The Ombudsman of Azerbaijan had meetings with the Equal Opportunities Controller and Ombudsperson for Children's Rights of Lithuania

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ms.Sabina Aliyeva paid an official visit to Lithuania.

In the course of the visit, S. Aliyeva had a meeting with the Lithuanian Equal Opportunities Controller, Ms. Birute Sabatauskaite.  

In the meeting, the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan provided detailed information on the activity directions of the Institution and accentuated that draft of the proposed amendments to the “Constitutional Law on the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan” was submitted to the Parliament. She highlighted that the draft also included proposals for the strengthening of the competencies of the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan in the field of non-discrimination. The Ombudsman’s recommendations for creating equal opportunities for all, including people with disabilities in the electoral process, was also considered in the draft.     

Also, information about effective cooperation between the Ombudsman Office and Constitutional Court, and inquiries, sent to the relevant Court was given.

B. Sabatauskait?, in her turn, also briefed the activity directions of her Office, especially works done in the field of gender equality, as well as other competencies.

S.Aliyeva, in the frame of her visit, had her next meeting with Ms. Edita Ziobiene, Ombudsperson for Children's Rights of Lithuania.

During the meeting, the Azerbaijani Ombudsman gave information about the activity in the protection of child rights and that a Child Rights Protection Unit was established in the Ombudsman Office in 2021.

S.Aliyeva, during the meeting with the child rights ombudsperson, spoke about her separate interim report on child rights violations by Armenia committed during the Second Karabakh War. The Ombudsman brought to the attention the facts of the existence of children among the 3890 Azerbaijanis, who went missing during the First Karabakh War, and numerous children, who were slaughtered and lost their parents as a result of the Khojaly Genocide.

Ms. E.Ziobiene, in her speech, outlined the work of her Office in protecting child rights and best interests. The issues related to the protection of the rights of refugee children in their country, who came to Lithuania due to the war.     

During the meetings, Ombudsman’s reports on human rights, violated during the war and post-war periods were presented to the officials of Lithuania.