BackThe Azerbaijani Ombudsman participated in the Council of Europe (CoE) High-level conference “Our Rights, Our Freedoms and Our Europe” in Baku city on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the organization.
The conference brought together the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, the Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, and other officials, as well as NGOs and media representatives.
As a key-note speaker, the Ombudsman noted many significant reforms in the field of human rights made in the country and furthermore recommended the country to ratify the Lanzarote and Istanbul Conventions, as well as the European Social Charter.
The Azerbaijani Ombudsman informed the participants about the implementation of the EU/CoE joint project on combating discrimination and hate speech. It was also noted that the Ombudsman institution, CoE and the country Press Council jointly implemented a project on “Gender Equality and Media”.
The Azerbaijani Ombudsman especially drew attention to the Nagorno Karabakh armed conflict and pointed out the PACE Resolution 1416, which affirms the occupation of large amounts of territories of Azerbaijan by Armenian armed forces and the control of the separatist regime over the Nagorno-Karabakh region as well as the right of refugees in this conflict to return back to their homes.
The Ombudsman emphasized the significance of enhancing joint activities, with CoE in specific topics of human rights by involving competent state bodies and NGOs.
Source: Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, Azerbaijan
