Farda Asadov defended his PhD thesis on Arab studies in Saint Petersburg in 1987 and has been awarded fellowships by the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in 1998 and UNESCO in 1999. He is the author of a monograph and a number of research articles. In 1998 he joined OSI-Azerbaijan and in 2001 was appointed as Executive Director of Open Society Institute–Assistance Foundation (Azerbaijan). OSI-Azerbaijan supports a number of programmes aimed at strengthening civil society in that country. Email: fasadov@osi-az.org
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The public oversight of oil projects in Azerbaijan, 2004–2007
Article first published online: 3 JUN 2009
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2451.2009.00709.x
© UNESCO 2009
Additional Information
How to Cite
Asadov, F. (2005), The public oversight of oil projects in Azerbaijan, 2004–2007. International Social Science Journal, 57: 93–106. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2451.2009.00709.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 3 JUN 2009
- Article first published online: 3 JUN 2009
Azerbaijan's rich hydrocarbon resources could bring it up to $US200 billion of income. However, the period for exploiting these deposits will be quite short, and after 2011 the returns will gradually decrease. While the government and people are aware that measures are needed to manage these resources effectively, no mechanisms exist for the government to work together with civil society to exploit this resource in the interests of Azerbaijan citizens. The successful application of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Azerbaijan may seem to be a significant achievement but, because of the historical conditions of the country's development, there are basic risks of corruption in Azerbaijan in the expenditure of resources. The Azerbaijan experience of collaborating with civil society is in practice limited to accounting for income within the framework of the EITI. In developing a culture of dialogue with civil society, special significance has been attached to the partnership with British Petroleum to monitor the construction of pipelines. If successful, the development of these initiatives in Azerbaijan can serve as an example to other countries with economies based on processing natural resources.