Lack of budget transparency hinders Azerbaijan’s defence sector accountability

• Transparency Internationals Defence and Security Programme’s new report finds that many countries disclose only limited or no information on national defence and security spending to their citizens, hindering the ability of the public to hold their defence and security establishments to account for their spending decisions.
• Azerbaijan scored Moderate to Low, indicating that the government provides too little information to the public and legislature to effectively hold the defence and security establishments accountable.
‘The Transparency of Defence Budgets’, a new report released by Transparency International’s Defence and Security Programme finds that most of the 93 countries studied disclose too little defence and security spending information to their public. The report also shows many countries severely restrict the information available even to their legislatures. Accessibility to defence budget documents (including budget proposals and audit reports) are important, as they are a key tool that the public and civil society can use to hold their governments to account.
• Transparency Internationals Defence and Security Programme’s new report finds that many countries disclose only limited or no information on national defence and security spending to their citizens, hindering the ability of the public to hold their defence and security establishments to account for their spending decisions.
• Azerbaijan scored Moderate to Low, indicating that the government provides too little information to the public and legislature to effectively hold the defence and security establishments accountable.
‘The Transparency of Defence Budgets’, a new report released by Transparency International’s Defence and Security Programme finds that most of the 93 countries studied disclose too little defence and security spending information to their public. The report also shows many countries severely restrict the information available even to their legislatures. Accessibility to defence budget documents (including budget proposals and audit reports) are important, as they are a key tool that the public and civil society can use to hold their governments to account.
The report identifies the main aspects of defence budget transparency, including an overview of current practices and the risks that arise at each stage of the budgeting process. It also ranks 93 countries according to their defence budget transparency.
The report’s  general findings in the pie chart below show nearly 65% of countries studied score moderate or below.
Azerbaijan scored Moderate to low, indicating that the government provides too little information to the public and legislature to effectively hold the defence and security establishments accountable for their spending decisions. According to the research of the Open Budget Index , Azerbaijan publishes all its budget documents, yet according to the OBI’s researcher, there is no information on the amount of spending on secret items. Few details of the defence budget are provided to the Azerbaijani parliament, and legislators are not provided with audit reports in order to oversee spending in these areas.

‘The defence and security sectors present a particular challenge regarding transparency and access to information. Confidentiality is central to certain aspects of their work, but national security is too often used as an excuse for highly aggregated budgets, over-classification, and even as a veil for corrupt activity,’ explains Mark Pyman, Director of Transparency International’s Defence and Security Programme.

‘Protection of confidential information is compatible with accountability, if effective and robust systems of monitoring and control are in place and the legislature is allowed adequate oversight,’ he adds.
NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The scoring system for this report was based on seven questions from the International Budget Partnership’s 2010 Open Budget Index questionnaires, which measure the amount of information a government provides to its public.

2. The ranking system methodology rates countries based on the availability of information, but it does not judge the accuracy of such information. The ranking also does not cover the existence of off-budget expenditure. Nevertheless, according to a 2009 study by Global Integrity, extra-budgetary spending from the State Oil Fund is problematic. These funds, which are not included in the budget, only need approval of the president, not the parliament. Global Integrity also reports that details of military expenditure do not require approval by the legislature.

3. Transparency International UK’s Defence and Security Programme helps to build integrity and reduce corruption in defence and security establishments worldwide through supporting counter corruption reform in nations, raising integrity in arms transfers, and influencing policy in defence and security: www.ti-defence.org  Transparency International UK is part of the global movement against corruption:www.transparency.org.uk.

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