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Press Release
26 May 2022
EU and UNDP organises media tour to south region of Azerbaijan to promote vocational education
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Press Release
24 May 2022
WHO conducted a mission on scaling-up access to rehabilitation services and assistive products in Azerbaijan
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Press Release
23 May 2022
UNDP, the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, and UK Government open new Women’s Resource Centre in Barda
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Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Azerbaijan
Over the last five years, Azerbaijan has demonstrated its firm commitment towards achieving the 2030 Agenda. The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan issued the Decree in 2016, to establish the National Coordination Council for Sustainable Development - a key partner for the United Nations to channel its support to the Government of Azerbaijan since then.
Azerbaijan has been one of the first countries to undertake a MAPS mission (Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support for the 2030 Agenda) which outlined concrete policy and programming steps that could be taken to accelerate the goals nationally, the experience which was presented at the 2018 Baku Forum on Sustainable Development. This regional event also marked the adoption of the Baku Principles which established provisions on the integration of SDGs and acceleration of their implementation.
With UN support, the National Information Portal on SDGs was launched, which introduces an interactive dashboard, collects consolidated data, tracks and monitors progress towards the SDGs in real-time. UN provides continuous support to strengthen national statistical capacities to produce quality data while focusing on disaggregation to Leave No One Behind.
United Nations also makes special efforts to engage different groups including the private sector, media, parliamentarians, and the public, among others, in promoting the Goals.
Press Release
01 September 2021
School Reopening: WHO and UNICEF call for schools to remain open with safer measures
As children prepare to return to school with the start of the new academic year, the adoption of measures to minimize transmission becomes more vital than ever.
As WHO and UNICEF state, these measures include ensuring vaccination is accessible to teachers and other school staff, improvements to the school environments to meet safety standards such as better classroom ventilation, smaller class size, physical distancing, regular testing of staff and constant sharing of information for parents on safety precautions.
Vaccination is one of the best and fastest ways of protection against the virus, including the Delta variant. Vaccination of teachers and other school staff is the advantage we have this year that will make the school safer.
“We live with COVID-19 pandemic almost two years and safely reopening schools has become an urgent priority. The long-term costs of closures are too high and hard to justify. We all need to work toward reopening schools safely to protect our children’s future. WHO urges countries, including Azerbaijan to keep school open while putting in place measures to minimize the risk of COVID-19 and the spread of different variants. We are supporting our national partners in the implementation of national vaccination strategy which plays a vital role in the school re-opening,” – Dr. Hande Harmanci, WHO Representative to Azerbaijan stated.
“The pandemic has not only showed the devastating consequences school closures have on children but also proved the important role schools play in children`s education, mental health and social skills. Children and youth cannot risk having another year of disrupted learning. UNICEF is working closely with Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan to ensure schools are opened safely on September 15 and children do not miss the opportunities school offers to them” Alex Heikens, UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan, said.
UNICEF Azerbaijan currently partners the Ministry of Education to provide targeted learning recovery support to children in ten selected districts of Azerbaijan. Programme aims to provide additional teaching support for children and mentorship support to teachers to catch up with the new academic year. Mental health and psychosocial support to children and teachers will be one of the continuous priorities for both UNICEF and WHO.
UNICEF and WHO in Azerbaijan will jointly support the Ministry of Education, national health agencies for a joint #Back2School campaign with all necessary information suggested to parents, teachers and students for a safe back to schools of all Azerbaijani children.
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Press Release
18 June 2021
UNHCR commends Azerbaijan’s continued support to refugees and Asylum Seekers on the World Refugee Day
While many refugee emergencies are unfortunately becoming protracted, such as that of the Rohingya from Myanmar, new emergencies continue occurring, such as one in Tigray region of Ethiopia, which has displaced hundreds of thousands within Ethiopia and across the border in Sudan.
The global fight against the COVID19 pandemic and its consequences, has shown that we can only succeed if we stand together and this year’s World Refugee Day campaign calls for greater inclusion of refugees in host societies, with particular reference to health, education systems and sports with the key messages of “heal”, “learn” and “shine”.
Azerbaijan hosts 1,616 refugees in total originating mainly from Afghanistan and other countries in central Asia, the Middle East and eastern Europe. On the World Refugee Day, UNHCR Azerbaijan commends the authorities and people of Azerbaijan for granting access to healthcare and employment rights to refugees and asylum seekers living in the country. As we continue working and collaborating to achieve integration and inclusion of refugees, we also sincerely express our gratitude to the Government of Azerbaijan for the successful legal amendment on employment of refugees and access to healthcare insurance.
With growing forced displacement world-wide, it is important more than ever that refugees and asylum seekers receive our solidarity, compassion and support. They want nothing more than protection and the opportunity to make a decent living away from home to support themselves, their families and be part of their host communities. In that regard, UNHCR continues advocating for securing legal status for refugees and asylum seekers living in Azerbaijan, as well as ensuring durable solutions prospects in the form of voluntary return in safety and dignity for Internally Displaced Persons.
“Some of the refugees were born or arrived as small children in Azerbaijan and have a lot of potential to contribute to the development of Azerbaijani society if they are given the opportunity to integrate and therefore to secure a durable solution,” said Guido Ambroso, UNHCR Representative to Azerbaijan. “While progress has been made, more needs to be done to ensure legal status. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the people of Azerbaijan as, after nearly three decades, hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons finally have the possibility to achieve a durable solution by returning to their lands.
World Refugee Day is the day to celebrate refugees’ contributions to communities, their unique experience, resilience and bravery in overcoming the toughest hardships the wars and conflicts can bring.
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Press Release
18 March 2021
ANAMA and UNDP join forces to support mine action in Azerbaijan
With USD 1 million from UNDP crisis response and UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, UNDP will provide support to ANAMA to train, equip and deploy emergency response teams to clear mines and unexploded ordnances which pose grave risks to local communities living in the conflict affected areas.
Mr. Suleymanov expressed his hope for future cooperation, emphasising the importance of this project.
Mr. Fracassetti stated that UNDP will scale up its support for mine action in Azerbaijan by supporting ANAMA with technical expertise, equipment, capacity development and funding which will help communities safely access water, build homes, schools and health clinics.
UNDP continues to support ANAMA in conducting a mine action needs assessment, provides international expertise and supports ANAMA in procuring personal protective equipment and mine clearing equipment.
Additional support will consist of prioritising mine clearance areas, developing heat maps for mine detection and procuring mine action equipment and mine detecting dogs.
ANAMA was established with UNDP’s support in 1999. Over the past 20 years, ANAMA and UNDP have helped clear over 806,000 mines and other explosive weapons in Azerbaijan, helping to ensure a safe return home for over 160,500 displaced people.
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02 February 2021
UN releases USD 2 million to support emergency humanitarian response in conflict-affected areas of Azerbaijan
The United Nations has released USD 2 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support the UN’s ongoing humanitarian response to temporarily displaced people in the conflict-affected areas of Azerbaijan.
Following the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, UN resident agencies in Azerbaijan have been providing initial support in the areas of food, shelter, hygiene, preparation for winter, mine risk awareness, access to healthcare, psychosocial support, and education,
“The CERF funding will scale up UN agencies’ ongoing activities to help the conflict-affected people return to normal life ,” said Ghulam Isaczai, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan. “We will continue working closely with the Government of Azerbaijan, civil society, and other stakeholders to meet the urgent needs of the highly vulnerable population, especially women and children.”
The CERF allocation builds on the results of a rapid inter-agency assessment that the UN Country Team conducted in the conflict-affected areas with the support of the Government of Azerbaijan. The funding will help to provide shelter and non-food items to the affected population; assist in the coordination of demining activities; and deliver essential medicines and medical equipment, as well as mental health and psychosocial services.
The UN Country Team in Azerbaijan in partnership with government agencies carried out several preliminary needs assessment missions in conflict-affected areas and has been providing its assistance in the following areas:
Health: WHO and UNFPA have delivered personal protective equipment and emergency kits to families in conflict-affected areas, as well as supported the continuation of primary healthcare services despite the COVID-19 and conflict-induced strains on 60 medical facilities.
Shelter and core relief items: UNHCR mobilized USD 1.5 million to secure non-food items, including tents, blankets and mattresses, and is currently mobilizing USD400 thousand to provide as cash-based interventions.
Psychosocial support: Most of the 40,000 temporarily displaced people have suffered immense stress and anxiety, especially children. Given the severe shortage of medical staff and absence of psychology professionals in the conflict-hit areas, both WHO and UNICEF are training psychology counsellors to support mental health services at hospitals and schools.
Mine risk action: A joint UNDP-UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) assessment mission was undertaken recently in close coordination with ANAMA, the national mine action agency, to assess mines and unexploded ordinance contaminations in several of the conflict-affected districts. UNDP, UNMAS, and UNICEF are currently working with the government to improve awareness of mine risk; support the Government’s demining strategy; and strengthen ANAMA’s capacity.
CERF – managed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator on behalf of the UN Secretary-General - is one of the fastest and most effective ways to help people affected by crises. Since its creation, it has assisted hundreds of millions of people with more than $6.5 billion across 104 countries and territories. This would have not been possible without generous and consistent donor support.
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19 November 2020
UN agencies conclude needs assessment mission to conflict-affected regions of Azerbaijan
An inter-agency coordinated assessment mission comprised of technical experts from various UN agencies has concluded its four-day visit to the conflict-affected regions of Azerbaijan. The mission included representatives from the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO), FAO, IOM, OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, and WHO.
The mission met with the heads of the local executive authorities in Barda, Aghdam, and Agjabedi districts and visited various sites, where the temporarily displaced persons, as well as conflict-affected communities, reside. The mission members also visited a number of villages and settlements adjacent to the conflict area to assess the scale of damaged civilian houses and civilian infrastructure. The findings of the mission are being prepared that should allow to understand prevailing vulnerabilities and design appropriate humanitarian response mechanisms in different sectors to complement the government’s actions.
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01 March 2022
UN-Azerbaijan: Celebrating 30 years of partnership
Today, on 2 March, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s membership of the United Nations (UN). On this day in 1992, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 46/230 at the 82nd plenary meeting of its 46th session in New York, during which Azerbaijan and eight other former Soviet republics became new members of the UN. In fact, the year 1992 saw the biggest single increase in UN membership since the wave of decolonization of 1960.
Azerbaijan, as newly independent state, faced extreme difficulties brought by the conflict in the early 1990s. Thus, in the first years of the UN-Azerbaijan partnership, UN assistance was primarily focused on the immediate needs of refugees and internally displaced persons. UN Agencies provided food, health services, shelter and other non-food items to more than 600,000 IDPs and 200,000 refugees. The combined efforts of the Government, local communities and the international partners were crucial in preventing the most tragic consequences of large-scale displacement, such as mass starvation, and epidemics.
Later, the UN continued its support to Azerbaijan with post-conflict rehabilitation and longer-term development needs. In a relatively short timeframe, Azerbaijan has transformed itself from a transition economy into an upper middle-income country with a high human development index. Between 1995 and 2019, the country’s Human Development Index value increased from 0.604 to 0.756, an increase of 25.2%. During this period, poverty rate in Azerbaijan decreased from 49.0% to 5% and the country’s Gross National Income per capita increased by about 79.4%.
Over the last 30 years, Azerbaijan has made remarkable progress in terms of economic growth and human development, and the UN-Azerbaijan relations have transitioned from assistance-based to partnership-based cooperation.
Since joining the UN, Azerbaijan has contributed to our collective commitment to sustainable development and continues to engage in a comprehensive and wide-reaching agenda under the principles and objectives set forth in the UN Charter. This was recognised at the global level when Azerbaijan was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for a two-year term (2012-2013) by 155 member states.
After the outbreak of COVID-19, Azerbaijan has again demonstrated its commitment to multilateralism and shared responsibility contributing to the regional and global efforts to combat the pandemic. As the Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan initiated a Special Session of the UN General Assembly in response to COVID 19 and financially supported the global COVID-19 efforts.
Furthermore, with a rich tradition of multiculturalism and religious tolerance, Azerbaijan has assumed a role of encouraging intercultural dialogue and improved understanding between different nations and peoples through the hosting of a number of high-level events in recent years.
I am confident that with the launch of Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for socio-economic development Strategy, Azerbaijan will renew its aspirations to turn the country into an advanced economy with a high welfare society.
United Nations will continue supporting Azerbaijan’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as build forward better and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent conflict.
In 2021, the UN Country Team and the Azerbaijani government signed the UN-Azerbaijan Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025. This framework identified four main priorities for our partnership: promotion of inclusive growth that reduces vulnerability and builds resilience; stronger institutions for better public and social services; protection of the environment and addressing climate change; and empowerment of women and girls in every life sphere.
These are very ambitious targets, and to reach them we need accelerated actions and mobilization of all levels of society. As Resident Coordinator, I will continue to lead the UN Family and work closely with the Government and people of Azerbaijan on the design and implementation of a combination of integrated solutions that will translate these targets into measurable progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
We will continue to pursue a strategy that invests in people, in peace, in durable solutions, and in institutions that are responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable, which will help Azerbaijan build forward stronger, more equitable and more prosperous society.
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09 May 2022
UN, Azerbaijan launch photo exhibition dedicated to 30th anniversary of partnership
The exhibition organised at the Seaside Boulevard features 100 photos illustrating the history of the UN-Azerbaijan partnership, as well as UN activities in the country.
Azerbaijan became a member of the United Nations on 2 March 1992 following the UN General Assembly’s resolution 46/230. Two months later, on 6 May, Azerbaijan opened its Permanent Mission to the UN in New York. The United Nations’ first office in Azerbaijan opened in November 1992.
Today’s event has kicked off a year-long campaign dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the UN-Azerbaijan partnership. Throughout the year, a series of events will be organised in partnership with the Government, civil society, academia and others. Among others, we will organise several events on the Sustainable Development Goals and Azerbaijan’s efforts to achieve them, Model UN conference, tree-planting campaigns and various contests for university and high-school students.
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25 January 2022
First Person: Combatting stereotypes to prevent violence against women in Azerbaijan
Maryam Majidova is a co-founder of the Gender Hub social platform, which brings together advocacy groups, non-profit organisations, feminists, and human rights activists, to fight against gender-based violence. The platform also aims to empower women and girls and support them in overcoming gender-related challenges.
“I have had to fight against gender stereotypes and discrimination since my childhood, ever since I lost my father. At school and university, when I was successful, people would ask me about ‘the man’ behind me. They could not accept that a woman can succeed without a man’s support.
I believe that gender stereotypes have harmful effects on women’s capacity to develop their personal abilities, pursue their professional careers, and make choices about their lives. I decided to fight against these stereotypes, which, unfortunately, are dominant throughout Azerbaijan.
Changing perceptions
As a gender activist, trainer, and youth policy expert, I have been working on positive youth development for about ten years. During this period, I partnered with international organisations, including the United Nations, on projects supporting women’s participation in public and political life.
According to the National Survey on Violence Against Women in Azerbaijan, 24 per cent of women aged 15-59 had been subjected to violence by either a non-partner or an intimate partner. This is a national problem, and it should be on the top of the government’s agenda.
Key to preventing and addressing violence against women is the active engagement of men and boys. Having men speak out against gender-based violence will also contribute to changing society’s perceptions about gender roles and patriarchal norms.
A red card for violence against women
To raise awareness of the consequences of gender-based violence and the benefits of a gender-equal society, my colleagues and I organized a series of events across the country, using the hashtag #menengage, a key topic of the 2021 ‘16 Days of Activism’ campaign against gender-based violence, launched by the UN in Azerbaijan.
The UN partnered with an Azerbaijani football team, Neftchi FC, which agreed to play one of their league matches in orange jerseys featuring the slogan “Stop violence against women”. The UN also collaborated with local influencers who helped spread this slogan through traditional and social media.
It is difficult to achieve rapid changes with such a deeply rooted cultural and structural issue. Nevertheless, I am confident that these kinds of projects send the right message and help in the push to bring about the kind of change we dream of.
Sometimes, companies hire women because of quotas, for symbolic inclusivity, but I don’t want to be hired for the sake of numbers. I also believe that no one should tell a woman what she deserves, or how she should behave. I simply want women to have the same rights as men.” Changing perceptions Women’s representation at decision-making levels is low in Azerbaijan: the country is ranked 88 of 194 countries on the 2020 UNDP Gender Development Index. In the national parliament, 18.3 per cent (22 out of 120) of the members are women. Men also dominate the higher echelons of executive power. Women are also marginally represented in the judiciary – only 57 out of 480 judges, 47 of 1,069 prosecutors, and six of 41 Supreme Court judges are women. Gender stereotypes are also employed to justify violence against women, which remains one of the main issues in Azerbaijan. According to the country’s Prosecutor General Office, 51 women were killed and 24 were injured as a result of domestic violence between January and September 2021.
Sometimes, companies hire women because of quotas, for symbolic inclusivity, but I don’t want to be hired for the sake of numbers. I also believe that no one should tell a woman what she deserves, or how she should behave. I simply want women to have the same rights as men.” Changing perceptions Women’s representation at decision-making levels is low in Azerbaijan: the country is ranked 88 of 194 countries on the 2020 UNDP Gender Development Index. In the national parliament, 18.3 per cent (22 out of 120) of the members are women. Men also dominate the higher echelons of executive power. Women are also marginally represented in the judiciary – only 57 out of 480 judges, 47 of 1,069 prosecutors, and six of 41 Supreme Court judges are women. Gender stereotypes are also employed to justify violence against women, which remains one of the main issues in Azerbaijan. According to the country’s Prosecutor General Office, 51 women were killed and 24 were injured as a result of domestic violence between January and September 2021.
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30 September 2021
“Humanitarian aid means attention, moral support for us”
As a result of the last year’s conflict which raged unabated for six weeks and caused many casualties, damages and displacement, the diverse humanitarian needs have emerged in conflict-affected districts in Azerbaijan. According to the Government sources, at least 40,000 people were temporarily displaced from their place of residence in Aghdam, Aghjabadi, Barda, and Tartar districts of Azerbaijan. Even almost a year after the conflict, it still has serious consequences for the conflict-affected people.
With EU humanitarian funding, IOM Azerbaijan runs a project on providing humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations. The project is funded by the European Union through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations and aims to contribute to addressing the humanitarian and early recovery needs of the most vulnerable persons affected by the conflict. The project delivers immediate cash-based assistance to 1,500 households affected by the conflict.
Within the project implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population, the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs, and local authorities, IOM Azerbaijan has already provided monetary assistance to selected 350 persons affected by the conflict in 2020. Out of 2,983 interviewed persons from conflict-affected districts, 1,136 were selected available to get this assistance based on the eligibility criteria.
34-year-old Elmir Mammadov is among those already supported with this assistance. When the conflict escalated, he fled the house in Chiragli village of Aghdam district which was located near the frontline.
“When the conflict started, our village was heavily shelled. I managed to evacuate my family from the village. But my house was partially destroyed, our animals were killed during the shelling,” he says.
Elmir took his family to relatives who lived away from the conflict zone, and when the hostilities were over, he returned home.
“The house was partially damaged. All the windows and doors were blown out, all the electrical appliances and wires were ruined. I had to repair the destroyed part of the house on my own,” Elmir says.
He hopes for a safe and happy future for his family.
“Before we lived near the frontline and almost every day our village was under fire. Part of the arable land of the village was mined and residents could not use it. I hope that soon the lands will be cleared of mines and we will be able to live a peaceful life.”
Elmir says that today any help is important and “Humanitarian aid means attention, moral support for us,” he says.
Cash assistance for conflict-effected persons allows beneficiaries to decide for themselves how to cover essential needs such as bills, food, medicine, goods, etc. It provides them with flexibility and freedom of choice in meeting their needs.
Elmir decided to buy for his 7-year-old and 12-year-old sons school uniforms and supplies. “I want a good future for my sons. To have the opportunity to make their dreams come true, they need to have a good education. I try to provide them with everything they need for this,” says Elmir.
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24 September 2021
Fruits and vegetables: the secret weapons of these Azerbaijani’s food heroes
A year before the country was faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, Tahmina Isayeva from Zaqatala district in the northwest of Azerbaijan started a small business of drying fruits in her kitchen.
“In the beginning it was my hobby to preserve fruits by drying them. We arranged fruits on the drying tray with spaces between for good air circulation and then set the tray in the sun for some days. It is a traditional method, but it is a long process,”says Tahmina.
“It started quite well and my acquaintances became my first consumers. For a year, I produced almost 300 kilograms of dry fruits. It was not easy as I did all the processing myself – harvested apples, plums and figs from our garden or bought fruits from the bazaar,” she said.
However, in 2019, the Women’s Resource Centre in Zaqatala, awarded Tahmina a fruit dry processing machine to enhance her business.
Although the pandemic challenged her business’s profibility, she used this time as an opportunity to study and bring her production to the next level. Now she is the first commercial producer of dried fruits in her village.
“The pandemic was a big challenge for my business as people’s capacity to pay decreased. I was not disappointed. Instead, I was searching tips to improve my business and started setting up the production process with the involvement of other women. Also I plan to get a quality certificate for my products to increase selling at the market,” Tahmina said.
Fruit and vegetable culture
Fruits are a big part of the culture and economy of Azerbaijan. The country’s varied climate ensures that fresh fruit can be picked all year round. Some fruits and vegetables are celebrated with local harvest festivals, highlighting their importance for the community and national economy.
According to Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, exports of fruits and vegetables in 2020 amounted to USD 607.7 million and provided a third of the country’s total non-oil exports last year.
Fruits are also as part of traditional Azerbaijani tea culture. Visitors to someone’s home, whatever the time of day, are always offered tea alongside bowls of dried fruits and nuts as well as various homemade jams. In fact, people in Azerbaijan joke that jam can be made from everything if you just add sugar.
Fruits and vegetables are also particularly important to another young Azerbaijani farmer, Jalal Alakbarov from the Samukh region in northwestern Azerbaijan.
Jalal’s family has been in the business for many years, mostly relying on traditional methods of production. As part of the new generation, however, Jalal is regularly looking to innovate with new techniques and technologies to better their business.
While vegetable crops are mainly produced in open fields, Jalal and the younger generation have been using greenhouses to protect cultivation. Greenhouses better control production than in an open field and consequently leads to higher yields, better quality and better use of inputs.
In the last 10 years, Jalal has managed to expand his farming, producing tomatoes and strawberries in greenhouses.
“I’ve gained new experiences from growing crops to pest control. Through these gains I achieved an increase in the yeild and profitability of my farm,” says Jalal, noting that he now shares this knowledge, gained in part through FAO’s field training, with other farmers. “No man is an island; we support each other, especially during the recent pandemic situation.”
Like with Tahmina and farmers around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for Jalal. Quarantine measures created a shortage in labour. Decreases in income, meant decreased consumption and market prices of fruits and vegetables went down. Restrictions on market access also affected sales.
“During the pandemic period food security became critical, especially when doctors recommended to eat healthy food and include fruits and vegetables on the daily menu. We, farmers, were like a regiment fighting against COVID-19, and I think we are winners in this war,” Jalal concludes.
Isa Aliyev, also from the Zaqatala district, is another successful fruit producer, specializing in homemade jams extracted from strawberry, pear, cherry and even tearose petals. But it is his green walnut jam that customers fervently seek out.
It may just be a coincidence that the shell of a walnut looks like a tiny brain, but research suggests that this nut may indeed be good for your mind. Walnuts provide healthy fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals — and there are plenty of ways to use them in dishes, including the Azerbaijani preserve that Isa has perfected.
“This is our main business,” describes Isa. “It is quite profitable, but at the same time it is a really time-consuming complex process, which takes up to 15 days to get a product ready for sale.”
To make the jam, walnuts need to be harvested before the hard inner shell develops, when the inside is still light green and easily cut. For preserving, the size of green walnuts should be between a very large olive and a very small egg. Peeled walnuts are soaked in lime water for 10 days, rinsing frequently to wash away the naturally bitter taste of unripe walnuts. Walnuts are then cooked four times in the sugar syrup, adding cloves or cardamom to the pot. The green nuts turn into a dark mahogany brown and have a rich maple or date flavour.
“Although during the pandemic we had to reduce production by five times as consumers’ purchasing power went down, we did not give up,” says Isa. “Tea in Azerbaijan is traditionally served with jams so our products will be in demand again.”
With the desire to improve their practices and businesses, Tahmina, Jalal and Isa have all been in touch with FAO, participating in various projects throughout the country. One FAO project supported by the European Union is helping communities to promote farmers’ products globally, creating agriturism opportunities for foreign tourists.
In Azerbaijan and countries worldwide, FAO focuses on providing family farmers with training and techniques to improve their production, reach more markets and ensure their food and nutrition security.
Behind all of our food, there is always someone who produced, planted, harvested, fished or transported it. In the run up to World Food Day on October 16, we thank these #FoodHeroes who, no matter the circumstances, continue to provide food for their communities and beyond. There are countless ways to be a food hero in your community and now is a great time to start. Our actions are our future.
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Press Release
26 May 2022
EU and UNDP organises media tour to south region of Azerbaijan to promote vocational education
Implemented as part of the EU-funded “VET for the Future” project in the eve of the career selection period of pupils in Azerbaijan, the visit aims to raise awareness about vocational education centers, as well as to help successful presentation of VET as one of the relevant education choices for youth and adults of all abilities.
The full-day event brought together around 400 people including the regional executive authority representatives, the high-level officials of the organizing bodies, a number of press representatives from the capital and the region, also youth and teachers from Jalilabad and the private sector heads.
During the event, the participants visited the private sector company “Woodpecker” specialised in furniture industry and met with students who are now participating in-company trainings organised within the frame of our dual education programme in VET.
The officials also visited the Jalilabad State Vocational Education Centre, held meetings with the teachers & students, and joined the master classes. The visitors also talked over career prospects for women and men VET graduates in regions and discussed the role of the career center that is soon to be created with the project’s support in this VET establishment with the aim to support with the career prospects of the students.
As part of the event, in partnership with the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a roundtable is organised dedicated to the public-private partnership. Around 15 private sector companies operating in agriculture, poultry, furniture, textile, and hospitality services discussed about the role of employers in the assessment of students, updating the curriculums, and bringing new financing mechanisms. The companies also highlighted further cooperation opportunities with the education providers through the Board of Trustees soon to be activated by the project in vocational education in the country.
The aim of these actions is to expand the attractiveness of vocational education institutions and their level of compliance with the demands of the labour market. Furthermore, these advocacy steps are targeted to augment the visibility of vocational education while showing its social and economic importance and further perspectives.
The media tour is completed with the bilateral meetings.
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Press Release
24 May 2022
WHO conducted a mission on scaling-up access to rehabilitation services and assistive products in Azerbaijan
The objectives of the mission were to identify next steps following the rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA), assess the current national Rehabilitation & AT supply/system, support further development of the AT roadmap of Azerbaijan and provide technical assistance on integration of Rehabilitation & AT in health and social policy systems.
The mission consisting of Cathal Morgan, Technical Officer on Rehabilitation and Disability Inclusion, Andrea Pupulin, Regional Consultant on Assistive Technologies from WHO/Europe, and Anil Kashyap, Specialist in Policy and Systems from ATscale Global Partnership met with local partners, including the senior officers of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, Ministry of Education, State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance, TABIB, Azerbaijan State Academy of Physical Education and Sport, USAID, EU Delegation, UNICEF, NGOs working for the persons with disabilities, and conducted sites visits to the City Policlinic 1 and National Medical Rehabilitation Institute of TABIB, Prosthetic-Orthopedic Production Rehabilitation Center of the State Agency of Medical Social Expertise and Rehabilitation, DOST Agency, and rehabilitation laboratory of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Physical Education and Sport.
WHO implements initiatives on a global scale relating to Rehabilitation in Health systems and in scaling access to Assistive Technology products to enable people improve their quality of life. These vital areas form the basis of a global call for action as set out in Rehabilitation 2030 Call for Action and Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) as adopted by the World Health Assembly.
ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology was launched with the goal of catalyzing action to reach 500 million more people with life-changing assistive technology by 2030. This cross-sector partnership, seeks to catalyze change, amplify existing work, and coordinate and mobilize global stakeholders with unified strategies to increase the availability of and access to affordable and appropriate AT. This is also vital to developing and strengthening rehabilitation as an integral part of the health and social care system.
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Press Release
23 May 2022
UNDP, the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, and UK Government open new Women’s Resource Centre in Barda
The event was attended by the Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs Bahar Muradova, the British Ambassador to Azerbaijan James Sharp, UNDP Resident Representative a.i. Charu Bist, and head of Barda Executive Committee Vidadi Isayev.
The new Women’s Resource Centre located in Barda was opened as part of the “Empowering and creating equal opportunities for vulnerable, conflict affected women in Azerbaijan to overcome barriers towards greater economic and social participation (ECEO)” project implemented by UNDP in partnership with SCFWCA and with the support of the UK Government. The project’s long-term goal is to increase the resilience of conflict-affected women to conflict and trauma. It aims to serve vulnerable women, refugees and IDPs, local executive authorities and municipalities; private sector businesses and local communities, government institutions responsible for family, children and women affairs, labour and social protection, private sector, businesses and local communities.
“Established as part of a joint project with our international partners, this Women's Resource Centre will support the implementation of activities for vulnerable, conflict-affected women, as well as help increase their employment, knowledge and skills. We will continue our activities in this area” – said Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs Bahar Muradova.
“We believe that Women’s Resource Centres will become a platform for change bringing together women from different backgrounds. Services offered in Women’s Resource Centres will increase professional skills of women and contribute to the female entrepreneurship” – said British Ambassador to Azerbaijan James Sharp.
“Gender equality is one of the most important UN sustainable development goals that Azerbaijan committed to achieve. The country has made significant progress in the Gender Development Index. Yet progress is to be made in a number of areas, including reducing the gender wage gaps. The main purpose of establishing Women’s Resource Centres is to support women to stand on their own feet, ensuring stable income. We must also ensure women are active agents of peace and security in the region and that we Leave No One Behind”- said UNDP Resident Representative a.i. Charu Bist.
The project will last until 2024 and envisages the involvement of 360 women in trainings to develop business skills, the participation of more than 540 women in vocational training, and provision of psychological support to more than 800 women and legal support to 600 women.
With the new Center in Barda and WRCs in Agjabadi and Terter the project will ensure it follows Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and secures women’s participation in peace processes, peacebuilding and security.
The new Centre in Barda builds on the successful model of 15 Women Resource Centres implemented by UNDP and the SCFWCA in the regions of Azerbaijan since 2011. The main mission of these Centres is to help strengthen rural women’s entrepreneurial skills and advance their competitiveness in the labour market, empowering them to overcome the many socio-economic challenges faced by women living in rural areas.
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Press Release
20 May 2022
WHO concludes pre-certification mission to Azerbaijan on elimination of malaria
In September 2021 the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan has formally applied to WHO Director-General requesting to initiate the process for certification of malaria elimination in Azerbaijan. In framework of this process WHO pre-certification mission consisting of Dr Elkhan Gasimov, Head and Dr Hong Xiao Li, Technical Officer of the Elimination Unit of the Global Malaria Programme in WHO HQ visited Azerbaijan on 16-20 May 2022.
The objectives of the mission were to review documentation, prepared for certification of malaria elimination in Azerbaijan and provide technical advice on improving revealed shortages, if any, assess the programme for prevention of the re-establishment of indigenous malaria transmission, including field visits to formerly malaria-endemic areas, and discuss and reach a consensus with the Ministry of Health on the timeline for the certification process in Azerbaijan.
During the visit, mission members conducted a series of meetings with the health care authorities at central and regional levels. The mission met with the representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Administration of the Medical Regional Divisions (TABIB), Azerbaijan State Advanced Training Institute for Doctors, the epidemiological surveillance units of the Azerbaijan Railways Company and Azerbaijan Airlines and conducted site visits to Gakh, Sheki and Sabirabad districts.
Certification of malaria elimination is the official recognition by WHO of a country’s malaria-free status. WHO grants this certification when a country has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that the chain of local transmission of all human malaria parasites has been interrupted nationwide for at least the past 3 consecutive years, and that a fully functional surveillance and response system that can prevent re-establishment of indigenous transmission is in place.
Certification on elimination of malaria of Azerbaijan is planned for 2022.
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Press Release
20 May 2022
EU-WHO project has conducted the assessment of oxygen supply and use in hospitals
Within the joint EU-WHO Solidarity for Health Initiative, an assessment of oxygen supply and use in hospitals has been conducted with the initiative and support of TABIB. Over the COVID-19 pandemic period, the importance of oxygen supply and use in hospitals was continously observed. The proper oxygen supply in hospitals, the oxygen infrastructure creation in intensive care units, and the capacity building on use of oxygen in the treatment are of great importance in terms of efficient cure for critically ill COVID-19 patients.
To assess oxygen supply and use in seven hospitals, as well as in two modular hospitals located in Baku, Sumgayit and Shamakhi a WHO mission was held from the 16th to the 20th of May. Within the mission, Dr Ulian Rotari, the WHO biomedical expert, and Dr Pervin Korkmaz Ekren, the WHO Consultant, assessed the safety of oxygen supply and use in selected hospitals and the oxygen therapy in intensive care medicine, respectively. Dr Jennifer Collins, the WHO disease management expert, undertook the overall coordination of the mission.
After the definition of gaps, the potential support to hospitals over oxygen supply and use, and the preparation of national guidelines were discussed in close consultation with TABIB. During the mission debriefing, a plenary presentation of initial findings and discussions were held. Participants have reiterated that the assessment of oxygen supply and use in hospitals is extremely helpful for the country to provide an opportunity for sharing experiences and collectively analyse the ongoing issues.
The “Solidarity for Health Initiative” is an EU-funded project being implemented by WHO Office in Azerbaijan since April 2020 to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The project aims to help build a sustainable response capacity to potential pandemics in the future. The Project is part of the continued support of the European Union and the World Health Organization to Azerbaijan.
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