State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan

The State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Azərbaycan Respublikası Dini Qurumlarla İş üzrə Dövlət Komitəsi
Coat of Arms of Azerbaijan
Agency overview
Formed	June 21, 2001
Headquarters	12 Ahmad Javad Street, Gate III, Baku, Azerbaijan Republic AZ1001
Agency executives	Mubariz Gurbanli, Chairman of State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Sayyad Salahli, Deputy First Chairman Gunduz İsmayilov, Deputy Chairman Sayavush Heydarov, Deputy Chairman
Website	www.scwra.gov.az

The State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası Dini Qurumlarla İş üzrə Dövlət Komitəsi), also known as State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations (SCWRO) is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulation of activities of religious organizations and ensuring freedom of religion in Azerbaijan. The ministry is headed by Mubariz Gurbanli.

The committee was established on June 21, 2001 in accordance with the Clause 48 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan on religious freedoms by the Presidential Decree No. 512 to supervise the activities of religious organizations in the country as well as protect, create conditions for and guarantee religious freedoms to citizens and residents of Azerbaijan. Since the inception of the committee, 425 religious communities have been registered to act in Azerbaijan, with 408 being Islamic, 17 - non Islamic (9 Christian, 6 Jewish, 1 Krishna, 1-Bahá'í).

The committee is headed by its Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Head of Administration. Main functions of the committee are creating conditions for practising of religion in Azerbaijan; supervision of accordance of religious practice with the legislature on religious freedoms; registration of religious organizations, supervising changes to be made to charters of these organizations; assistance to religious organizations with various issues; creating interfaith dialogue between these religious organizations; creation an information database and analysis based on data and statistics from religious organizations; participation in international conferences on religious movements, forums; analysis of education programs prepared by religious schools; creating conditions for religious pilgrimages to other countries for citizens of Azerbaijan and receiving approvals from states where the sacred religious places are located.

All religious organizations have to register with the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations before any sort of religious practice is introduced by those organizations.