Representative of Ombudsman took part at annual CRPD Working Group meeting of ENNHRI

Senior advisor of the Department on Protection of Human Rights of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) Office Murad Babayev, a member of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) Working Group on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) took part at its annual meeting organized on May 14, 2019 at the ENNHRI Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. The Executive Director of the ENNHRI Debbie Kohner and staff members, representatives of 20 states and several European organizations attended the event as well.

During the speech, he noted that the Commissioner was recommended to implement independent mechanism functions reflected in the Article 33.2 of the CRPD. The Ombudsman receives and investigates the applications and complaints of persons with disabilities, holds visits to state facilities, where they live or are kept, for the protection of their rights. He stressed that the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” was adopted by consideration of the Commissioner’s initiative and numerous proposals.

The representative also gave information about the Parallel Report on Implementation of the CRPD, sent to the relevant UN Committee by the Azerbaijani Ombudsman in 2013. He noted that the State Program on Development of Inclusive Education for Persons with Disabilities in 2018-2024 was approved in accordance with the Article 24 of the CRPD, taking into account the Commissioner’s proposals as well. The Commissioner has proposed to allocate enough financial and human resources, to prepare children with limited activity capacities for the inclusive education from early age, to train specialists and to increase their professionalism for the effective implementation of that program.

It was further noted that the implementation of “Application of inclusive education in primary education” project was launched in Azerbaijan from 2015-2016 academic year and was successfully carried out in four experimental schools. The UNICEF held monitorings for assessment of project implementation that was evaluated positively by the expert.

The close cooperation of the Commissioner with corresponding state bodies and specialized civil society institutions, active participation of NGOs representing persons with disabilities in the independent Experts Council, Business and Human Rights Working Group were regarded too.

Participants of the event assessed positively the activity implemented by the Azerbaijani Ombudsman regarding the CRPD.