A bilateral meeting with representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) was held today at the Legal Aid and Training Center ("Center") of the Bar Association of the Republic of Azerbaijan to discuss prospects for cooperation.
First of all, Mr. Shahmar Mammadov, Director of the Center, welcomed the guests and acquainted them with the overhauled administrative building. He noted that the "Center" is fully equipped with material and technical base, equipment meeting high requirements is installed, high conditions are created for holding important events in the conference hall. He further noted that the main activities of the Center consist of the provision of free legal aid to low-income people, the organization of legal assistance to lawyers at the expense of the state in accordance with existing legislation, documentation on the procedures for payment of fees to lawyers, the level of professionalism of lawyers, the organization of current and continuing education, as well as the acquisition of practical knowledge by young lawyers in order to further increase it.
Afterwards, Ms. Ersilia Apreda, Project Coordinator of the IOM Office in Azerbaijan, thanked for the positive approach to the initiative to organize the meeting. Informing about the current implementation of the additional phase of the Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, Ms. Apreda stressed that although the main goal of the project is to increase the effectiveness of the fight against human trafficking in Azerbaijan, a sacrificial and human rights-based approach is a key principle.
Emphasizing the important role of obtaining professional legal assistance in the fight against human trafficking, the Coordinator said that activities under the relevant program should be carried out jointly with the participation of the Center. He noted that depending on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the activities of the Program, it is planned to hold a training for lawyers in the next quarter and a round table on the legal protection of victims of human trafficking at a later stage. He also informed that the Center is expected to be involved in the organization of trainings for first aid parties to identify victims, comparative analysis of the National Referral Mechanisms and training trips. Ms. Apreda stressed the importance of establishing direct and continuous communication on all these activities.
The meeting was also attended by Bayram Orujov Chief of Staff of the Bar Association, Gulshan Salmanova Deputy Director of the Center, Baylar Mamishov, Nargiz Karimova Assistant IOM Project Coordinator and priority areas of cooperation between the two sides were widely discussed.
