UN Human Rights Committee considers report on Azerbaijan

Khalaf Khalafov, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, introduced Azerbaijan’s report. The delegation of Azerbaijan also included representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry for Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations at Geneva.

The report said the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions which constitute 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory have been 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.

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.

He said the government is taking measures to establish 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 and 96 persons were held accountable. The UN Human Rights Committee will make its remarks on the report on July 31.

/APA/