ENOC 23 Annual Conference was dedicated to Child Rights in Digital Environment

Staff members of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan, Gulnar Rahimova and Lamiya Zeynalova took part in the 23^rd Annual ENOC Conference on the topic “A child’s World, Children’s Rights in Digital Environment” as well as in the Annual General Assembly, as a member of the Network, held in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 25-27 September, 2019. 

This international event brought together ENOC Members child rights ombudspersons and their representatives, ombudsmen closely working in the field of child rights protection and promotion as well as their with observer status and the responsible officials.

It must be noted that the Azerbaijani Ombudsman Office was selected to the membership of European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC) in 2008 by the recommendation of the Innochenti Research Center.  In the frame of the cooperation with this organization, Azerbaijani Ombudsman contributes to the general work of the organization with her innovative proposals and rich experience as a member of different Working groups on various issues related to child rights. So, on the initiative of the Azerbaijani Ombudsman, since 2010 the ENOC Network of Young Advisers (ENYA) Project has been implementing. 

ENOC member institutions, including representatives of the Azerbaijani Ombudsman institution made presentations about their annual activities, and exchanged views about national experience and accomplishments as well as created information platform of new development directions at international and European levels.

Ombudsman’s representatives participated in sessions related to the issues of children at risk, rights to education and participation, preventing violence against children, promoting child rights, family support of children in use of digital technology and alternative care, health and wellbeing, digital knowledge and skills, cybercrime strategy and etc., where pointed out the activity and the approach of the Azerbaijani Ombudsman institution concerning the relevant issues.

In past years, the adolescent members of the Azerbaijan Child and Youth Peace Network actively participated in ENYA projects, shared their views with their peers, as well as attended international events took place in France, Spain, Northern Ireland, Poland and Greece and made presentations. 

It should be also noted that during the event, the Final Declaration of the 23^rd Annual Conference has been drafted, where proposals of the representatives of Azerbaijani Ombudsman concerning protection of rights of IDP children during the armed conflicts have been taken into consideration.