AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL URGES BAKU TO TAKE CARE OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS NOT ONLY ON DOCUMENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.06.2007 14:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ One of the largest populations of internally
displaced people per capita in the world faces discrimination,
segregation and an uncertain future. According to a new report titled
"Azerbaijan: Displaced then discriminated against – the plight of
the internally displaced population", which was released by Amnesty
International, some 600 000 Azeris have lived in internal displacement
for over a decade as a result of the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh.

Although minimum essential levels of human rights have been provided
for by the Azerbaijani government with international assistance,
Amnesty International is concerned that current measures are not
adequate to provide for the progressive realization of human rights
in a context of long-term displacement.

Human rights treaties to which Azerbaijan is a party require the
authorities to respect and protect the rights of internally displaced
people to life, and an adequate standard of living. "Although on paper
the Azerbaijani government appears willing to allocate resources to
the needs of the internally displaced population, these resources are
not being used in ways that allow the progressive realization of their
human rights. State officials consistently emphasize the ‘temporary’
nature of social and housing programs for the displaced. Yet this
emphasis is increasingly in conflict with the prolonged nature of
displacement," Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Program
Director at Amnesty International said.

In order to address the human rights issues of the displaced people,
Amnesty International calls on the government of Azerbaijan to remove
all obstacles to the rights of the displaced population to freedom
of movement and choice of residence; take steps to provide for the
right of displaced people to genuinely participate in a process of
consultation on issues affecting them; ensure that the right of the
displaced population to an adequate standard of housing is respected
in both rural and urban contexts.

Amnesty International calls on the international community to continue
to assist the Azerbaijani authorities in this regard.