Sabina Aliyeva, Azerbaijan’s Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman), participated in the 28th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC), held in Helsinki, Finland.

The event, held on the theme "Protecting and Promoting the Rights of Children in Alternative Care," was attended by the ombudspersons and heads of relevant institutions across the world, representatives of international organizations working in the field of children's rights, as well as specialists and experts actively engaged in this area.

In her remarks, Sabina Aliyeva highlighted her activities in the field of protecting children's rights.

Speaking about the amendments to the Constitutional Law on the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva highlighted the expansion of the Ombudsman's mandate in the protection of children's rights and other areas. She noted that the amendments also reflect important issues aimed at aligning with the recommendations provided by international organizations.

The Ombudsman provided detailed information on the protection of children's rights over the past period, including the investigations conducted in response to appeals submitted to the Ombudsman and reports in the media. Aliyeva also discussed the series of awareness-raising events organized in this field, the educational materials prepared, meetings held with children from vulnerable population groups, monitoring activities carried out, as well as the proposals put forward for improving legislation.

Sabina Aliyeva underlined that landmines planted by Armenia continue to pose a serious threat to the life and health of civilians, including children, and hinder their return to their native lands. She informed the event participants that children are among the victims of these landmines and emphasized the importance of taking decisive action in this regard.

During the event, member institutions of the ENOC provided information about the work carried out throughout the year. The meeting saw discussions on ENOC's past activities and its future action plan, and approved a statement on the "Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Children in Alternative Care.”

During her visit, Sabina Aliyeva visited the "Kaisaniemi" primary school in Helsinki, where she explored the education system and conditions in place, as well as the opportunities for ensuring children's rights at the institution.