As the world community prepares for the development agenda set to succeed the MDG framework beyond 2015, the Office of the Resident Coordinator and the UNO Baku - Department of Public Information (UN DPI) teamed up with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) to conduct a consultation in Tartar on 24 May.

Taking into consideration the tense geographical position and current social situation of the town, the new migration trends and the issue of human trafficking were at the forefront of the consultation. More than fifty representatives were brought together from regional executive authorities, as well as from offices dealing with security, legal matters, education, youth, and sports.

Ms. Irada Ahmedova, a representative of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, informed the participants about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which have provided an important motivational force and measuring rod for progress in poverty reduction and increased access to basic health, a competitive education, clean water, and other essential services by the target date of 2015.  “The consultation process will be aligned with the Azerbaijan: Vision 2020 national strategy. The ideas and recommendations generated through the consultations, suggesting a post-2015 development framework, with both local and global dimensions, will feed into the UN report due by the end of June,” said Ms. Ahmedova.

Mr. Sarhan Aktoprak, Acting Head of the IOM, also affirmed the importance of migration as part of the ongoing discussions on the post-2015 development agenda. “What we have observed throughout our work,” explained Mr. Aktoprak, “is that migration can make a very important contribution to social and economic development if governed fairly.”

Expressing his eagerness to partner with UN agencies in the process of consultations, the IEPF Chairman, Umud Rahimoglu, stated that, “The outcome today has shown that the Azerbaijani government is open to dialogues and that local authorities are willing to join in the process of developing better national policies. I hope the IEPF, with its partners, can continue to facilitate meetings of this kind.”

Many countries, including Azerbaijan, are on track to achieve a significant number of the goals which have been transforming the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people. The UN is working with governments, civil society, and other partners to build on the momentum generated by the MDGs, and to move forward with an ambitious post-2015 development agenda. Azerbaijan is one of the 87 countries in the world which launched post-2015 national consultations.

Under the banner of education for peace, to mark the start of the 100 day countdown to the 2013 International Day of Peace, UNO Baku – Department of Public Information (UNDPI) team scheduled a special return visit to the Refugee Women and Youth Centre (RWYC) to discuss UN policies in promoting the role of education for peace-building.

The Refugee Women and Youth Centre was founded on 6 June 2003 within the UNHCR and HAYAT NGO project. The Centre serves to bring together all refugees from foreign countries in Azerbaijan, providing them with moral support and a second home to congregate and hold shared events and activities. With the help of staff members and women activists, the Centre has become very popular especially among refugees from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Russian Republic of Chechnya.

To strengthen the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples, and to shed light on the importance of education, UNDPI Associate Ms. Vafa Safarli delivered an informative presentation which was also part of the Global Education First Initiative.

“Education can contribute to long lasting peace by addressing the underlying inequities which fuel conflicts, and will positively contribute to youth employment, to the empowerment of adolescent girls and women, and to building stable and peaceful societies,” said Safarli in her introductory speech.

Educating the refugees takes paramount importance at the Centre, in line with the operations of Centre director Ms. Zamina Safarova. “The importance of education for refugees cannot be underscored… this is very clear when we set their educative potential against the general population. By and large, they have far more limited access to resources. Therefore it must be our responsibility to run this Centre as a place of learning, and the UN has helped inspire and encourage us in this direction,” said the director.

Ms. Safarli’s presentation on the subject of education for peace attracted significant attention among the refugees present, as they asked pertinent questions regarding this UN campaign. “We understand that this is a very sensitive subject for refugees, given that they have gone through the trials of war and conflict, and the peace and recovery process that must come with it. It is our understanding at the United Nations that an educational focus should be a crucial component of post-conflict development. We are interested in building peace around the world through this enhanced focus,” explained Ms. Safarli in her enlightening speech.

“Today we learned that education is not just about having excellent grades or knowing some subject by heart. We learned the importance of mutual respect and harmony for inclusive and peaceful societies,” said Moustafa Farani, an Afghan refugee who thanked DPI for the session. 

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The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 of the United Nations General Assembly to coincide with its opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September. The first Peace Day was observed in September 1982. The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.

In the spirit of outreach to the stateless women and children from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Chechnya residing in Azerbaijan, UNO Baku – Department of Public Information (UNDPI) team organized a cultural visit to the Refugee Women and Youth Centre for the 11 June, framed within the UN4U campaign. In the lead-up to World Refugee Day, the purpose of the event was to facilitate cultural exchange between the international interns on the UNO Baku team and the eager audience of international refugees.

During the course of the visit, recently-arrived UNO Baku interns Andrej Korenic and Vincent Kersuzan each provided interactive presentations on their cultural backgrounds for the education and entertainment of all those present. The interns themselves were additionally presented with the fruitful opportunity to learn more about their audience, adding to the element of cultural exchange.

The Refugee Women and Youth Centre was founded on 6 June 2003 within the UNHCR and HAYAT NGO project. The Centre serves to bring together all refugees from foreign countries in Azerbaijan, providing them with moral support and a second home to congregate and hold shared events and activities. With the help of staff members and women activists, the Centre has become very popular especially among refugees from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Russian Republic of Chechnya.

As the Centre also serves the purpose of educating refugees, providing them with such functions as language classes, library materials, and computer literacy training, an opportunity to learn more about different cultures was treated as a welcome gesture. The two young interns Mr. Korenic, a Bosnian-Canadian, and Mr. Kersuzan, a French national, delighted in presenting their audience with the histories, costumes, cuisines, traditions, and sceneries of their respective cultures.

Mr. Korenic, himself of refugee as a result of the Bosnian War, was especially inspired to present his background in a way that could relate to the audience. His assessment of Canada, his place of adopted citizenship, as a final home for refugees, encouraged him to say that “anyone in the room could look like and become a Canadian”.

The presenters followed their presentations with an interactive discussion that enabled them to gather information about their audience. One Iranian Azeri refugee from Hamadan Province in Iran was particularly grateful and remarked that the presentation “gave [her] hope”, adding that she was especially pleased with the segment on immigration, refugees, and Canada.

Mr. Kersuzan was similarly moved by his experience. “It was really interesting for me to interact with people of different backgrounds, to find out where these refugees are coming from, and to have an opportunity to share a little bit about my own background in France,” said the UNO Baku intern.

To highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use, UNO Baku – Department of Public Information (UN DPI) and the US-educated Azerbaijan Alumni Association, came together on 1 June  in front of a youth audience to mark the celebration of World No Tobacco Day 2013. Created by the United Nations as part of a broader campaign to propel the anti-tobacco cause and spread its appeal globally, World No Tobacco Day primarily focuses on encouraging users to refrain from tobacco consumption and its related products for a period of at least 24 hours.

The event represented a continuation of the “Healthy Lifestyle” campaign launched by UNDPI earlier this year in Azerbaijan, where World No Tobacco Day is traditionally celebrated with fervor. The government, individuals, and public health organizations have previously organized health camps and rallies to create a tobacco-free society.

This year’s theme for World No Tobacco Day highlighted the need to ‘Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship’. A comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is required under the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) for all parties to this treaty, within five years of the entry into force of the Convention for that party. Evidence shows that comprehensive advertising bans lead to reductions in the numbers of people starting and continuing smoking. Statistics show that banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce tobacco demand.

In coming together to mark this event, students, UN officials, and Alumni members presented a movie screening of the documentary The Tobacco Conspiracy, a critical exposure of the various lies and scams affiliated with the global tobacco industry. This film presentation was followed by a discussion, which invited comments from the DPI Representative. “If your dream is to live in a pollution-free environment, then No Tobacco Day 2013 is the right time to express your support to help create a safe and healthy environment for future generations,” said Representative Ms. Envera Selimovic.

Under the banner of World No Tobacco Day, UNDPI and its partners in Azerbaijan have consistently rallied for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death globally, and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide.