Since July 2007, Eurasian Lawyers Association started the implementation of the project “Support review of children-related legislative reform in Azerbaijan” with financial support of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Azerbaijan Country Office.
The goal of the project is to assist with improvement of the existing legislation base of Azerbaijan Republic regarding children.
The project will be implemented in two stages. The first stage of the project will last 4 months and includes the following:
- To compile of all legislation of Azerbaijan (laws, decrees, resolutions, programmes, plans of action, ministry directives etc.) directly and indirectly affecting children
- To locate when available English translations of the legislation and in cases translation is not available, in accordance with the priority list agreed upon with the international consultant and UNICEF arrange translation into English or prepare summaries in English
- To organize discussions/meetings throughout review and presentations for parliamentarians
- To discuss the project with the Milli Mejlis (Parliament) and facilitate signing of a three-party intent letter
The details of the second stage, which is expected to mostly include follow-up actions on recommendations of the review, is going to be discussed and agreed upon later depending on the review process.
The main methodology of the project is going to be desk review of existing legislation base of Azerbaijan Republic regarding child rights. The compiled and when necessary translated legal acts will be submitted to the international expert of UNICEF. The current legislation will be examined and identified the obligations of Azerbaijan Republic before the international institutions and the level of implementations of those obligations.
Face-to-face meetings, workshops and consultations are going to be organized thought out the review process and after the review to disseminate, validate and discuss review results and recommendations. The compiled and analyses legislation will be presented to the appropriate commission of the Parliament and according to three-party intent letter the discussion of the development of the current legislation will be realized. Eurasian Lawyers Association will organize meetings of UNICEF consultant with the members of Parliament and in case of necessity with representatives of Ministry of Education, Labor and Social Protection, Ministry of Health, the State Committee on Family, Women and Children Issues and civil society.
The impact of this project will be long term as the project covers the development of the current legislation of Azerbaijan Republic about child rights. It will make positive impact to civil society representatives, indirectly to parents and directly to children.
