To mark the UN Day, the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) Office in Azerbaijan organized a guided tour for pupils of the Baku European Lyceum. The tour, featured with presentations and film screening, was an excellent opportunity for the children to be closely acquainted with the work of several UN agencies whose offices are situated at the UN House and the work of the United Nations in general.  During the event Ms. Envera Selimovic, UN DPI Representative in Baku, Mr. Fargan Abbaszade, the UNDP Communication Manager and Communication Adviser to Resident Coordinator and Ms. Irada Ahmedova, the UN Cordination Analyst delivered speeches on UN activities in Azerbaijan.

“The UN has a long and proud history of establishing norms, principles and providing the framework for international relations. The biggest challenge of the UN is to deliver concrete results for people most in need by setting clear priorities and mobilizing financial, human and political resources” stated Ms. Envera commencing her speech. Irada Ahmedova, the UN Cordination Analyst also noted that the UN Development Program supports development efforts of the government of Azerbaijan and the joint action plan is being prepared. The same day, the UNO Baku team also conducted presentations in the secondary school of Zengilan IDPs located in Nasimi district for promoting better understanding of the aims and activities of the United Nations among IDP youngsters.

Furthermore, the Office of the Commissoner on Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan, held a conference entitled “National Action Plan on Protection of the Human Rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan" at which the role of the United Nations in protection of human rights was highlighted.

14 August 2009 marked a special occasion at the UN House in Baku, bringing laughter, luster and compassion to many hearts. Late afternoon, the conference room, often reserved for important meetings and subdued talks, was lighten up with joy of dance and music and little giggling of the SOS Village in Baku foster care children visiting UN. The happy hour was organized by the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) office in Azerbaijan as a continuation of effective cooperation and solidarity with the SOS Village, which operates under the SOS-Kinderdorf International guidance.

The visit started off with an initial tour of the House to acquaint the young visitors with the UN staff, its specialized agencies and their functions by means of a presentation. The children were very enthusiastic to learn and explore more. Before, I did not know that the UN consists of so many agencies and that there is one working exclusively on children’s problems,” Famil Ismailov expressed his excitement. Following the excursion, the children were invited to the conference room for further presentations on the UN aims and activities in general and the UN efforts to protect children in particular. 

 “We hope that our interaction here at the UN House has been curiosity-provoking that will extend and enhance your knowledge. We also hope that your visit today will help broaden your academic and personal interests, benefiting you now and in the future,” said the UN DPI Representative, Envera Selimovic, addressing the guests. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), there are currently 143 million orphan children in the developing world as a result of all causes. Although finding accurate statistics for the country has been a challenge, the foster children in Azerbaijan are deprived of parental support, care and motherly love, thus facing a number of challenges beyond their control.

The SOS children’s village in Baku comprises fourteen family houses with a capacity for up to 126 children, an administration and a service area, housing for the village director and the SOS aunts and a sports field. In addition to their potential capacity, the government is also devoting more consideration to these socially and economically disadvantaged children so that the hardships they now face would not prevent them from being valuable contributors to the country’s development in the future.

Ms. Irada Huseynova, Representative the SOS Children’s Village in Baku, expressed her contentment with the UN DPI efforts to promote the UN ideals among youth and specifically vulnerable child populations such as orphans. “The orphan children are far less advantaged than the children blessed with families and field trips like this are so vital to provoke their inquisitiveness and quench their thirst for knowledge.  It is also important for them to understand that there is a big organization that is helping vulnerable people around the world so they share a sense of belonging with this big family as well.”

In observance of International Youth Day in Baku, on 12 August 2009, the UN Department of Public Information (UN DPI) office in Azerbaijan hosted the internally displaced children (IDPs) of the 10 regions of Azerbaijan along with the representatives of the regions’ executive authorities.

The special visitors were first given a guided tour through the UN House to present them some of the agencies within UN system, which are supporting national effort, led by the Government, to improve the lives of the people of Azerbaijan especially those of the poorest and the most vulnerable such as internally displaced people. The tour was followed by the presentation of UN work in general and the Organization’s activities and its promotion of the issues concerning youth as well as the endowments young people may bring to the world.

The Representative of the DPI office in Azerbaijan, Ms. Envera Selimovic, said that the UN defines the worlds’ youth as the age group between 15 and 24, composing one-sixth of the human population. “Youth may influence their prospect by changing the world around them and we are happy if our joint activities will encourage them to be active members of the society and a driving force of change in improving the quality of life in their communities, wherever that might be.” 

The idea for the International Youth Day was proposed in 1991 by young people who gathered in Vienna, Austria, for the first session of the UN’s World Youth Forum, participants were explained. In 1998, a resolution proclaiming August 12 as the International Youth Day was adopted during the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth. That recommendation was later endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 1999 and the Day was observed for the first time nine years ago. The theme for 2009 celebration is “Sustainability: Our Challenge - Our Future” as an effort to promote a global sense of social responsibility among youth.

After the guided tour, the presentations and a lively discussion, the youngsters did not veil their excitement: “This is the first time that I ever entered the UN office and I am really happy,” Aisha - an IDP girl from Shusha region said. She was among those who delightfully participated in the quiz session organized by the UN DPI staff following the presentations.  At the end of this event, organized in close cooperation with Republican Commission for International Humanitarian Assistance, the DPI Representative presented gifts to the young participants and thanked them for their active participation and enthusiasm to learn and explore.

Mrs. Osman Dilshad, from the child fund of Zengilan region’s Executive Government, hailed this  initiative as increasingly beneficial  not only to broader their horizon but to introduce them to new friends. “The IDP children are very shy and hardly sociable because they do not meet diverse group of people in their lives except for a narrow scope of those in their community. Such events make them more sociable and widen their overall outlook”.

Vugar from Kalbajar region made two new friends: “I became acquainted with two guys, one from  Zengilan and other from Lachin region. We were born in various parts of Azerbaijan and eventually met in the UN Office in Baku.”

World Population Day has been marked around the globe already for 20 years with a variety of activities and events focusing on the importance of population to overall development strategies.
To mark the Day representatives of several UN agencies in Azerbaijan and the representatives of the governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) gathered in Baku, on 15 July 2009, to reiterate the urgency and importance of population issues, particularly focusing on women and the economic crisis. It was also an opportunity to   recognize the advantage of the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) 15-year presence in Azerbaijan.
Congratulating the UNFPA’s Anniversary in Azerbaijan, the representative of the Ministry of Health, Ms. Faiza Aliyeva briefed the participants on the maternal health centres established in close cooperation with the UNFPA office in Azerbaijan. “Fifteen years ago when we first started we had no idea what to do and where to begin; but thanks to the UN support and assistance we were able to make remarkable progress in meeting the increasing population’s needs by establishing reproductive centres. Those centres situated in 30 districts of Azerbaijan provide STI diagnostics, cervical cancer testing, early diagnostics of complications during pregnancy, contraceptives, voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS, and counselling services for young people.
The Azerbaijan population is rapidly increasing and has already reached around 9 million people, said Ms. Elmira Suleymanova, the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan. “Roughly speaking half of this number are women and we must re-invigorate our efforts to ensure that they can exercise freely their right to health, education, employment and social protection.”  Our women are still constrained in employment, education and public life, and unfairly burdened in caring for the sick and elderly, especially in rural areas, said Sadaqat Kehremanova. While speaking on behalf of the State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Issues she said that a comprehensive approach to correcting those inequities should be taken.
An investment in education is very important, emphasised the deputy Minister of Education Mr. Elmar Gasimov. “Among 1,480,000 students in all educational institutions, 703,000 are girls. However, there is a tendency not to send girls to school and there are a higher number of girls dropping out in provincial regions. Girls are taken out of school against their wish and despite the law; some of them are forced into marriage below the legal age”. He continued that proper mechanisms should be put in place to discourage families in the regions from depriving their daughters an education, by punitive measures if necessary. The Human Rights Commissioner Ms. Suleymanova supported this idea by paraphrasing the message of the UN Secretary-General for the Day: “Educate Girls, Fight Poverty.”
In his turn, the UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Bruno Pouezat said that there is no doubt that Azerbaijan’s women are poised to take advantage of the country’s policy to turn black gold into human gold. “Yet, as you yourself have reported it, Mme Ombudsperson, there are signs in the country’s provinces of a backlash against the education of girls, with girls being taken out of school against their wish, and against the law, and some being given in marriage below the legal age.“
In conclusion Mr. Pouezat also quoted the UN Secretary-General’s message for the Day: “Together, let us advance the rights of women and girls, and empower them as highly productive members of society capable of contributing to economic recovery and growth. There can be no better investment on this [World Population] day or any other.”