Civil Service Commission under the President of the

Republic of Azerbaijan

7th Global Forum on Reinventing GovernmentVienna 2007

Azerbaijan Republic

• The Republic of Azerbaijan covers an area of 86,600 square km.;

• The population is 8 million 265 thousand people(2004);

• The total number of civil servants is 27300 (April, 2007);

• 27,9 % of civil servants are women;

• 57 % of civil servants aged between 35-54 years old;

20% of territories of the Azerbaijan Republic occupied by Armenia

UN resolutions remain unimplemented

Responding to the occupation of the Azerbaijaniterritories the Security Council has adopted fourresolutions — 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993) — demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of theArmenian armed forces from the occupied territoriesof Azerbaijan and the creation of necessaryconditions for the return of displaced persons totheir homes in security and dignity. Those provisionsof the resolutions remain unimplemented.

Building democracy through reforms

In spite of the sad results of Armenia'saggression against Azerbaijan (one million out oftotal population of eight million are refugees), our country mobilized its potential and had greatsuccesses in building democracy.

Azerbaijan manages to successfully overcomethe difficulties and continues making importantand firm steps towards the establishment of a democratic and lawful country with civil society.

Good Governance – priority for Government

The Government of Azerbaijan is committed to development through a governance reform that will align it with European Union standards, and has linked its measure of performance to recognized international indicators.

In 2006, the draft State Programme on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development (SPPRSD) identified “good governance” and institutional policy as an additional “ninth” Millennium Development Goal, signalling its recognition of the centrality of public sector and civil service reform to long term poverty reduction and economic development.

Civil Service ReformsMain objectives of implemented reforms were to buildtransparent public administration system, to provide citizens with the highest state guaranty of rights and freedoms.

The reforms has been implemented during last years also covers civil service system. In order to implement civil service reforms Civil Service Management Council and Anti-corruption Commission under this Council were established, Civil ServiceLaw (21st July 2000) and other legislative acts were adopted. Adoption of Civil Service Law has laid the foundation of the statepolicy in the area of civil service.

In January 2005, the President of Azerbaijan established the Civil Service Commission and mandated it with the leading role in implementing a major reform of the civil service, including the introduction of competitive exams for entry into the civil service, the creation of the civil service code of ethics, and preparing a strategy for the civil service.

Civil Service Commission (CSC)

• Main aims of the CSC are organization of theapplication of legal acts adopted in the civilservice area, selection and placement of the civilservice HR on the competitive basis, professional development, attestation and socialprotection of the civil servants, as well asensuring implementation of the policy providedfor by the legislation of the Republic ofAzerbaijan referring to other issues related tothe civil service.

Civil Service Commission

CSC has started to officially function from October 2006. One of the main objectives was to manage organization of the centralized competition for the entry to civil service. Competition consists of 2 stages: a) multiple choice test examsb) interviews.

In April 2007 CSC hold first test exams with 930 applicants for 189 vacancies in 15 government bodies. 325 applicants succeeded to pass first stage. After organization of interviews 57 person has been recommended for the appointment to the heads of government bodies.

Civil Service Commission

CSC also made significant work on improvement of legal basis in the area of civil service with an aim to ensure effective implementing of legislation. CSC developed proposals for the Ethic Code of Civil Servants which were adopted by National Parliament in May 2007 and regulations on Performance Appraisal, the second will replace old attestation system and will be aimed on professional development of civil servants. CSC established Register of Civil Servants which will function as a database and will help management with HR in civil service.

Co-operation with UNDPSome international organizations including UNDP assisted CSC on the process of establishment. For this purpose UNDP and Civil Service Commission have signed “Good Governance through civil service reforms: Implementing MDG 9” project.

The overall objective of the project is to operationalizethe commitment of the Government of Azerbaijan to “Good Governance” and public sector reform. The project focuses on the following strategic priority outputs:

• Strengthened operational capacities of the Civil Service Commission through robust strategic capacity building.

• Key civil service reforms, and effective awareness raising, monitoring and evaluation in support of MDG 9 (Good Governance).