Legal Education
One of the key activity directions of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan is to restore human rights violated by the state bodies, municipalities, as well as legal entities that are in state or municipal ownership or whose controlling stake belongs to the state or municipality (including public legal entities) and budget organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and their officials.
Promoting legal awareness to support the development of legal consciousness and culture in society, ensuring the right to equality, and preventing discrimination are among the main goals of preventive measures undertaken in this field.
In this context, the Ombudsman conducts human rights education activities aimed not only at different groups of the population but also at state officials, municipalities, civil society members, other organizations, and human rights defenders.
In order to enhance public awareness of human rights, the Ombudsman Office' staff members participate in similar event organized by other institutions as speakers or trainers.
Various awareness-raising events are organized during the international and local significant remarkable days, as well as days specifically dedicating to the anniversaries of international treaties binding upon the Republic of Azerbaijan, national legislation protecting human rights and freedoms, UN SDGs, relevant state programs, strategies, national action plans, concepts, and similar documents.
The Ombudsman annually declares a month-long "Human Rights" campaign ( May 18 to June 18) to commemorate June 18 – Human Rights Day in Azerbaijan, and a "Child Rights" campaign (October 20 to November 20) to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the CRC. During these periods, various legal awareness-raising events on human rights are held across the country, including in the capital city, Baku, where current and relevant topics are focused on. In these processes, relevant state institutions, agencies, organizations, and civil society organizations, including non-governmental organizations and media outlets, actively participate.
A series of capacity-building trainings are constantly organized according to the curriculum of the Academy of Public Administration, the Academy of Labor and Social Relations, the Police Academy, the Justice Academy, the Science and Training Center of the Prosecutor General's Office, educational institutions specializing in military personnel training, and other educational institutions, and the Ombudsman's action plan. Such trainings target young students, individuals involved in specialization, judges, lawyers, civil servants, law enforcement officers, and military personnel.
Ombudsman Office organized refresher courses and training sessions for civil servants, judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, lawyers, staff and regional centers of the Office, and municipalities. The tranees in these courses are comprehensively informed about the international human rights treaties ratified by Azerbaijan, as well as the implementation of international obligations.
The Ombudsman Office promotes its activities in the field of protection, promotion, and monitoring of human rights as well as carries out public awareness of its authority in this regard.
The Ombudsman Office takes necessary measures to use young people's potential more effectively, instill professional skills, and enhance their practical knowledge. These efforts aim to create opportunities for active participation of youth in all areas of society and support the development of their creative and innovative potential. During the volunteering activities run by the Office, undergraduate and master students of various higher education institutions joined the Ombudsman Office for internships and research practice, receive training to improve their knowledge in the field of human rights.
Educational and methodological materials, booklets, leaflets, brochures, handbooks, posters, other printed products, and articles on human rights are prepared.
Currently, the key tasks for the Ombudsman Office are to enhance the effectiveness of its work in the public awareness-raising on human rights, improve the professional capacity of the staff of the Headquarters in Baku and Regional Centers, as well as other relevant state institutions, and promote the rights and freedoms of various population groups. These efforts are aligned with the implementation of state programs, strategies, national action plans, and concepts, as well as other similar documents, the UN SDGs, and the Declaration of 2024 as the "Year of Solidarity for a Green World" in the country.
Furthermore, the Office also prioritizes the organization of events on crlimate change topics as the Ombudsman was selected to the membership of the Organizing Committee for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), as well as considering the agenda arising from the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement.
In this context, the "2024 Action Plan for Legal Awareness Activities of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan" was approved and is being implemented pursuant to the Ombudsman’s Order No. 4 dated February 12, 2024
