Azerbaijan: call for dialogue between President, political actors and civil society | WPN World People News

Speaking at the end of a three-day visit to Azerbaijan, Anne Brasseur, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has called for a broad dialogue between the authorities, political actors and civil society. “Dialogue requires that all sides must be prepared to listen to each other, treat each other with respect and try to understand each other, even though they might not come to an agreement. By making small steps, progress can be achieved. Our Assembly is ready to support this process,” she said.

During the visit, the PACE President discussed with the authorities at the highest political level the advance of reforms relating to Azerbaijan’s commitments and obligations. “Respecting Council of Europe standards is a political and legal obligation of all member States. On this front, more progress is needed in Azerbaijan on, in particular, freedom of expression and freedom of association, as well as the independence of the judiciary. The 2014-2016 Action Plan contains the necessary tools to support these reforms and I hope that concrete initiatives will be launched soon,” said Ms Brasseur.

During the visit the PACE President also held an extensive discussion with NGO representatives, praising their commitment and determination, given the difficult conditions in which they have to operate, especially as regards registration, use of foreign grants, and reporting procedures. “In my meeting with the Minister of Justice I stressed the need to implement the recommendations of the Venice Commission concerning NGO legislation. We stand ready to provide further support, as required,” said the PACE President.

Speaking about the recent arrests of civil society activists, the President stressed that this was a source of grave concern. “These events raise questions and highlight the need to address systemic deficiencies in the operation of justice, as examplified in the findings of the European Court of Human Rights in the case concerning the pre-trial detention of Ilgar Mammadov,” she stressed.

“Effective protection of human rights requires strong democratic institutions. On this front, reforms of the electoral legislation are crucial in order to increase political pluralism, in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. The forthcoming parliamentary elections will be a major test for the country’s institutions and preparations should start without delay, especially in the light of the forthcoming municipal elections in December 2014. Democracy starts at local level,” pointed out the PACE President.

Turning to the functioning of democratic institutions, Anne Brasseur stressed that the role of Parliament was not only to adopt laws, but also to oversee the activity of the executive power and foster political debate about public policies. “I hope that the forthcoming parliamentary elections will be held in a more pluralistic context, so as to allow for a real debate between majority and opposition political forces as well as representatives of civil society. The Council of Europe stands ready to support you in this process,” continued the PACE President.

During the visit, President Brasseur had the possibility to visit civil society and political activists currently in detention, in particular Ilgar Mammadov, Tofiq Yaqublu and Hilal Mammadov. “I’m not a judge and it is not my role to review cases. I met them in their capacity as prominent human rights defenders in order to discuss the current situation in Azerbaijan and the ways to improve it. I hope I will soon have another chance to talk to them, but in a different setting. I sincerely hope so,” said Ms Brasseur.

Finally, speaking about the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the President stressed the Assembly’s support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. “Of course, our Assembly should not interfere in the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, but we can help the parliamentary delegations of Azerbaijan and Armenia build confidence and develop dialogue,” she said.

During her three-day working visit, PACE President met the President of the Republic, the Speaker of Parliament, the Minister of Justice, the Prosecutor General, the representatives of political forces in Parliament, as well as members of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Assembly. She also visited civil society activists currently in detention, and held a round table with civil society representatives and human rights defenders.

Source: Council of Europe