In a bold move to confront growing information warfare and ideological subversion, the Baku International Policy and Security Network (BIPSN) has launched a four-month initiative titled “Analysis of Hybrid and Ideological Threats Against Azerbaijan.” Backed by top-tier Azerbaijani government institutions and an international lineup of policy experts, the project marks a serious escalation in Azerbaijan’s response to coordinated media manipulation and psychological operations.
This isn’t just a media response plan. It’s a playbook for strategic deterrence in the age of hybrid warfare. The initiative aims to identify, dissect, and neutralize external threats — from disinformation campaigns and hostile NGO narratives to more subtle forms of reputational sabotage — that undermine Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and global standing.
BIPSN is taking a systems-based approach, creating new coordination lines between state actors, international organizations, and global thought leaders. Throughout the coming months, Baku will host a series of high-level meetings with think tanks, foreign diplomats, and media analysts, all aimed at aligning tools, platforms, and intelligence sources into a single cohesive network.
The centerpiece of the effort is a three-tiered monitoring and analysis framework designed to go beyond reaction and into preemption:
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Data Collection: Teams will compile evidence of hybrid attacks, from fake news and viral social media content to biased NGO reports and media op-eds.
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Threat Profiling: Collected data will be categorized by origin, distribution channels, target audiences, and the scale of potential damage.
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Verification & Strategy: Azerbaijani and international experts will co-author policy briefs and thematic reports to inform future decision-making — at both the governmental and diplomatic levels.
The program’s primary operational phase runs from late May through August 2025. Ten major events are already in the pipeline — five in-person conferences in Baku, and five virtual roundtables with international participants. The initiative is also leveraging digital and media tools to amplify impact:
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Targeted communications campaigns across social media;
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Regular analytical releases in Azerbaijani, English, French, and Russian;
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Op-eds and expert commentary in international outlets;
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Engagement with youth leaders, academics, and NGOs to broaden the stakeholder base.
The final act? A high-profile forum set to take place in Paris — a symbolic choice, given the city’s role in shaping some of the more aggressive anti-Azerbaijani narratives in recent years. Organizers describe the event as a form of “diplomatic pushback” — a space not just for dialogue, but for confronting misinformation at the source. The forum marks the culmination of a project approved within the framework of a competition organized by the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and implemented with funding provided by the said Agency.
For BIPSN, this isn’t a temporary PR move. It’s a structural response to a shifting threat landscape — an institutionalized platform designed to project confidence, transparency, and strategic foresight.
In the words of one BIPSN official: “We’re not interested in chasing shadows. We’re building a model of strategic clarity that can outlast any news cycle.”
Through a hybrid format that includes Zoom forums, live debates, virtual panels, and in-person strategy sessions, BIPSN will share its findings in respected international publications, including La Gazette du Caucasus, Das Fazit, Central Europe Report, and Yeni Şafak.
This initiative signals a paradigm shift in how nations like Azerbaijan approach hybrid threats. It’s not about playing catch-up. It’s about shaping the narrative, steering the debate, and defending national interests with data, diplomacy, and determination.