This document summarizes the development of civil-military relations in Azerbaijan over the past 20 years. It discusses four periods: 1) the Patriotic Society period from 1991-1994 when the army faced many problems with little oversight; 2) the Cease-Fire period from 1994-1998 when the media began reporting on the army but faced restrictions; 3) the Problem Boom period from 1998-2005 when reporting increased and military NGOs became more active; and 4) from 2005-present when Azerbaijan signed agreements with NATO promoting transparency and democratic control. However, the document notes that in reality democratic control over the military has not progressed and the defense budget and ministry remain non-transparent with limited civilian participation. It proposes several reforms

1. Civil-Military Relations in Azerbaijan:
The Prospects of Democratic Control on Army
• Jasur Mammadov (Sumerinli)
• The head of “Doctrine”
Journalists’ Military Research
Center (Azerbaijan).
• June 7-8, 2011, Warsaw,
Poland

2. Establishment of civil-military relations and development
process during 20 years of modern history of Azerbaijan:
• Patriotic Society (1991–94)
• The “Cease-Fire” Between the
Army and Society (1994–98)
• The “Problem Boom” (1998–
2005)
• International Support for
Improved Civil-Military Relations
(2005–present)

3. Patriotic Society (1991–94)
• this period saw numerous problems in
the armed forces and in supplying and
organizing the army;
• the media clearly had no intention of
calling attention to these problems;
• there was almost no pressure placed
on the military by the main ministries
within the government;
• attention was drawn to problems
within the army when some territory
was lost or military operations were
unsuccessful.

4. The “Cease-Fire” Between the
Army and Society (1994–98)
• there were no mechanisms in place to aid
in the establishment of civil-military
relations;
• it was believed that any information or
misinterpretation could lead to a new
outbreak of armed conflict;
• the media was going to great lengths to
obtain information, draw attention to
problems in the army, and analyze them;
• military approaches typical of the old
Soviet period were no longer accepted by
society;
• most elements of civil society preferred
not to stress the problems in the army.

5. The “Problem Boom” (1998–2005)
• several militarians began appearing in the
media to inform society about problems in
the army;
• various newspapers and TV channels
reported on numerous problems in the army;
• military NGOs grew much more active, and
held numerous news conferences;
• power ministries began to sense that they
were under close scrutiny by society and the
media;
• several government ministries filed
numerous law suits against the media.
• media had a genuine opportunity to
investigate what information they could
obtain about the military.

6. International Support for Improved
Civil-Military Relations (2005–present)
• Azerbaijan and NATO signed the
Individual Partnership Action Plan
(IPAP) in May 2005;
• within the framework of IPAP,
Azerbaijan undertook numerous
obligations;
• since 2005, the Azerbaijani public has
gained access to alternative sources of
information about the country’s
defense and security;
• a significant information base was
created that enabled journalists to
analyze developments in the military.

7. IPAP document related:
• the transparency of the defense
budget;
• issues of civilian democratic control
over the military;
• structural changes in the MoD;
• increasing the involvement of civilians
in the defense ministry apparatus;
• identifying posts that can be occupied
by civilian staff; and
• codifying the necessary changes and
addenda to legislation related to the
defense system.

8. The PAP-DİB’s objectives include:
• effective and transparent arrangements for the democratic control of defence
activities;
• civilian participation in developing defence and security policy;
• effective and transparent legislative and judicial oversight of the defence sector;
• enhanced assessment of security risks and national defence requirements,
matched with developing and maintaining affordable and interoperable
capabilities;
• optimising the management of defence ministries and other agencies which
have associated force structures;
• compliance with international norms and practices in the defence sector,
including export controls;
• effective and transparent financial, planning and resource allocation procedures
in the defence area;
• effective management of defence spending as well as of the socio-economic
consequences of defence restructuring;
• effective and transparent personnel structures and practices in the defence
forces;
• and effective international cooperation and good neighbourly relations in
defence and security matters.

9. Foreign organizations which are helping to
Azerbaijani government and society to build democratic
control on military forces
• Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE);
• Council of Europe;
• European Organizations of
Military Associations
(EUROMIL);
• Geneva Centre for the
Democratic Control of Armed
Forces (DCAF).

10. Democratic Control on Defence:
real situation in Azerbaijan
• there has been no progress in implementing civilian control over the
armed forces. Military spending and the budget are not transparent;
• the mechanism of the relevant ministries’ accountability to parliament is
still not clear;
• there have not been sufficient improvements in the administrative
system of the defense ministry staff;
• the process of separating the general staff of the armed forces from the
defense ministry has actually failed;
• a number of changes that actually did take place as a result of the
reforms have not been reflected in the country’s military legislation;
• human rights problems are on the rise in the Azerbaijani armed forces;
• access to the process of drafting and adopting conceptual documents
has been extremely limited;
• Azerbaijani society is in the dark about the program of reforms in the
armed forces.

11. What is our proposal?
• defence minister’s being civilian, increase of civil
employees in defence and security sector;
• implementation of process of Headquarters’ separation
from Defence Ministry apparatus;
• making up personnel engaged with strategic planning of
Defence Ministry with civilians;
• implementation of parliament control mechanism;
• amendments on democratic governing of army;
• implementation of judicial and public control
mechanisms in execution level.
• civil control on security and defense sector and increase
of foreign support in military field in the direction of
democratic governing, stirring up NATO, OSCE, Council of
Europe, DCAF and EUROMIL in this direction.

12. Thank you for attention!
• doktrina.jham@gmail.com
• cesursumerinli@gmail.com
• www.milaz.info