Representative of Ombudsman took part in the seminar on the rights of persons with disabilities

A seminar on “Inclusive education, vocational rehabilitation and accessibility” dedicated to the rights of persons with disabilities (PwDs) was jointly organized by Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Abilis foundation and the Azerbaijani Union of Disabled Persons Organizations.

The event brought together the chairman of the Labour and Policy Committee of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) Hadi Rajabli, the deputy head of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population Anar Karimov, ambassador of Finland to Azerbaijan Arja Makkonen, the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Irina Goryunova, representatives of other international organizations, embassies and NGOs. Mugalib Mahmudov, representative of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) also took part in the event.

The discussions were held within the panels on topics of "Accessibility in educational institutions and workplaces", "Vocational rehabilitation services", "Inclusive education".

The representative of the Ombudsman made a speech on Vocational rehabilitation services and provided information about the Commissioner’s activity regarding the protection of the rights of PwDs set forth in the Constitution and the international treaties, to which the country is a party, especially the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities and the International Labour Organization Convention on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons).

He noted that issues of employment of PwDs and ensuring their labour rights are discussed in the events organized at the initiative of the Ombudsman, as well as in the meetings of Business and Human Rights Working Group. A number of necessary proposals were put forward in this area.

The proposals in this regard include the establishment of centers providing vocational-rehabilitative services, opening workplaces where equal opportunities are available without any discrimination against them, enhancing attention to the quota system intended for PwDs, motivating the employers that actively implements this quota by real tax deductions and soft loans, promotion of corporative liability and supporting the persons in need by attracting the entrepreneurs’ attention to the social field, fostering control over the execution of administrative liability to the employers refusing to guarantee the quota or refusing to employ PwDs.