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SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR A DEAL BY WORLD LEADERS ON POVERTY, SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
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OFFICIAL VISITS:
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO SAUDI ARABIA
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO CHINA
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO POLAND
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UNDP BRINGS TOGETHER ALL RELIGIOUS FAITHS IN AZERBAIJAN TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS
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WFP SURVEY SHOWS FOOD INSECURITY THREATENS RURAL AND DISPLACED AZERBAIJANIS
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PRESIDENT RECEIVES HEADS OF UNECE AND UNESCAP
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FIRST REPORT ON EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE PRODUCED
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AZERBAIJAN REACTS ON RESULTS OF OSCE FACT-FINDING MISSION TO OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
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AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA APPEAL TO UN OVER CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS
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PRESIDENT FREES POLITICAL PRISONERS
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OMBUDSMAN REPORTS TO PARLIAMENT ON 2004 ACTIVITIES
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MAJOR OPPOSITION PARTIES TO JOINTLY RUN FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
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PRESIDENT ALIYEV ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF RULING NEW AZERBAIJAN PARTY
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GOVERNMENT PRESENTS 2004 REPORT
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PRESIDENT OPENS THE FREIGHT TERMINAL AT THE HEYDAR ALIYEV INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
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AZERBAIJAN AND THE WORLD BANK AGREE ON THE FIRST TRANCH OF POVERTY REDUCTION CREDIT
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ILHAM ALIYEV ISSUED DECREE TO LIQUIDATE STATE TELEVISION
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SERIOUS CRIMINAL GROUP RENDERED HARMLESS
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| SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR A DEAL BY WORLD LEADERS ON POVERTY, SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 20 March - Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on leaders to reach a new global deal to tackle the challenges of development, security and human rights, and to overhaul the United Nations. The recommendations in his report, titled In larger freedom: Towards development, security and human rights for all, lay the groundwork for decisions at the upcoming summit of world leaders at the UN in September 2005.
Taking its name from a key phrase of the UN Charter, which speaks of social progress and better standards of life "in larger freedom", the report promotes a realignment of the world body to give additional weight to key development, security and human rights issues, while setting out plans to make the UN more efficient, open and accountable.
Related reports:
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| OFFICIAL VISITS:
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO SAUDI ARABIA
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO CHINA
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO POLAND
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| UNDP BRINGS TOGETHER ALL RELIGIOUS FAITHS IN AZERBAIJAN TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS
Baku, 18 March 2005 - Since 2002 UNDP has been implementing a project entitled "Strengthening capacities of the civil society in response to HIV/AIDS". The project aims at empowering various segments of the civil society in response to HIV/AIDS - specifically in designing and implementing HIV/AIDS prevention activities and in facilitating multi-sectoral dialogues on HIV-related issues. Dialogue with religious organizations, which are part of civil society, in Azerbaijan started back in 2003 at a UNDP -initiated round table organized jointly with the State Committee on Work with Religious Associations and attended by representatives of all major faiths registered in Azerbaijan.
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| WFP SURVEY SHOWS FOOD INSECURITY THREATENS RURAL AND DISPLACED AZERBAIJANIS PROCESS
 BAKU - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) gave a warning today that 400,000 to 600,000 rural Azerbaijanis face food insecurity and that nearly 300,000 of the one million Azerbaijanis displaced by the conflict with Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh are likely to continue to rely on food aid for the foreseeable future.
The warning comes in WFP's Food Security and Nutrition Report - the first of its kind in Azerbaijan - covering around 3,500 households in six of the country's ten economic zones, including the mountainous regions of Lankaran Astara in the south and Ganja Gazakh in the west, both of which border Nagorno Karabakh.
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PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES JOINT DELEGATION OF UN SOCIO-ECONOMIC COMMISSION ON ASIA AND PACIFIC (UNESCAP) AND OF ECONOMIC COMMISSION ON EUROPE (UNECE)
Azertag, 11 March 2005
 President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev on March 11 at the President Palace has received the delegation of UN Economic-Social Commission on Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP) and delegation of UN Economic Commission on Europe (UNECE).
Noting that visit of the delegations of UNESCAP and UNECE to the country opens a new page in cooperation, the Head of the Azerbaijan State dwelt on the economic development processes in the Republic, stressing macroeconomic and other economic indices.
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FIRST EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE (EITI) REPORT AUDITED
Caspian Business News, 21 March 2005
 BAKU, Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan has taken a step towards transparency within the oil and gas industry by disclosing revenues following the UK-led Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) on March 15.
In June 2003 the Azeri government committed itself to the initiative, which was first muted at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002 by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Under EITI, countries rich in mineral resources are urged to disclose information about the revenues that the host governments receive from companies in the extractive sector while the companies themselves publish information about payments they make to the governments. Azerbaijan has become the first nation to publish an EITI report examined by an independent auditing firm and the first to involve civil society groups in implementing this initiative.
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AZERBAIJAN REACTS ON RESULTS OF OSCE FACT-FINDING MISSION TO OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Azernews, 23 March 2005
The OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna discussed the report on the illegal settlement of Armenians in the occupied Azerbaijani land, presented by the fact-finding mission, on Thursday.
The self-proclaimed "Upper Garabagh Republic" leadership bears the responsibility for the illegal settlement, the OSCE spokesman Richard Murphey told local ATV channel. He said, however, that the OSCE does not believe this is a result of a purposeful policy pursued by Armenia.
The fact-finding mission members indicated that a further settlement of Armenians in the occupied Azeri territories is unacceptable and stressed the importance of protecting historic and cultural monuments there, Murphey said.
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AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA APPEAL TO UN OVER CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS
AssA-Irada, 26 March 2005
Azerbaijan has appealed to the United Nations over the frequent ceasefire violations by Armenia. Yerevan has appealed to the UN with the same allegation against Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told local ATV channel.
The OSCE chairman's special envoy Anzhei Kaspshik has said he is concerned with the persistent ceasefire breaches on the frontline.
Kaspshik said he would hold talks with Minister Mammadyarov in the coming days and another monitoring will be held on the frontline soon.
The monitoring is aimed at preventing the ceasefire violations. Talks are currently underway on returning the three Azeri soldiers held in Armenian captivity, the OSCE chairman's envoy said.
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PRESIDENT FREES POLITICAL PRISONERS
Azernews, 23 March 2005
President Ilham Aliyev has announced pardons for 114 people, including more than 50 who were considered to be political prisoners. Seven opposition leaders and ex-defense minister Rahim Gaziyev are among those freed.
The Council of Europe had previously demanded the release of 'political prisoners' before the parliamentary elections due in November.
Opposition parties had complained of widespread fraud in the 2003 presidential election in Azerbaijan. The seven freed opposition leaders had been convicted for taking part in the October 15-16, 2003 riots and sentenced to prison terms of up to five years.
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CORRUPTION HAS BECOME A NORM OF LIFE OF THE STATE OFFICIALS, OMBUDSMAN BELIEVES
Ombudsman reports to Parliament on 2004 activities
525-ci Qazet, 26 March 2005
Today the ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova reported to the Milli Mejlis (Parliament) on her activities in 2004. She told that in 2004 the Ombudsman office received 6,300 claims from citizens of the country, by 70% more than in 2003. She focused attention on the facts of violations of the rights and restriction of the freedom of people in the places of detention , while issues of passports, allocation of lands, while crossing frontiers. She told that one of the reasons of such situation is that people do not know the laws. The number of claims on corruption on the part of the officials has increased considerably. "Bribery has turned into norm of life of officials, therefor it is necessary to adopt the Code on behavior of state officials" Suleymanova said.
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MAJOR OPPOSITION PARTIES TO JOINTLY RUN FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
Azernews, 23 March 2005
Major opposition parties - the Azerbaijan Democratic Party, Popular Front Party (PFPA) and Musavat - will participate in the parliamentary election in November 2005 in a joint bloc, entitled "Ugur" ("Success"), the three parties told a news conference after signing a relevant statement.
Musavat chairman Isa Gambar expressed confidence that candidates nominated from the new bloc will collect 75% of votes. Therefore, electoral blocs other opposition parties may set up to run for the election do not stand a chance of collecting many votes in the election, he said.
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PRESIDENT ALIYEV ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF RULING NEW AZERBAIJAN PARTY
AssA-Irada, 26 March 2005
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was elected chairman of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party at the third congress of the party held in Baku on Saturday. All delegates at the congress voted for Aliyev, with no votes cast against his candidacy and no abstainees.
The New Azerbaijan Party was established in 1992 and was chaired by the former President Heydar Aliyev from the day it was set up until his demise.
The party includes 360,000 members.
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GOVERNMENT PRESENTS 2004 REPORT
Azernews, 23 March 2005
Prime Minister Artur Rasizada presented the government's report on 2004 to the Milli Majlis (parliament) on Friday.
The best indicators in the Azerbaijani economy over the past 10 years were registered last year, he said.
"Over the past decade, the GDP doubled, industrial production increased 30%, agricultural output by 61%, investments by 18.8 times, foreign trade turnover 5.5 times, income of the population 4.5 times, and average salaries 7.6 times. The state budget revenues have grown 4.6 times."
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OPENING OF THE FREIGHT TERMINAL AT THE HEYDAR ALIYEV INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV ATTENDS THE OPENING CEREMONY
Azertag, 23 March 2005
Opening of the Baku freight terminal has taken place in the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, March 23.
At the ceremony, also was attending President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev.
The Head of the Azerbaijan State has cut the red ribbon symbolizing opening of the terminal, has examined the modern equipment established here and technical equipment of the Great Britain, USA and Canada, has in details familiarized with systems of unloading and reception, quality of service, processing and storage of all kinds of cargoes, and also cargo motor vehicles, planes and recently got helicopters.
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AZERBAIJAN AND THE WORLD BANK AGREE ON THE FIRST TRANCH OF POVERTY REDUCTION CREDIT
Turan, 24 March 2005
On March 24 the Head of the mission of the World Bank for Azerbaijan Christian Petersen and the representatives of the government signed the Protocol on the poverty Reduction support credit (PRSC).In conformity with the document, the WB issued for Azerbaijan till July of this year the first transh PRSC amounting $20 million.
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ILHAM ALIYEV ISSUED DECREE TO LIQUIDATE STATE TELEVISION
Turan, 25 March 2005
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed on March 23 decree to create closed-type joint stock company (JSC) Azerbaijan Television and Radio Programs. According to the decree, Azerbaijan state-run television and radio company will be liquidated.
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SERIOUS CRIMINAL GROUP RENDERED HARMLESS
Special Report of the Ministry of National Security and General Prosecutor's Office the Republic of Azerbaijan
Azertag, 11 March 2005
A series of grave crimes committed recently in capital Baku aroused wide public response, have made it necessary to take the most serious measures for their clearance without delay, and resolute suppression of crime.
The head of State demanded to enlist the efforts and means for more purposeful organization of combat against crime, solution to the grave crimes committed over the past years, especially those against freedom and dignity of a person, as well as kidnapping and premeditated murders.
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April 2005,
Issue No. 24
Previous Issues
UNDP Azerbaijan Website
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LET ANCIENT HOLIDAY NOVRUZ BRING JOY
March 18,
Baku Sun
BAKU - Azerbaijan, best known as the land of fires, is - according to the British Museum's scientific team - also the site of the Gardens of Eden. When Sumerians - the first Turkic civilization, who rose as far back as 5,000 years BC - started preparations for New Year's celebrations, they sent envoys to the 'Gardens,' for sacred wheat seeds. It was strongly believed that sprouted wheat from the 'Gardens' would help to cultivate and gather bounteous harvest in the New Year that - according to Sumer augurs - comes into its own with the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates, the crucial sources of fresh water in the overwhelmingly arid Mesopotamia [modern day Iraq].
The tradition has been kept alive: Novruz, the most cherished holiday in modern day Azerbaijan, also remains a deep-rooted tradition in Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Central Asian nations, including Kazakhstan. Though, nowadays, there is no need to travel to Azerbaijan for sacral seeds, as - again according to British Museum scientists - the Gardens have sunk into oblivion, under what presently is known as the city of Tabriz, the centuries-old 'custodian' of the Azeri heritage.
Novruz [the word meaning 'new day' in Farsi] marks the exhilaration of nature. The holiday, however, has other meanings too, as it has inherited much from all major cultures that celebrated it in the areas stretching out from the Balkans to the Altais, the original realms of the Turkic- and Finn-Ugor-language nations.
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