On June 19, the festival "Encouraging youth to integration and activity" dedicated to World Refugee Day was held in Gobu Park residential complex in Garadagh district jointly organized by the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Affairs of  Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons and the Azerbaijan Youth Foundation.

The aim of the festival is to support the integration of youth from refugee and IDP families into society, and to increase their public activity.

Making a speech at the opening ceremony of the festival, Nasimi Narimanov, Advisor to the Chairman of the State Committee on Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, said that refugees and internally displaced persons are a vulnerable group of society and solution of their social problems are one of the priorities of state policy.

The measures envisaged in the relevant State Program signed by President Ilham Aliyev for improving the living conditions of the people of this category and increasing employment are consistently implemented. First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva pays special attention and care to internally displaced persons. Heydar Aliyev Foundation also actively participates in the solution of their educational, health and other problems.

It was mentioned once again that internally displaced applicants admitted to paid specialties in state higher educational institutions are exempted from paying tuition fees. Every year hundreds of youth use this privilege. Over the past year, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population held three job fairs in IDP settlements on the initiative of the State Committee to increase employment of internally displaced persons. As a result of the work done, the poverty line among IDPs decreased from 75 to 12 per cent in the last 16 years.

Orkhan Arabov, Head of Youth Affairs Division of the Youth Foundation of the Republic of Azerbaijan made an extensive presentation at the event. He provided detailed information to IDPs about the activities of the Foundation, the opportunities created for the youth and the programs they could benefit from.

The festival ended with holding various intellectual games, entertaining competitions among teens and young people living in the settlement.

The Festival will continue 10 days in Baku and Ganja cities, Absheron and Bilasuvar regions, in the settlements where IDPs temporarily resided.