National Confederation of the Entrepreneurs (Employers') Organizations of Azerbaijan Republic (AEC) was established and officially registered according to the legislation of Azerbaijan Republic in Baku on March 5, 1999. National Confederation of the Entrepreneurs (Employers') Organizations of Azerbaijan Republic (AEC) being a union of employers in Azerbaijan Republic is non-commercial, non-government, self-managing organization coordinating activities of the juridical and physical persons dealing with the entrepreneurial activity not-dependent on their property and organization-legal form (excluding state-financed organizations) on voluntary basis, protecting their legal and economic rights, having public-effective objectives and considering not to get profit as the basic principle of its activity.

Within its goals the Confederation carries out the following functions:

• To protect rights of the entrepreneurial subjects, their property and other legal interests before the corresponding state structures, municipality bodies and other organizations;
  
• To assist strengthening of the market infrastructure and development of entrepreneurship relevant to the trends of the State Entrepreneurship Development Programme;
  
• To participate in the collective negotiations with the Azerbaijan Government and Trade Unions Confederation with the purpose of regulation of the labour relations according to the Labour Legislation in the country, to sign the tripartite General Collective Agreement together with the Azerbaijan Government and Trade Unions Confederation;
  
• To provide the establishment of permanent business relations among its members, to assist work out of the investment, innovation and other initiative projects and formation of sound entrepreneurship environment;
  
• To assist local entrepreneurs in search of partners in the country and abroad, participate in their information supply;To participate in preparation and realization of various social-economic oriented sector, regional and country programmes;
  
• To assist local entrepreneurs in search of partners in the country and abroad, participate in their information supply;
  
• To realize the preparation of the social-economic oriented draft laws and other normative-legal acts related to the development of entrepreneurship;
  
• To create conditions for study of the world experience of entrepreneurship and its available application in Azerbaijan;
  
• To assist the establishment of social-economic oriented organizations.

At present time more than 2500 entrepreneurs' subjects including about 35 Associations and Unions of economic and social orientation are united in the National Confederation of the Entrepreneurs (Employers') Organizations of Azerbaijan Republic.

Azerbaijan Republic has joined 57 Conventions of International Labour Organization on main human rights and adopted the principles and norms provided by this Convention. Corresponding to the articles of 87, 144, etc. Conventions the Confederation has established close relation with ILO to represent the employers in Azerbaijan.

AEC implements its responsibilities as the representative of the employers being a social partner in the trilateral General Collective Agreement signed between Cabinet of Ministries, Trade Unions Confederation and AEC in 2001 for determination of social-economic policy in Azerbaijan and regulation of labour relations.

The Confederation collaborates with BESO - British Executive Services Overseas (Great Britain), NMCP- Netherlands Management and Cooperation Programme, EU TACIS - MTP (Managers Training Programme), TACIS ESSN, UNDP, TACIS SME and other international programmes. It has concluded cooperation agreements with its partners operating in more than 20 foreign countries.

AEC is the member of International Employers Organization, International Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Congress, Azerbaijan-British Trade Industrial Council. Confederation works closely with the embassies of USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Israel, international organizations, such as UNDP, CDC and participates in their various meetings.

The governing and executive bodies of Confederation are as follows: General Assembly, Board of Directors, Presidium, Auditing Committee, the Confederation President is the Chairman of Board of Directors and Presidium. The executive structure of Confederation is the Directorate. The Secretary General manages the Directorate. The Confederation has its representatives in 35 regions of Azerbaijan Republic. The modern conference-hall, training classes, business meeting rooms and library are always used by the members.