IOM and its partners in Azerbaijan used the opportunity presented by the World Day Against Trafficking in People to reflect on the achievements and challenges related to modern-day slavery in the Caucasian nation.

Opening a roundtable event in the capital Baku, Vugar Behbudov, of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection stressed measures for social protection and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking occupy an important place in the National Action Plan. The national Victim Assistance Centre has to date provided rehabilitation assistance to 326 victims of human trafficking, he noted.

Chief of Mission for IOM in Azerbaijan, Vladimir Gjorgjiev, underlined the importance of cooperation among partner organizations to improve the country’s effectiveness combating human trafficking and forced labour through raising public awareness.

"It is precisely as a result of the work done by the government and the effective cooperation of local and international partners that Azerbaijan has been upgraded from ‘Tier 2 Watch List’ to a ‘Tier 2’ in the Trafficking in Persons Report- 2022 of U.S. Department of State,” said Gjorgjiev.

Hazi Aslanov, Head of the   Counter-Trafficking Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs commended the work of IOM Azerbaijan, especially the support provided to government bodies, and direct assistance to victims of trafficking.

Other contributors included representatives of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, the Ministry of Education, the State Committee for Family, Women and Children's Affairs, USAID, other relevant government institutions, international organizations and civil society institutions.

The roundtable was organized under the auspices of a USAID-funded programme aimed at further improving Azerbaijan’s effectiveness in combating human trafficking and forced labour. The programme provided supports efforts to raise public awareness and provides technical and financial support to shelters for assisting potential and actual victims.

For more information please contact Ilqar Khudiyev on +99450 3196680. Email ixudiyev@iom.int