The establishment of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in Azerbaijan became the continuation of legal reforms as the State is obliged to ensure international obligations undertaken on the way to European integration and human rights promotion. Considering the fact that Azerbaijan is also involved to the Eastern Partnership (EaP) policy as a eastern European partners as well as human rights and democratization are priority issues, the Commissioner cooperates with this regional organization.   

As in many countries, the EU carries out Twinning and TAIEX projects and the Ombudsman Office and state bodies are involved into implementation of those projects.

On 28 October 2011 within the EU-funded TAIEX project it has been organized a seminar “Strenghening the Capacities of Regional Offices of the Azerbaijani Ombudsman”. Mr. Augustinas Normantas, the Seimas Ombudsman of Lithuania and his staff member Mr. Martynas Vasiliauskas, Mr. Jean Pierre Fontaine, Former Delegate to the Defender of rights, France, Mrs. Adriana Stehouwer, Deputy Ombudsman, National Ombudsman, the Netherlands and Mrs. Aleksandra Wentkowska, Field Plenipotentiary of Human Rights Defender, office of Katowice, Poland participated in that seminar as speakers.

In 2011, it has been carried out EU-funded Twinning Light Project (up to six month) entitled “Support to the Enhancement of the Capacity of the Ombudsman Administration and to the Development of Awareness on Human Rights and Discrimination” (Twinning ref. AZ09/ENP-PCA/JH/09).

At present, it has been carrying out 24 month-EU funded Twinning Project “Support to the Strengthening of Capacities of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)” in cooperation with Germany and Poland. In accordance with its Components,  this Twinning project brings together experts with relevant experience from EU countries, including Greece, Poland, Germany and Portugal.  

Under the first Component –“Strengthening the activity of the Ombudsman Office as a national preventive mechanism” abovementioned project, some staff members conducted study-tour to Greece from 3-7 October 2016.

Until now, the EU Ombudsman Office Journal “European Ombudsmen” published ten articles about necessary measures taken towards human rights protection as well as the broad information on overal human rights activities of the Azerbaijani Ombudsman Office.