Human Rights Council hears from 16 dignitaries as it continues its high-level segment
The Human Rights Council during its midday meeting continued with its high-level segment, hearing addresses from dignitaries from 15 countries and one organization.
Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, briefed the Council on the recent developments in Azerbaijan aimed at further strengthening the protection of human rights. He called on the Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to play an increased role in the restoration of the violated human rights of Azerbaijani refugees.
Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, briefed the Human Rights Council on the recent developments in Azerbaijan aimed at further strengthening the protection of human rights. A new strategy on financing non-governmental organizations envisaged the facilitation of their activities through the improvement of the national donor system. In February 2017 Azerbaijan had adopted a decree on the improvement of the penitentiary service, the humanization of penal policies, and the extension of alternative sanctions and non-custodial procedural measures of restraint. Steps had been taken with respect to Azerbaijan’s participation in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and the Open Government Partnership. Azerbaijan was very interested in continuing enhanced interaction with the Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders had visited Azerbaijan in September 2016, but his report had failed to reflect the spirit of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United Nations human rights mechanisms. The continuing armed conflict in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region caused by the military aggression of Armenia had resulted in the occupation of almost one fifth of the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan. Armenia had carried out a policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis living in the occupied territories. Refugees and internally displaced persons had been deprived of their fundamental right to live in their native lands. Azerbaijan hosted the highest number of refugees in the world per capita – 1.2 million. Mr. Mammad-Guliyev called on the Council, its special mechanisms and the High Commissioner to play an increased role in the restoration of the violated human rights of Azerbaijani refugees, as reflected in the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.
During the visit, the Deputy Minister had a meeting with the President of International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer. The meeting was built on the discussion of current relations of Azerbaijan and ICRC and also about its future improvements. The sides expressed their hope of strengthening of the current strong relations in the future.
The Deputy Minister met with the Under Secretary General of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement Jemilah Mahmood where the sides have discussed the perspectives of development of their collaboration in the future.
The third meeting of Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev was with Director General of The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Francis Gurry. The sides talked about the current cooperation of Azerbaijan with WIPO and exchanged with thoughts about the perspectives of its future development.
