AZERBAIJAN
Azerbaijan drafted a National Action Plan for the period 2020-2023. However, this was not officially adopted by the Azerbaijan government until March 2021, when its time period was extended to cover 2022-2025. The content remained unchanged.
Objectives of the NAP for 2022-2025
The purpose:
Significantly increase the participation of women and girls in decision-making processes, including conflict prevention and peacebuilding, at local and national levels, as well as to ensure the physical, psychological, social, and economic security of conflict-affected women and girls and protect their human rights, taking into account their special needs.
The main objectives:
- Prevent conflicts, as well as all forms of structural and physical violence against women and girls;
- Include women’s and girls’ interests and increase their participation in processes aimed at the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts;
- Protect the human rights of conflict-affected women and girls and ensure their physical, psychological, social, and economic security;
- Take into account the special needs of women and girls during conflict and in the post-conflict period.
Commentary
After the dissolution of the USSR, Azerbaijan became independent in 1991 and faced political and social instability, as well as a territorial dispute with its neighbouring country Armenia. This dispute resulted in two violent conflicts over the course of thirty years. Azerbaijan was highly affected by these conflicts and struggled to accommodate approximately 654,839 internally displaced people who fled the disputed region (Nagorno-Karabakh). After its military advancement in 2020, the Azerbaijan NAP prioritized the resettlement of IDPs and definitive resolution of the conflict, but this fell apart in Sept 2023 when further conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region was revived.
The draft NAP that was finally signed in 2021 and extended to cover 2022-2025, has a well-defined and detailed list of expected results, indicators, and specific activities. However, it needs to accentuate the full and meaningful participation of women in conflict-resolution and peace processes, rather than limiting focus to a formal representation in the security forces. The document should also include specific provisions about peacekeeping, bearing in mind that Russian peacekeepers were, until recently, controlling the country’s disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Another missing point in the draft is the budgeting of the activities, which needs to be elaborated.
Civil society’s involvement in development of the draft NAP
Involvement of civil society appears to have been very limited: in the implementation matrix, alongside various sub-objectives, it states "To be recommended: NGOs", but no specific NGOs are named.
UN Peacekeeping statistics
At August 2024 Azerbaijan contributed two UN personnel to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), both of which were ranked as Experts on Mission, one female and one male.
Women’s role in peacekeeping
The NAP commits to enhancing women’s participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and their increased inclusion in the military and police service, especially in leadership positions. It will be interesting to see if women are included in any peace processes that might take place shortly.
References and sources
Draft of National Action Plan of Azerbaijan 2020-2023 available in English (unofficial draft) at: https://www.wpsnaps.org/app/uploads/2022/12/Azerbaijan-2020-2023.pdf (NB this draft was signed into law in March 2021, and the time it covers extended to 2022-2025: Azerbaijan.pdf - a revised translated version has not been produced yet).
APA – AZ news group, 31 January, 2022: Azerbaijan develops new national action plan on women's activities in post-conflict period
Information submitted by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan with regard to the report of the Special Raporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, 2022-2023 Azerbaijan.pdf
LSE WPS National Action Plan database: Azerbaijan National Action Plan - LSE - Women, Peace Security (wpsnaps.org)
United Nations Peacekeeping by country, mission, gender and post for August 2024 is at: https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/03_country_and_mission_77_august_2024.pdf
