UNHCR official hails Azerbaijani government`s work for refugees and IDPs as exemplary

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Mətbuat xidmətinin məlumatı 29 October, 2015

Deputy Director of the Division of Programme Support Management in UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) headquarters in Geneva Henrik Nordentoft has applauded what the Azerbaijani government is doing for refugees and IDPs. “Work carried out for refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan is exemplary,” he told Azerbaijani deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Committee on Refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov as they met in Baku. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov recalled with gratitude the visit of Four High Commissioners heading UNHCR to our country and the meeting of Sadako Ogata with National Leader Heydar Aliyev, and noted that UNHCR is the most prestigious organization among the organizations operating in our country over 20 years. During its term of operation this organization hasn't gone beyond its charter. In the meeting Ali Hasanov said:" The number of IDPs exceeds the number of refugees. The problem of IDPs is a more serious one, since the Internally Displaced Persons have become refugees in their own country. Why has a person become refugee in his/her own country? Now they are the problem of the world. We broadly discussed these issues with High Commissioner Antonio Guterres during his visit to our country, and he began to engage more closely with internally displaced persons after returning to Geneva. There are many gaps with respect to the way the problems of refugees are addressed at the international level. Therefore, in the international community a general convention related to IDP's should be created, and legislative framework should be improved. This is because the scope of this problem and the number of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world are growing each year. The processes, unfairness and injustice occurring in the world are rising today. Cause of all these problems is the big states. The big states give rise to conflicts around their interests. Sufferers of all of these are the innocent people." Nordentoft noted that UNHCR is interested in using Azerbaijan’s experience in many areas such as the strengthening of the protection of rights and social security of IDPs and refugees. Mr Hasanov said: “The number of IDPs exceeds the number of refugees. The problem of IDPs is a more serious one. There are many gaps with respect to the way the problems of refugees are addressed at the international level. That is why a general convention addressing the problems of IDPs should be created.” The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted Azerbaijan`s accomplishments under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. “In the last five or six years Azerbaijan has been one of the fastest developing economies in the world.” Mr Hasanov also touched upon the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group, which mediates the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, saying “they have achieved no tangible result so far”. The Deputy Prime Minister said: "Recently, I have had a meeting with the members of the OSCE Minsk Group. In the meeting I noticed to them that I want to ask them just one thing. What is our guilt?! Are so many inequities acceptable?! Have we done any wrong to others?! We haven't occupied anybody's land. We are open to the whole world. We are hosting the most important events of Europe. Furthermore, we provide Europe with energy resources. What else should we done?! The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in 1993. So many years have passed since then. Given the fact that those resolutions have implementation mechanism, then why are the resolutions adopted regarding us not implemented? What is the reason if this discrimination? " In the meeting Henrik Nordentoft expressed his joy regarding new results of economic development during his visit to Azerbaijan and applauded what the Azerbaijani government is doing for refugees and IDPs.