Ombudsman Office and International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) discussed the enhancement of cooperation

In the frame of the "Migration EU Expertise (MEIUX+)” a joint initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by the ICMPD Brussels Mission, Ombudsman Office hosted an expert meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to assess the needs of the Ombudsman Office regarding the current situation with combatting with human-trafficking in the context of human rights and to determine the prospects within the project.

Chief of the Staff of the Ombudsman Office, Mr. Aydin Safikhanli, first, greeted the guests and then, gave them information about the experience of the Azerbaijani Ombudsperson in the protection of the rights of various groups of the population, including migrants’ rights and the regular activities to raise their awareness and others. He added that the Ombudsman made initiatives and recommendations to join efforts to combat human trafficking and strengthen the capacity building of persons working in the field of migration.        

He also emphasized that the Azerbaijani Ombudsperson Ms. Sabina Aliyeva specifically focuses on the issues related to ensuring and promoting the rights of all participants of the migration processes, particularly the restoration of the violated rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and on the organization of their effective repatriation and enhancement of international cooperation in the concerned field. During conflict and post-conflict periods, the Ombudsperson made numerous appeals to international organizations concerning the handover of accurate maps of minefields in the liberated areas and the safe return of our IDPs to their native lands.    

The staff of the Office, Ms. Turan Jahangirova and Ms. Aynur Hamidova, said that multilateral cooperation with ombudsmen of other countries, and international and non-governmental organizations have extended with a view to bringing the national migration legislation in line with modern standards, applying practical and innovative practices in the field of related management of migration and human rights, and gave information on the activities of the Ombudsman's NPM and in the field of the right to information. They noted the importance of promoting digitalization through advanced practice and modern methodologies, strengthening the fight against human trafficking at the national, regional, and global levels, implementing joint projects, and exchanging experience.

Thanking for the sincere reception and exchange of ideas, the representative of the ICMPD, Anna Melenchuk, and the international expert, Konul Jafarova, expressed their high appreciation for the cooperation in the field of migration between the two institutions and expressed their confidence that the relations will be developed further.

Members of the NGO Coalition against Human Trafficking also participated in the meeting.

In the end, the guests were presented with informative brochures in the field of human rights, produced by the Office of the Ombudsman for migrants and relevant state institutions.