UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONSIDERS REPORT OF AZERBAIJAN

APA
July 22 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Victoria Dementyeva – APA. The Human Rights Committee concluded
its consideration of the third report of Azerbaijan on measures
undertaken to implement the provisions of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights at the Committee’s 96th session
in Geneva. Khalaf Khalafov, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
of Azerbaijan, introduced Azerbaijan’s report. The delegation of
Azerbaijan also included Members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
the Ministry of Justice; the General Prosecutor’s Office; the Executive
Office; the Ministry for Youth and Sport; the Ministry of Labour and
Social Protection of the Population; the State Committee for Family,
Women’s and Children’s Affairs; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and
the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations at Geneva.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remained the
hardest problem for Azerbaijan, Khalafov said. The Nagorno-Karabakh
region and seven regions around it, which constituted 20 per cent of
Azerbaijani territory, were occupied by Armenia. More than 1 million
Azerbaijanis had become refugees and internally displaced persons
as a result of ethnic cleansing carried out by Armenia. However,
Azerbaijan remained loyal to a peaceful resolution to the conflict
granting the highest level of autonomy to Nagorno-Karabakh within
the territory of Azerbaijan. Khalafov, introducing the report, said
that in March 2009 there had been constitutional reforms that were
very significant for the promotion and protection of human rights
and freedoms. The constitutional reforms were directed towards
strengthening the social focus of the State, the enhancement of
the effectiveness of human rights and freedoms’ protection, the
improvement of the work of supreme State authorities, as well as
courts and municipalities. With a view to eliminate all forms of
violence against women, the Government continued to take relevant
measures of a social and economic character. In addition, a draft
law currently under review contained provisions for the establishment
of rehabilitation centers for women and children who were victims of
violence. Azerbaijan had also taken relevant legislation measures in
the fight against human trafficking. In 2008, 76 crimes related to
human trafficking had been uncovered, 96 persons had been brought to
trial and the accused had been brought to criminal responsibility. It
was the last report heard at the UN Human Rights Committee, which
will make its remarks on July 31.