Successful Final of XV Baku International Conference of Ombudsmen

The Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan hosted its annual conference between 20-21 June, 2018 in Baku. It brought together key human rights stakeholders from across Europe and Asia to discuss how National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) can better play crucial role in promotion and protection of legal equality.

Following opening remarks of the Commissioner, she said that rich natural resources of Azerbaijan, its fruitful mutual cooperation, active participation in economic projects led to decent life and ensuring human rights and freedoms of the population.

“Adopting Declaration of Independence in 1918, Azerbaijani People’s Republic focused on ensuring civil and political rights of people through granting equal rights to women and men without any discrimination, particularly to women granting them the right to suffrage that occurred before many European States” she said.

“During its second independence period in1991, Azerbaijan has joined to over 230 international legal documents, including human rights covenants of 1966 and conventions” was added.

Later, Ombudsman brought to the attention of participants the information on various actions in the field of human rights, including international cooperation with other international human rights stakeholders, awareness work, grave atrocities of the Nagorno Karabakh war and so on. 

Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Mr. Farhad Abdullayev told about the work of the Court and decisions taken at the Plenary Session on the basis of the Commissioner’s inquiries made to the Court. 

He said that the protection of human rights and freedoms in the Constitution of Azerbaijan is a supreme goal of the state, informing the Constitutional Court about the decisions made by the court on the basis of relevant inquiries submitted by the Commissioner.

Appreciating the activity of the Commissioner’s work for ensuring human rights in the country as a mediator between citizens and state bodies, the Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament, Ms. Bahar Muradova added the Ombudsman’s recommendation and suggestions for improving the legislation.

UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Gulam Ishaqzai also welcomed the human rights work of the institution and already built mutual cooperation with the UN that pave the way for launching range of awareness and capacity-building events.  

Following the speeches, it was demonstrated a video clip about 70th anniversary of the UDHR.

The conference included plenar sessions and interactive roundtables for open dialogue on economic and social integration of refugees, ensuring gender equality and legal equality of social groups of the population, role of ombudsman in dispute resolution, ensuring the rights in places of deprivation of liberty, protection of the right to freedom of religion, international legal accountability for crimes of genocide,  period of sentencing and role of civil society in human rights protection and promotion.

The conference was run in the interactive discussions atmosphere.

Finally, unanimously Baku Declaration was adopted.

The participants of this international conference were NHRIs from Turkey, Pakistan, Afganistan, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania, Georgia, Russian Federation and its subjects, OHCHR Regional Office in the South Caucasus, UN Resident Coordinator, President Administration, Constitutional Court, parlamentarians, ministers, Committees, diplomatic missions, non-governmental organizations and media.