BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 23. An international conference themed "Ensuring transparency in the context of business and human rights" was held in the administrative building of the Main Anti-Corruption Department under the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan with the joint organization of the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson), Trend reports.
The conference was attended by Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev, Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) Sabina Aliyeva, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Azerbaijani Parliament Zahid Oruj, representatives of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the members of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Azerbaijani Parliament, the Prosecutor General's Office, courts, law enforcement agencies, senior officials of human rights institutions, international organizations, representatives of business structures, civil society, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, and the media.
Kamran Aliyev noted that democratic, legal state building based on international norms has gained a large scale in Azerbaijan.
"The adoption of the Constitution, which is the Basic law of sovereign Azerbaijan, the formation of civil society, the definition of a new economic course, the choice of a Europe-oriented development strategy, the creation of other factors that irreversibly ensure sustainable sociopolitical stability in the country, the initiation of the ongoing development of Azerbaijan is associated with the name of national leader Heydar Aliyev, whose 100th anniversary we celebrate," he said.
The prosecutor general reminded that Heydar Aliyev signed a decree "On measures to ensure human and civil rights and freedoms" on February 22, 1998, according to which the State Program for the Protection of Human Rights was adopted.
In the Presidential Decree "On the approval of the State Program for the Protection of Human Rights" of June 18, 1998, the relevant state structures are tasked with Azerbaijan's accession to international human rights agreements, the creation of a research institute in this area, ensuring that normative legal acts are brought into full compliance with international standards in the field of human rights, compliance with relevant obligations.
The continuation of work on the implementation of the State Program for the Protection of Human Rights has led to the fact that over the past years the Republic of Azerbaijan has expanded cooperation with authoritative international structures engaged in activities in the field of human rights, has supported numerous international documents in this area and has achieved significant success in implementing international obligations.
As a result of the future-oriented, purposeful policy of modern content carried out in the republic under the leadership of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, worthy successor of the great leader's statehood policy, high results were achieved in all areas of Azerbaijan's life, the foundations of independence and sovereignty were further strengthened.
In the conditions of the financial crisis that has engulfed the world, the economic power of Azerbaijan has increased, with the achievement of high indicators of socio-economic development, the processes of building a legal and democratic state and civil society have been raised to a new level, integration into the world community has become irreversible.
According to Aliyev, the issue of the influence of business on the realization of human rights and the responsibility of commercial organizations for the violation of these rights has been the subject of serious research by the UN in recent decades.
At the International Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland), the idea of developing a global set of values and principles that meet the requirements of the entire world population was put forward In 1999, and in 2000 this idea was embodied in the UN Global Compact, which states that business should respect, support and fulfill human rights enshrined in the international level.
The UN Global Compact provides for the integration into business activities at the international level of ten voluntary principles formulated in accordance with the requirements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of the International Labor Organization, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the UN Convention against Corruption, as well as the promotion of UN activities on implementation of large-scale development-related goals.
Moreover, within the framework of the UN "Protection, Respect and Remedies" project, the UN Human Rights Council Resolution No. 17/4 of June 16, 2011, approved the Guiding Principles of Entrepreneurship in the Aspect of Human Rights.
Azerbaijan, having joined numerous international initiatives in this area, has undertaken to ensure the unhindered exercise of human rights and freedoms regardless of gender, race and nationality, religious beliefs, social origin, political beliefs and other circumstances.
The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which enshrined, among other principles solemnly proclaimed by the Azerbaijani people, the intention to create a rule of law state, recognized human rights and freedom as universal values and declared their provision the highest goal of the state.
The Basic law also says that the state must guarantee the protection of everyone's rights and freedoms.
“The prosecutor's supervision over the execution and application of laws in the manner and cases provided for by the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at the same time acts as an effective mechanism for the legal protection of human rights and freedoms, their official interpretation and established judicial practice, serves to ensure compliance with international and constitutional principles concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms, taking into account the precedents of the European Court of Human Rights in carrying out activities in these areas and justice in general, increasing the regulatory role of legal norms in streamlining public relations, improving legal culture,” Aliyev added.
Co-chair of the conference, Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva noted that the areas of business and human rights are constantly in the focus of the Ombudsperson's attention, events are constantly organized to monitor the current situation in this area, identify and eliminate shortcomings, scientific and analytical work is carried out, international experience is studied, close cooperation in this direction with government agencies, NGOs and international organizations.
Chairman of the Board of the Center for Social Research and the Milli Majlis (Parliament) Committee on Human Rights Zahid Oruc said that President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev introduced innovations in all areas, thereby ensuring transparency in Azerbaijan.
According to him, the president has made systemic transformations in all areas and made important decisions to update the economic and business environment. This happened against the background of the removal from office of forces that resisted reforms, while the appointment of highly educated and progressive people to important posts. Oruс noted that hundreds of people who held important posts in Azerbaijan were removed from their posts only during 2018-2020.
Chairman of the Management Board of the Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Businesses (KOBIA) Orkhan Mammadov noted that various surveys are regularly conducted in order to form an opinion among entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan. These surveys are designed to study the degree of awareness of entrepreneurs about corruption, including the rules of anti-corruption behavior in the business environment.
Other speakers touched upon such topics as transparency in business activities and appropriate support mechanisms, responsible business in the context of sustainable development, new approaches to combating corruption and protecting human rights in the private sector, anti-corruption standards in the private sector, recovery of criminal assets in the context of human rights and economic transparency, development of women's entrepreneurship in a transparent economy, public control, etc.
Detailed discussions and a productive exchange of views were held.
