The Ombudsman met with the FAO Representative for Azerbaijan

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ms. Sabina Aliyeva, received the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for Azerbaijan, Ms. Melek Çakmak.

At the meeting, the Ombudsman briefed the guest on her mandate and activities. It was noted that the Ombudsman Institution continued to operate without interruption during the pandemic and martial law, paying particular attention to the effective protection of the rights of vulnerable groups of the population.

Touching upon the serious damage to the environment during the 30-year long occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories, the Ombudsman said that the use of prohibited weapons by Armenia during the conflict increased this damage. It was also said that the formerly occupied areas became unusable for cultivation, which created great difficulties in the restoration of normal life there.

Ms. Çakmak expressed her gratitude for the warm reception, stressed the importance of raising public awareness to ensure food security in the country, the implementation of UN global goals, and increase productivity in the agricultural sector. In this regard, the importance of establishing effective cooperation between the Ombudsman Institution and the FAO was stressed.

In the end, the parties exchanged views on future areas of cooperation.