FM: Strengthening democracy is among Azerbaijan’s top priorities
POLITICS, PAGE 3
Strengthening democracy and protecting human rights are among top priorities of Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said on February 27. He made the remarks during his speech at the High-level Segment of 37th session of the Human Rights Council of UN.
The minister said that Azerbaijan implements large-scale programs to create necessary conditions for all citizens to fully enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms.
“Education is a top priority in our domestic policy because a well-established educated society is one of the guarantees of successful and sustainable development,” Mammadyarov said.
He added that right to health is fully ensured in Azerbaijan, and every year more than five million people – half of the country’s population – have their medical check-ups totally financed from the state budget.
The minister stressed that Azerbaijan was the first country in the Muslim world granting women right to vote as early as in 1918.
“Azerbaijan strives to ensure gender equality and empower women in public and social life. To give an example, 52 percent of staff members of my ministry are women,” Mammadyarov said.
He further noted that currently about 80 percent of Azerbaijan’s population have unimpeded access to the Internet, which has become the most favored and practical vehicle for information, media communication and free flow of ideas and thoughts.
The minister also reminded that criminal justice system in Azerbaijan has also been reformed to be in full compliance with international human rights standards. One of the recent developments in this field was the executive order of the president of Azerbaijan past year aiming at furtherance of legal reforms in penal field and humanization of penal policies, Mammadyarov added.
The minister further noted that Azerbaijan is one of the world’s recognized centers of multiculturalism.
“All ethnic and religious groups live in Azerbaijan in peace and harmony. Azerbaijan has hosted numerous international events aiming at strengthening intercultural dialogue,” Mammadyarov said.
He reminded that being a member of both the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan launched the “Baku Process” in 2008, the main goal of which is to strengthen dialogue, partnership and cooperation between the Muslim world and Europe.
Azerbaijan attaches high importance to the right to development, the minister said, adding that the country adheres to the principles enshrined in the Declaration on the Right to Development.
“Azerbaijan is actively participating in international development efforts, particularly through the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Azerbaijani International Development Agency,” he said.
Mammadyarov further added that Azerbaijan recognizes that human rights and sustainable development are complementary and mutually reinforcing.
“The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda recognizes the need to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies that are based on respect for human rights, rule of law and good governance and effective public institutions. Proceeding from this, Azerbaijan together with Georgia, Kenya, Thailand and Turkey have submitted a draft resolution entitled “Promoting human rights and Sustainable Development Goals through transparent, accountable and efficient public service delivery” for adoption at the current session of the Council,” the minister said, calling on the Human Rights Council members to support the resolution.
He stressed that Azerbaijan fully supports the necessity of the advancement of the HRC activities.
“Azerbaijan has issued a standing invitation to all special procedure mandate holders. We recognize their important role in promoting human rights through cooperation and dialogue with the Member States,” Mammadyarov noted.
He also said that Azerbaijan attaches importance to the Universal Periodic Review and has submitted its mid-term report in 2016.
“Our third UPR report will be considered in May 2018. We are committed to engage with UN human rights treaty bodies. Last year Azerbaijan was named by the High Commissioner for Human Rights as one of the 33 Member States that have been fully up to date in their treaty body reporting,” the minister noted.
He further informed the participants about the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan.
"As a result of armed aggression by Armenia, 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan has been under occupation since more than a quarter of a century. Over 1 million Azerbaijanis were subjected to ethnic cleansing and have been forced to leave their homes to become refugees and IDPs in their own country,” Mammadyarov stressed, noting that today Azerbaijan with a 10 million population hosts one of the highest numbers of refugees and IDPs in the world in per capita terms – 1.2 million.
The minister mentioned that Armenia continues the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by disregarding the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and related documents of other international organizations, which reaffirm the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and demand immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories.
Mammadyarov further spoke of the 26th anniversary of Khojaly Genocide on February 26, committed by Armenia, as a result of which 613 residents of this small town in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region were killed, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly.
“The consequences of this genocide committed in 1992 made it clear that the intentional mass killings in Khojaly were not isolated or sporadic acts, but were part of Armenia’s systematic policy of ethnic cleansing commenced since 1988,” the minister said. “Regretfully, those responsible for such grave offences still enjoy impunity and have not yet been brought to justice.”
Mammadyarov further mentioned that Armenia, encouraged by silence of international community towards the crimes against humanity committed in Azerbaijan, continues to violate the basic human rights of Azerbaijani IDPs and refugees.
“Therefore, we urge the UN Human Rights Council, its mandate holders and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to finally ensure effective remedy for the violated human rights of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs as tasked by the relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions,” he said.
In conclusion, Mammadyarov noted that the continued large-scale human rights violations have been steadily undermining the trust of the people of Azerbaijan in the primacy of international law and the efficiency of the UN human rights machinery.