Ombudsman staff members participates UNFPA event on reproductive health in Istanbul

UN Population Fund (UNFPA) jointly with the UN Population Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia held Global Meeting on the role of national human rights institutions in the Study of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Istanbul from 5- to 6 December, 2018. Officials of the UFPA, Global Alliance of Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), foreign ombudsmen, national human rights institutions (NHRIs), international experts got together at the event. Ombudsman Office was represented by the Head of National Preventive Group, Mr. Rashid Rumzada. 

At the event he delivered a speech on the activities of the Ombudsman in ensuring and promoting sexual and reproductive health rights, including analyzing relevant current situation and the ways of application of UPR and CEDAW related recommendations, drafting number of proposals to eliminate the existed shortages, which have been disseminated to wide audience and which was positively evaulated by the UNFPA country office.  

Later the meeting was focused on the issues in relation to the role of the NHRIs in developing national policy, human rights advocacy, promotion of positive experience in cooperation with civil society institutions. In these sessions R. Rumzada spoke about the work of the Office and proposals by the Commissioner related to concerned issues. 

The Ombudsman’s representative underlined that the Azerbaijani Ombudsman is always open to any cooperation within her mandate as an independent human rights institution and in line with Paris Principles.

It should be noted that the Ombudsman’s intiative to hold campaign supporting the OHCHR call (#StandUpForHumanRights) and 16 Days of Activitsm against gender-based violence throughout the country  by organizing series of events are effective to make stronger the respect for human rights at national level.