European Union signs agreement with Azerbaijani NGOs

Azerbaijani, Baku, Feb.8 / Trend K.Zarbaliyeva / The European Union and Azerbaijani NGOs signed an agreement to finance 16 new projects. The European Union Delegation announced the projects selected for funding under the 2010 Call for Proposals through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and the Non-State Actors (NSA) programmes. The EU will allocate over 2.7 million manat to finance 16 new projects. Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Ambassador Roland Kobia said these projects cover a wide range of areas, from creating better opportunities for vulnerable groups such as disabled children or blind persons, to providing independent media coverage on key issues, supporting the activities of civil rights campaigners, or promoting more awareness on the need to protect the environment. "We are proud that the European Union (EU) is the largest foreign donor in Azerbaijan. This is also valid as far as supporting civil society in Azerbaijan is concerned. The implementation of those 16 new projects will benefit the whole Azerbaijani population," he said. These 16 new projects are in addition to 20 projects and over 4.7 million EURO already financed by EIDHR and NSA instruments in Azerbaijan since 2007. The European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) Instrument aims to contribute to the development and consolidation of democracy and the rule of law, and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The EIDHR instrument is applied in all countries of the world outside the EU and the most industrialised countries. The Non-State Actors (NSA) instrument aims to contribute to poverty reduction in the context of sustainable development, including pursuit of Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed targets through capacity building to Non-State Actors in order to facilitate their involvement in policy making process and to enhance capacity to deliver basic services to the poorest peoples. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az