual the decisions of the Committee's officials contrary to the legislation;
14.8. Shall represent the Committee;
14.9.Shall carrie out other authorities in accordance with the legislation.
15. The committee is composed of a chairman consisting of the chairman of the Committee (chairman of the board), his deputies and other senior officials of the Committee. The committee's board can include experts and academics.
16. The number and composition of members of the Board of the Committee shall be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
17. The Board of the Committee discusses issues related to the Committee's activity at its meetings and makes relevant decisions.
18. Meetings of the Board of the Committee shall be valid when attended by more than half of its members. Decisions of the Board of the Committee are made by simple majority of its members votes. If the votes are equal in accepting the decisions of the Board of the Committee, the vote of the Chairman of the Board is decisive.
19. Decisions of the Board of the Committee shall be documented by the protocol and approved by the Chairman of the Committee.
20. In the event of disagreement between the members of the Board of the Committee, the Chairman of the Committee shall inform the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan and make its decision.

Members of the committee's board can convey their personal views to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
21. Representatives of other executive authorities and organizations, as well as representatives of Azerbaijanis living abroad and their public associations may be invited to attend meetings of the Board of the Committee.
22. The Committee may establish a scientifically-methodical council operating on a public basis to study and implement advanced experience with the Diaspora. The regulation of the Scientific and Methodological Council is approved by the Chairman of the Committee.