| Organization's name: | "İqtisadi və Sosial İnkişaf Mərkəzi" ictimai birliyi |
| Organization's acronym: | İSİM |
| Former Name(s): | ZAP |
| Headquarters address | |
|---|---|
| Address: |
Caspian Plaza, 3rd Block, 13th Floor J.Jabbarli str. 44 Baku Azerbaijan |
| Phone: | (99412) 5943665 |
| Fax: | ZAP |
| Email: | info@cesd.az |
| Web site: | http://www.cesd.az/ |
| Organization type: | Non-governmental organization |
| Languages: |
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| Areas of expertise & Fields of activity: |
Economic and Social:
Financing for Development:
Gender Issues and Advancement of Women:
Population:
Public Administration:
Social Development:
Statistics:
Sustainable Development:
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| Geographic scope: |
International
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| Country of activity: |
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| Millennium Development Goals: |
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| Mission statement: | |
| Year established (YYYY): | 2005 |
| Year of registration (YYYY): | 2006 |
| Organizational structure: | Macroeconomic Policy and State Budget Research Group – The group is charge in conducting research, carrying out projects and preparing policy recommendations on macroeconomic policy and state budget. The group is closely working with the government bodies as well as international financial organizations to develop recommendations packet. Studies done by the group are widely discussed among financial market participants, academics and senior officials, and their results are broadly reported by the media. Gender Development Group– The Group are doing research on gender issues. Since One of priorities of the Centre is to protect social and economic as well as gender rights, fight with corruption and enhance transparency. Centre is only member from Azerbaijan in the ATHENA-Advance Thematic Network in Activities in Women’s Studies in Europe . The group has closely relations with international gender institutions, think tanks and State Committee on Gender and Children Development of Azerbaijan Republic. The Group has had many presentations on gender development issues in distinguished international conferences. Competitiveness of the Azerbaijan Economy and Economic Growth Research Group– The group particularly focuses on the Azerbaijan Economy and does wide range researches for increasing competitiveness and promoting economic growth. The group is working in cooperation with the government bodies and holding round-table discussions and workshops with experts. Social Sphere and Public Sector Reform Research Group– The group is conducting comprehensive researches on social sphere and public sector. One of the main tasks of the group is to assist to achieve MDGs in Azerbaijan . In order to obtain this task the group has prepared and developed several policy recommendations packets and completed studies. The group works in the cooperation with certain government bodies to promote reforms in public sector and promote social development. Energy, Telecommunications, Transport, Trade Liberalization Research Group– The group conducts wide range research on energy, telecommunications, transport and trade liberalizations sectors. Oil contracts, pipelines as well as transparency in oil sector are searched by the group. The group has already prepared policy recommendations packet to assist Azerbaijan ’s accession to the WTO. Economic and Social Education Research Group– The group is charge in promoting economic and social education. Economic and social education is supported among educators, state officials, NGOs, Mass-Media representatives, students and etc. The center holds annual workshops on economic and social education. Poverty Reduction and Economic Development Group– The main purpose of establishing this group is to assist poverty reduction and obtaining of economic development. The group is doing studies and carrying out projects to promote PRSP principles and goals. The group is working along with international organization, government bodies, NGOs and other institutions to achieve MDGs in terms of poverty reduction. Local Financing and Municipality Budget Research Group– The group is doing research and carrying out projects to assist local economic and social development. Development of local budget work is one of priorities of the group. Financial System, Taxation and Fiscal Policy Research Group– The group supports reforms in fiscal system. Enhancing transparency in fiscal system is main task of the group. The group is carrying out studies to make fiscal system more flexible to apply international standards in this sector. Administrative Office– The office is charge in all administrative activities, such as promoting the center’s public relations, solving office problems and etc. |
| Number and type of members: | 5 Board Members, 8 full- and part-time staff, about 60 volunteers |
| Affiliation with NGO networks: | PASOS, EU Civil Society Forum, Global Development Network, International Studies Association, Parliamentary Network on the World Bank, Task Force on Financial Integrity and Economic Development, CIVICUS World Citizen's Alliance, NISPAcee, Global Integrity |
| Funding structure: |
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| Major group affiliation: |
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| Involvement in UN Partnerships: | Yes |
| If yes, explain in detail: | Close cooperation and relationships with UN office in Azerbaijan, part of SDG National Team, and CESD and UN Office in Azerbaijan have organized several events including capacity-building programs in Azerbaijan. |
| Affiliation with other organizations: | PASOS; EU Civil Society Forum; Global Development Network; Parliamentary Network on the World Bank; Task Force on Financial Integrity and Economic Development; CIVICUS; NISCPAcee; Global Integrity |
| Publications: | The cost of Azerbaijan's leaving the EITI (2017); Assessment on real effective exchange rate in Azerbaijan: 2017 Outlook (2017); Policy Brief Progress on Energy Union Implementation: The Case of Azerbaijan (2016); Evaluation and Modeling of Comparative Advantages in Agrivulture in Azerbaijan (2016); Decentralization and Community Development; Assessment of SME policy in Azerbaijan |
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Statements or documents submitted Commission on Sustainable Development: |
no |
| Affiliation with other organizations: | EU Civil Socity Forum; International Studies Association; CIVICUS |
| Publications: | Loosing Brains; Social Insurance in Azerbiajan: diagnostics and recommendations on policy and implementation |
| Purpose of the organization: | The Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD), top think tank in Azerbaijan, has been set up to promote research and analysis into domestic economic and social issues for the purpose to positively influence the public policy decision-making processes. |
| Activities relevant to the conference of States Parties to the convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: | Disability Capacity Building Program |
| Confirmation of the activities of the organization at the regional, national or international level: | We are registered in Azerbaijan. We are a leading Azerbaijani think tank specialized in economic and social policy issues working with and establishing bridge between the government and the various representatives of civil society. At the same time, as leading NGO in Azerbaijan, the Center positions itself in the center of the civil society having tight relationships with media, 24 communities spread around Azerbaijan, NGOs providing services at the grass-root level, international think-tanks, financial institutions and donors, and virtually all the other think tanks functioning in Azerbaijan. CESD is one of top think tanks in the world. CESD is a global think tank. The prestigious US university, Harvard University, has added the Center for Economic and Social Development (CESD) into its official think tank directory. The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University has released information about it. Moreover, the name of CESD has been posted on the university website: |
| A list of members of the governing body of the organization, and their countries of nationality: | Vugar Bayramov (Azerbaijan), Ahmad Alili (Azerbaijan), and Rashad Hasanov (Azerbaijan) |
| Description of the membership of the organization, indicating the total number of members: | 5 Board Members, 8 part- and full-time staff, around 60 volunteers |
| Affiliation with other organizations: | PASOS |
| Publications: | Gender economics; Silence is Violence (Program); Protection of Women Rights in Azerbaijan (Program) |
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Statements or documents submitted to the Commission on the Status of Women: |
no |
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Statements or documents submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: |
no |
| Involvement in Public Administration: | CESD has leading think tank position in Public Finance Reforms in Azerbaijan. Public Finance Policy and Management (PFPM) is one of main areas CESD works. Four policy recommendations on Public Finance Policy and Management in Azerbaijan prepared by CESD were approved by the Government of Azerbaijan in 2011. CESD experts also teach Public Finance, Public Finance in Azerbaijan and Public Finance Policy and Management (PFPM) courses. Public finance management is central to many CESD activities and has large room for improvement including the areas like efficient and transparent practices in public investment programming and budgeting, expenditure control and oil revenue management. The latter is important for Azerbaijan, expecting the continuation of the revenues from the resource export over the short-term and require long-term approach and development of political conditions and institutional capacity along with the necessary legal and regulatory framework. The economic life of Azerbaijan is closely tied to the oil, and we regard this first of all, in the macroeconomic policy context, the important dimension of CESD activities since the beginning of its activity. Azerbaijan’s economy is among the fastest-growing, with in 2011 GDP growth estimated only at o,2%. Although Net exports, fuelled by substantial new oil and gas production, remained the major driver of growth also the non-oil sector also the non-oil sector recorded a positive growth. Booming oil exports increasing prices and the contractual shift in the profit-sharing ratio of the oil consortium in favor of the government in 2011, have all contributed to a major strengthening in the external position and to the accumulation of substantial foreign assets. Global financial crisis has also important implications for the oil revenue management and overall macroeconomic policy. The global financial crisis has affected Azerbaijan’s economy mainly through the fall in oil prices and decline in external demand. The financial sector has so far remained relatively unscathed because of limited exposure to the international credit markets, although credit growth has recently slowed. |
| Publications: | Sector Policy Convergences in technical rules/standards and customs in Azerbaijan to support EU Eastern Partnership Initiative; Audit System and Local Government Development; Reforms in Public Administration; Strategy of State Oil Fund |
| UN-NGO-IRENE Newsletter: | Yes |