The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva, participated in the parliamentary discussions on the new draft bill on the rights of children of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
In her address, the Ombudsman highlighted the comprehensive reforms consistently implemented under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, as well as the First Vice-President and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, noting their significant contributions to the advancement of child well-being and social protection in the country.
From the perspective of regulating emerging social relations, Sabina Aliyeva highly commended the development of the new draft bill, emphasizing its importance in strengthening the legal and regulatory framework. She underlined that the provisions of the draft law are particularly significant in terms of implementing the recommendations addressed to Azerbaijan in the state periodic reports of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The Ombudsman recalled the expansion of her mandate to function as an independent monitoring mechanism for the implementation and promotion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), achieved through amendments to the Constitutional Law on the Ombudsman. She noted that this role is also reflected in the current Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On the Rights of the Child.”
It was further stated that the Ombudsman’s recommendations submitted in relation to the current draft bill, as well as other related legislative and normative acts, were duly considered by the relevant authorities. The recommendations put forward by the Ombudsman were developed in line with the provisions of the UNCRC and its Optional Protocols, and the Ombudsman’s annual reports have also consistently included proposals for improving the national legislation in this area.
Sabina Aliyeva emphasized that the norms contained in the new draft bill are of particular importance for preventing children from falling into difficult life situations, ensuring their social protection, safeguarding the best interests of the child in all proceedings, strengthening efforts to combat violence against children, and enhancing the overall effectiveness of child rights protection.
During the discussions, Hijran Huseynova, Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Committee for Family, Women and Child Affairs, shared her views on current challenges in the field of children’s rights and stressed the importance of a strong and responsive legal framework.
The exchange of views also focused on improving enforcement mechanisms for children’s rights and freedoms, modernizing the legal framework in line with contemporary needs, and further harmonizing national legislation with international standards through the adoption of the new draft law.
