The Milli Majlis Committee for Public Associations and Religious Entities met for the first time in the 2023 spring session on 23 January.

Deputy Chair of the Milli Majlis/Committee Head Fazail Ibrahimli congratulated the MPs on the beginning of the session and wished him success before telling them that the meeting’s agenda had three items: the 2022 autumn-session performance account, the 2023 spring-session work scope and a draft law.

Mr Ibrahimli began with the performance account, saying that the committee had had 9 meetings to process 12 matters, and had received, analysed and acted upon 151 appeals all in all.

It was said in regard to the current-session work plan that the committee was to consider draft laws arriving at the Milli Majlis by way of legislative initiative, discuss amendments to effective laws, analyse anticipated motions and organise the handling of citizens’ appeals and applications. Besides, it is planned to hold public hearings that religious entities will take part in.

Then came the turn of the Bill with amendments to the laws ‘On Countering Religious Extremism’, ‘On Licences and Permits’, ‘On Martial Law’, ‘On the Rules of Ethical Conduct for Municipality Members’, ‘On Assessing Environmental Impacts’, ‘On Employment’, ‘On the Chamber of Accounts’, ‘On Safeguarding Children against Harmful Information’, ‘On Psychological Aid’, ‘On the Rational Use of Energy Resources and the Energy Security’ and ‘On Tourism’. All the amendments are of the harmonising nature. For instance, it is proposed to replace the wording ‘mass media outlets’ with ‘media subjects’ or ‘media’.

The deputy chairman of the committee Sahib Aliyev and the committee members Javanshir Pashazade, Jeyhun Mammadov, Anar Isgandarov, Azay Guliyev and Azer Badamov voiced their remarks and suggestions.

In the end, the committee approved the 2022 autumn-session performance report, sanctioned the 2023 spring-session work scope and recommended that the Bill tabled at the meeting should be brought up for consideration at a plenum of the Milli Majlis.

The Press and Public Relations Department

The Milli Majlis