|
|
           
|
|
Azerbaijan's Ombudsman and United Nations commemorate International Human Rights Day
UN Public Affairs and Information Department Chief Mr. Fargan Abbaszadeh, reminded to the participants that the theme of this year's celebration of the Day was Human Rights Education. He announced that the General Assembly was expected to proclaim today the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005 - 2007) to be devoted to human rights education in the primary and secondary school systems. He also read out the message of the UN Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan on the occasion of the Day.
Representatives of the Council of Europe, Ministries of Justice and Education, State Committees on Women's Issues and IDPs and Refugees, national NGOs representatives also addressed the audience. The event was closed with a ceremony of awarding the winners of the children's drawing competition entitled "Me and My Rights" and the journalist competition dedicated to the Human Rights Day.
|
On 10 December 2004, commemorated by the United Nations System and the whole globe as an International Human Rights Day, Office of the Ombudsman of the Azerbaijan Republic with the support from the United Nations Office in Azerbaijan organized a round table dedicated to the observance of the Day and focusing on the Human Rights issues. Representatives of the Government bodies (namely Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs, Education, etc), international organizations (UN Development Programme, UN Children's Fund, Council of Europe etc), national non-governmental organizations (NGOs), media and winners of the best newspaper article and best children's drawing on the human rights theme came together in Azerbaijan Ataturk Centre to mark the day. 
Opening the event, Ombudsperson, Ms. Elmira Suleymanova, briefed the participants on the history of the International Human Rights Day commemoration, United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and Azerbaijan's fulfillment of international human rights obligations. She referred to a number of sustainable activities implemented by the office of Ombudsman in this regard. She also underlined an outstanding role of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in the process of establishment of the Ombudsman institution in the country.
UNDP acting Resident Representative, Mr. David Eizenberg, on behalf of his Organization expressed his appreciation of the Azerbaijani Government's efforts in making human rights a reality for the Azerbaijani people. He said UNDP was pleased to cooperate with Ombudsman office and expressed the hope that this cooperation would expand in the future. He also commended the first annual report of the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan Republic describing the latter as "comprehensive". The availability of the report in three languages - Azerbaijani, Russian and English - would help promote the work of Ombudsman not only at the national but regional and international levels, he concluded.
|
|
© United Nations Azerbaijan 2004 |
