State-owned child facilities were monitored in the frame of the "Child Rights Month"

By the instructions of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan Ms. Sabina Aliyeva, the National Preventive group members regularly conduct monitoring visits in the capital city and in the regions of the country.

Within the frame of the Child Rights Month-long Campaign, which is running between 20 October and 20 November, monitoring visits, without prior notice, were conducted to the Republican Special Boarding School No. 5 for children with limited health capacities, as well as Goranboy, Tovuz, and Salyan Distrits’ Integrated Training Gymnasiums of Boarding Type.

The purpose of the visits, held in compliance with the requirements of the OPCAT and the Constitutional Law on Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, was to investigate the state of provision of the rights of children of different age groups, living conditions, and treatment of them by the staff of those facilities.  

During the monitoring, classrooms, bedrooms, recreation rooms, kitchens, canteens, food storages of those facilities were monitored. Furthermore, the organization of the logopedic intervention and psychological work and documentation were also checked . 

In the course of the monitoring, in the Republican Special Boarding School No. 5, it was found that there was a lack of textbooks for upper classes printed in Braille and that psychological service for children needed to be improved.  

In addition, it was observed that the building of the Goranboy City Integrated Training Gymnasium of Boarding Type named after A. Agakishiyev is mostly unrepair and in poor condition, which hinders effective implementation of the children's rights. 

During the monitoring visit to the Govlar Integrated Training Gymnasium of Boarding Type in Tovuz district, it was found that the heating system of the building was inadequate and there were shortcomings in the organization of medical registration.   

The NPG members also investigated the living conditions in Salyan City Integrated Training Gymnasium of Boarding Type.

Private and group talks were held with the managerial staff and employees, including students in order to investigate the treatment issues.

At the end of all visits, the management of the facilities has been given appropriate recommendations on how to overcome the shortcomings that existed. They have also been presented posters about the round clock 916 Call Center of the Ombudsman.