Azerbaijan, Finland discuss human rights

Baku, May 9 (AzerTAc). Azerbaijan and Finland have discussed the protection of human rights as Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova met ambassador Christer Michelsson. They discussed prospects for cooperation between the Azerbaijani Ombudsman Office and human rights institutions in Finland. Suleymanova highlighted work done by the Ombudsman Office under the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Suleymanova said that the Ombudsman Office was defined as a national preventive mechanism, adding it was also empowered to control the observation of the requirements of the law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on “Access to Information”. The Ombudsman also gave an insight into implementation of the National Program for Action to Raise Effectiveness of the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Finnish Ambassador hailed the activities of Azerbaijan’s Ombudsman Office in ensuring the protection of human rights. He expressed the embassy`s interest in cooperation with the Office.