Under the theme of “Role of Civil Society and Human Rights Education in Development of Democratization” the 3rd Baku International Conference of Ombudsmen III with support of the UNESCO Moscow Officewas hosted by the Office of the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan on 29-30 November, 2004. This event was dedicated to the United Nations Decade for Human Rights (1995-2004).
The Conference was attended by ombudsmen from the Russian Federation and its oblasts, Sweden, Hungary, Lithuania, Tatarstan, Moldova, Kirgizstan and Georgia and their representatives, state bodies, non-governmental institutions and other organizations.
During the conference, the Commissioner for human rights of Azerbaijan reported to the participants about the fundamental human rights reforms undertaken at national level, human rights education of the population, development of legal culture of people as an important factor contributing to development of democratic and legal state and building civil society. She also noted that with the establishment of the Ombudsman Office in Azerbaijan it was determined a wide range of activities of human and civil rights protection and promotion, series of legal awareness activities in urban and rural areas for all people from different strata have been held, and raising awareness of citizens’ rights.
The ombudsmen from Council of Independent of States (CIS) proposed recommendations to establishment of coordinating council of CIS countries’ ombudsmen institutions.
The Public Defender of Georgia recommended signing a bilateral Cooperation Agreement for protection of rights of Azerbaijanis and Georgians in both countries.
The Azerbaijani Ombudsman has signed multilateral Cooperation Agreements with other human rights institutions of other countries in a view to restoring the violated rights of Azerbaijanis living abroad.
