Azerbaijani parliament offers to make amendment to legislation on children

During the sitting the parliamentarians made a number of proposals.

MP Ali Huseynov said the best indicators concerning the arrest of children in CIS were in Azerbaijan.

He said 49 juveniles were serving imprisonment in Azerbaijan adding that a modern jail would be built for the imprisoned juveniles soon.

MP Gular Ahmadova said infant death should be reduced.

She noted that UNICEF should implement projects in this field.

Ahmadova said UNICEF gathers statistics more rather than to protect rights of children.

MP Ganira Pashayeva noted that President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva cares much about the children.

She said the foundation had built 300 schools.

“There are 20,000 children deprived of parental care. The Foundation has overhauled 31 children’s homes and boarding schools. Moreover, Heydar Aliyev Foundation is implementing projects for the children with eye-sight and hearing problems, those suffering from diabetes and thalassemia. The representatives of the international organizations participating here should not ignore that the rights of the children of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs have been violated," she said.

Council of State Support for Nongovernmental Organizations Chief Azay Guliyev said the council has financed 42 projects about children in 2009.

MP Malahat Ibrahimgizi offered to make amendment to the legislation on children.

She said the law on “Rights of children” still contained Soviet-ear criteria.

“Prevention of infant death is one of the issues to which Azerbaijan state pays much attention. Why doesn’t our legislation regard 1kg baby as child? At present a baby is considered a child after 28 weeks. This figure should be reduced to 22 weeks. A baby weighing over 500g should be considered a citizen. These standards work in the whole world,” she said.

/APA/