Page 12 - DIVA_2_2008_No.33

In the Human Rights Council

Interview with Elchin Amirbayov,

Ambassador of Azerbaijan

r
scratch with a new election
campaign. As you probably
know, we are members of the
Eastetn European Geograph-
ical Group. Within the United
Nations you have five
! :'i4. II,

regional groups: African;
Asian; GR{JLAC, which is
the Latin American and
Caribbean group; the Western
European group wbich also
includes the US and Canada;
and then the Eastern
European Group.

Within our regional Eastem
Ewopean Group we faced
fierce competition, with
thirteen (!) candidates for six
seats. Six countries who
gathered the required
majority of votes on the part
of the members of the
General Assembly elected
were Azerbaijan, Czech
Under his ambassador- involved in the Human
Republic, Poland, Romania,
ship, the image of Rights Council ever
the Russian Federation and
Azerbaijan has been since its beginning.
{Jkraine. It was a staggered
promoted on the interna- Could you tell us
membership, which means
tional scene here in something about it?
that, once elected, lots are
Geneva, and Mr.
drawn to determine how long
Ambassador Elchin What was the Human Rights
you will sit on the Council:
Amirbayov has been one Commission ceased to exist
one, two or three years. We
of the key players on the about three years ago.
were lucky to get a three-year
Human Rights Council Azerbaijan was elected to sit
period, together with Russia.
since it's very beginning. on the last session of 'us
For us it was important to
Not a week passes Commission. In fact, we had
ensure that there was a certain
without a meeting been elected for a three-year
continuity upon being re-
concerning the Human period, but we had only been
elected to the Human Rights
Rights Council - either a serving for about a year when
Council.
sub-commission, a we were told that "the
committee or whatever- Commission is gone; a new
and Mr Ambassador and htunan rights body w'll be set Q: VNhl"?
his dedicated team of rip to replace the old one". We
We believe that the Council is
young diplomats are were also told that new elec-
a riniversal human rights
rushing from one tions would have to be held
b ody, and that it is the
meeting to another. We for the new body. Given the
prirnaty human rights body in
wanted to know a little importance of Azerbaijan's
the United Nations system.
more about their daily membership in this major
Given the fact that the Human
experience, SO we glve human rights body, we
Rights Council is a subsidiary
the floor to His decided to put forward oiu'
body of the General
Excellency... candidatiire once again.
Assembly, its status is now
elevated compared with the
Q: YOU haVO been So, we had to start from
previous Commission, which
10 2 2008 Diva
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