Human Rights Day is celebrated by the international community every year on 10 December. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) based on the thesis that “All human beings are born free and equal” was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.  In 1950, the UN General Assembly invited all states and interested organizations to celebrate 10 December as Human Rights Day.

After regaining its independence, Azerbaijan chose the path of democratic, legal, and secular State-building and acceded to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international conventions. The Constitution of independent Azerbaijan, accepted through national voting on 12 November 1995, laid the foundation for a new State building based on human rights and freedoms in our country, gave impetus to the beginning of a qualitatively new stage of legal reforms, adopted important legal and regulatory acts and state programs, and clearly defined the nature and concept of measures to be taken in the field of human rights protection.

Equality and non-discrimination, which are core principles of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, have been enshrined in the constitutions of many countries and international conventions, making the implementation of this document mandatory. These principles were proclaimed by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first parliamentary republic in the East, 30 years before the above-mentioned Declaration and earlier than in some other countries. According to them, women were granted equal suffrage with men and all citizens, regardless of ethnicity and religion, and all were recognized as equal. The first Constitution, adopted on 12 November 1995, had been improved in later periods through referendums and had provided the basis for the effective enforcement of human rights.

Since Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe in January 2001, the Constitutional Law on the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan was adopted and the institution of the Ombudsman was established. The Decree of 22 February 1998 on measures to ensure human and civil rights and freedoms and the State Program approved by the Order of 18 June 1998 signed by the national leader Heydar Aliyev provided for the establishment of the institution of the Ombudsman and the post of Ombudsman. On 28 December 2001, the Milli Majlis adopted the Constitutional Act on the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The material and legal basis for the formation and operation of the institution of the Ombudsman was established, and a decree on the application of the Constitutional Act on the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan was signed on 5 March 2002.

In addition, Azerbaijan has adopted three important strategic documents that play the role of a roadmap in the field of human rights: the State Program on the Protection of Human Rights (1998), the National Action Plan on Protection of Human Rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan (2006), the National Program for Action to Raise Effectiveness of the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in the Republic of Azerbaijan (2011).

“Azerbaijan 2020: A Look into the Future” concept of development, approved in December 2012, also opened new opportunities for the effective protection of human rights. It should be noted that 18 June is celebrated as National Human Rights Day in Azerbaijan.

After the restoration of Azerbaijan’s independence, decrees were signed, amnesty acts were adopted and applied to tens of thousands of people. This is not accidental, because the highest goal of our state is the protection of human rights. The political course laid down by national leader Heydar Aliyev has created an opportunity for sustainable development of the country, improvement of living standards of the people, ensuring equality of rights. Numerous legislative acts related to law have been adopted in our country. Today, representatives of all religions and nationalities live in Azerbaijan on equal rights. The creation of a perfect legislative base in Azerbaijan to ensure the protection of human rights has made it possible to create such a favourable environment in the country.

Azerbaijan is very active in the field of human rights protection and fulfils the obligations arising from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In addition, Azerbaijan follows human rights recommendations and has acceded to many international agreements.

In addition to its accession to the main international human rights instruments, Azerbaijan cooperates closely with international organizations to implement the provisions deriving from them. Among these organizations, important places are occupied by the various United Nations organizations active in the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the European Union.

Azerbaijan is an example of tolerance and peaceful coexistence of representatives of various religious and ethnic groups. Numerous Intercultural Dialogue Forums, the Baku International Humanitarian Forum and other international events were held in our country within the framework of the Baku Process initiated by Azerbaijan in 2008. In 2016, Azerbaijan hosted the 7th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. In the resolutions of the UN General Assembly, the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue regularly organized in Azerbaijan is recognized as an important global platform for promoting intercultural dialogue.

Besides measures implemented in the country to ensure human rights and fundamental freedoms, Azerbaijan also contributes to the international human rights protection system. Azerbaijan was one of the first members of the UN Human Rights Council established in 2006, and in 2014 it chaired the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

At Azerbaijan’s initiative, since 2002, a resolution on “Missing Persons” has been adopted in the UN General Assembly every two years, a resolution on “Ensuring equal, affordable, timely and universal access to vaccines against COVID-19”, put forward by Azerbaijan as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, was unanimously adopted at the sessions of the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council (HRC), and a resolution on “Promoting human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals through transparent, accountable and efficient public services delivery” was adopted in the Human Rights Council.

The functioning of a free press in Azerbaijan, ensuring freedom of speech and expression, and creating high-speed access to the Internet are important within the framework of measures implemented in the sphere of protecting human rights and freedoms. Orders signed by the national leader Heydar Aliyev in 1998 opened wide opportunities for the development of free and independent media, by abolishing censorship, which is a mechanism of state control over the press, laid the foundation for the creation of an abundance of information of interest to civil society.

Ilham Aliyev, the successor of the political course of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, has confirmed his commitment to this policy aimed at the development of a free press from the first day of his assumption of the presidency. “The Concept of State Support to the Development of Mass Media in the Republic of Azerbaijan” is a vivid confirmation of this.

The Republic of Azerbaijan, which is committed to universal values such as democracy, human rights, and social progress, and confidently moving forward on the path of legal state-building is making serious efforts to improve people’s living conditions, well-being, and opportunities for self-assertion in society.

Recommended literature:

1. İnsan hüquqları və Avropa konvensiyası: yeni demokratik təfəkkürün vasitə və yolları / AMEA İnsan Hüquqları İnstitutu ; red. M. Cavad. - Bakı : [n. y.], 2000. - 69 s.
2. Babaoğlu, Hikmət. İnsan hüquqları və azadlıqları : tarixi təkamülü, beynəlxalq və politoloji aspektləri, Azərbaycan təcrübəsi: monoqrafiya / H. Babaoğlu ; elmi red. Ə. Əhmədov. - Bakı : Elm, 2006. - 244 s.
3. İnsan hüquqları / L. Henkin [et al.] ; red. heyəti R. K. Klark [et al.]. - Bakı : Adiloğlu, 2008. - 1232 s.
4. İnsan hüquqları və layiqli idarəetmə: körpülərin qurulması / tərt.: H. O. Sano, G. Alfredsson, R. Klappin. - Bakı : CBS Polygraphic Production, 2007. - 268 s.
5. Права человека: энциклопедический словарь / В. П. Авдеева [и др.] ; отв. ред. С. С. Алексеев. - М. : НОРМА, 2009. - 656 с.