Azerbaijan diplomat sheds light on child protection experience

Alizada says every child has right to grow up in safe environment

ISLAMABAD: Children are the most vulnerable segments of any society while every child has the right to grow up in a safe environment.

This was stated by Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Ali Alizada while speaking at a seminar on “Society’s Role and Responsibilities: Anti-Harassment and Child Protection” at the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) University. The seminar had been organised by the varsity’s Pakistan-Azerbaijan Alumni Association in collaboration with SZABIST’s Faculty of Social Science.

“Every single child has the right to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment – free from any form of violence, abuse, harassment or neglect,” said Alizada.

He added that protection of child rights was not limited through the adoption of relevant legislative acts, but is also realised through taking concrete measures. In this regard, he said that the Azerbaijan government always took important steps to ensure the social protection of children.

“In Azerbaijan, issues concerning the social and legal protection of children are regulated by the country’s constitution and a number of laws,” he said while conceding that there were groups of vulnerable children in Azerbaijan as well.

These children include refugees and internally displaced people from the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan.

He reiterated that 20% of Azerbaijan territory remains under Armenian occupation with more than a million people rendered refugees or IDPs, 40% of whom are children.

“Children without parental care are provided special protection of the state,” he said, adding that they receive the support of some international organisations in this regard.

Pakistan-Azerbaijan Alumni Association’s Qaiser Nawab said that child protection is a critical subject.

He maintained that governments and civil society must play their role to adopt and implement child protection and anti-harassment laws.

Other speakers included, Head of Campus Khusro Perviz Khan, YFK Executive Director Ahmed Quraishi, child expert Samina Karim, and legal expert Huma Jamil.  

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2019.