Azərbaycan Respublikasının
BMT yanında
Daimi Nümayəndəliyi

Permanent Mission
of the Republic of Azerbaijan
to the United Nations

633 Third Avenue, Suite 3210, New York, N.Y. 10017
Tel.: (212) 371-2559; Fax: (212) 371-2784

Statement at the interactive dialogue of the Third Committee of the eightieth session of the United Nations General Assembly under agenda item 67: “Rights of Children”

Delivered by Mr. Shahriyar Hajiyev, First Secretary

13 October 2025

Mr. Chair,

We thank the briefers for their reports and presentations under this agenda item, which elaborate on the specific challenges in the field of children’s rights.

The phrase “Children are our future” carries profound hope and underscores our collective responsibility. Growing challenges such as poverty, inequalities, conflicts, displacement, and climate change continue to threaten the development and well-being of children worldwide, as highlighted in the Secretary-General's report on the “Status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

Children comprise nearly thirty per cent of Azerbaijan’s population. The country has taken targeted measures within its child protection system. Being a party to almost all international and regional legal instruments on children’s rights has paved the way for legislative reforms over the years. The policy programme “National Strategy on Children for 2020-2030,” approved by the President of Azerbaijan, identifies key issues and outlines strategies to address challenges related to the protection and development of children.

Azerbaijan places particular emphasis on the social protection of children belonging to vulnerable groups, including those deprived of parental care, with limited health opportunities, and from internally displaced families.

Mr. Chair,

Azerbaijan also prioritises the protection and development of children in the post-conflict period. Following rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories, forcibly displaced persons, including children, are returning to their places of origin. Approximately 3,500 pupils began their education in those territories in September 2025.

The fate and whereabouts of 71 children among the close to 4000 persons who went missing in the early 1990s remain a pressing humanitarian concern for Azerbaijan in the post-conflict period.

At the same time, massive mine contamination creates serious obstacles for the returning forcibly displaced population, including children. Since the 1990s, the deliberately planted mines have claimed the lives of and seriously injured more than 3400 persons, including 362 children and young persons. These humanitarian concerns require the attention of the UN mechanisms operating on child rights and their effective involvement in addressing them.      

Mr. Chair,

Regarding the recommendations provided in the Secretary-General's report on early childhood development strategies and their integration into conflict recovery efforts and reconstruction plans, we would like to hear the views of experts on specific aspects of childhood development that should be prioritised within national measures.

Thank you.