Human Rights Commissioner discussed the further priorities of the EU Funded Twinning Project

The Office of the Human Rights Commissioner of Azerbaijan has being hosted 2 year EU Funded Twinning Project with its international co-partners such as Germany and Poland within the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI).

The Project “Support to the Enhancing Capacities of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Azerbaijan” consisting of 4 components, focuses on the issues of strengthening the work of the Office’ national preventive mechanism against torture, management of information flows, improving the Commissioner’s activity in the field of the protection of the rights of children, persons with disabilities and older persons, enhancing the capacities of the Office in enforcement of the national Law on Access to Information and holding trainings about effective management of the Main Office and its regional centers for the staff.

The Commissioner came together to discuss the future priorities with the co-partners of the Project, including Mr. Walker Ellenberger, Head of the Project from Germany, Mr. Miroslaw Wroblewski, Head of the Project from Poland, Mr. Bernd Shumacher, Representative of the German Federal Enterprise for Technical Cooperation (GIZ) and Mr. Wulf Roever, the Resident Coordinator of the Project from Germany.

Mrs. Elmira Suleymanova who briefed the Experts, noted inter alia that the Twinning Light Project carried out in previous years between the Ombudsman Office and German Government within ENPI was the first in the whole South Caucasus and played great role from the perspective of enhancing the professional capacities of the Commissioner.

In the ensuing discussion, it was noted that since last year under the Project, the EU Experts have run 67 trainings; the First Component, which was also followed by the study tour to Greece was completed. The other future priorities of the Project have been reviewed by the parties and the Commissioner gave her recommendations how to better progress the Project.  

In concluding remarks, experts underscored the last developments and reforms taken in the country for human rights protection and promotion and highly appreciated the Commissioner’s involvement into those processes.

As a side event, a Special Committee on Assessment of the Project held a Meeting with participation of the Ombudsman staff, project leaders from both countries, representative of the GIZ / Germany, EU Country Office, Ministry of Economy. At this Meeting Mr. W. Roewer delivered a speech about the work done between 2016-2017 years. Until now, 40 international experts have been involved into the Project and 70 expert missions covering all Components, have been conducted, which have been always supported by the Commissioner’s Office.  

The meeting was ended with recommendations and suggestions about preparing the quarterly Project Reports and organizing effective trainings in the future.