BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 18. Head of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan Aydin Safikhanli participated in a side event on “Ensuring children's health rights in the context of climate change” within COP29, Trend reports.
According to the information, during his speech at the event, the Head of the Office noted that reliable protection and safeguarding of children's rights is one of the main directions of the Ombudsman's activity.
The Chief of Staff informed about the latest amendments made to the Constitutional Law “On the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, informed about the expansion of the mandate of the Ombudsman for the protection of children's rights in several other spheres, noting that monitoring groups were established in the institution on the initiative of the Ombudsman following the enshrined powers.
Safikhanli noted that, as every year, this year the Ombudsman announced “Child Rights Month” from October 20 through November 20, and for the first time this year educational activities related to the rights of the child were organized in educational institutions in the territories liberated from occupation within the framework of the month.
The Chief of Staff said that climate change is one of the main factors negatively affecting the effective realization of human rights, including the rights of the child.
Noting that deliberate pollution of the environment and committing environmental crimes also hurt children's health, Safikhanli spoke about the environmental crimes committed by Armenia during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. He noted that the mines buried by Armenia in our lands even today pose a danger to the life and health of the civilian population, more than 3400 people, 358 of whom are children, have fallen victim to mines since the First Karabakh War.
The Head of the Office also said that during the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories, the environment and biodiversity were seriously damaged, ecocide was committed, various rare species of plants and animals were destroyed, and water sources were polluted with harmful substances.
He emphasized that the nuclear power plant (NPP) in Armenia, which, despite its unsuitability for proper operation, continues to function and seriously pollutes the environment, has become a potential source of danger not only for Azerbaijan and Armenia but also for the whole region. Repeatedly addressing the relevant international organizations, the Azerbaijani Ombudsperson also spoke about this.
The Chief of Staff urged the international community not to remain indifferent to these crimes, which threaten the ecological security of humankind as well as grossly violate the right to a healthy environment.
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