UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution initiated by Azerbaijan

Within the framework of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council in the city of Geneva, a resolution titled "Promoting human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals through transparent, accountable and efficient delivery of public services," put forward on the initiative of Azerbaijan, was unanimously adopted, Report informs.

According to a statement by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in addition to the main co-sponsoring countries of the resolution - Türkiye, Georgia, Ecuador, Kenya, Malaysia, and Thailand - European Union member states, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, as well as a number of other states representing Africa, Asia, and the Americas joined as co-sponsors in their national capacity, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation states joined as co-sponsors on a group basis.

The purpose of advancing the resolution is to promote within the UN system the principle of "transparent, accountable and efficient delivery of public services" based on the ASAN Service concept, which is one of Azerbaijan's significant achievements in the fight against corruption and has become Azerbaijan's brand on the international stage.

The adopted resolution emphasizes the importance of efficient public services in the protection and promotion of all human rights and in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.

It was reported that the resolution draws attention to the important role of digital technologies, as well as artificial intelligence systems, in preventing and combating corruption, the equal delivery of public services to everyone, as well as the importance of public services in the context of disaster preparedness, response measures, and recovery efforts.

The resolution recognizes the UN Public Service Award, which ASAN Service received in 2015, as the world's most prestigious award in the field of public service delivery, and calls on UN bodies and other international organizations to continue promoting and rewarding successful practices in the relevant field.

The said document also decides to hold a panel discussion at the 65th session of the Human Rights Council on the role of public service delivery, including in the contexts of disaster preparedness, response measures, and recovery, in promoting and protecting human rights, as well as in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

"The unanimous adoption of the current resolution, which was put forward on the basis of the identically titled resolutions No. 37/7 and 52/8 previously adopted by consensus at the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 and 2023 on the initiative of Azerbaijan, and the joining of a large number of states as co-sponsors, is a clear indicator of the support shown by the international community for Azerbaijan's positive experience in the field of transparent, accountable and efficient delivery of public services and its pioneering role in this area on the international stage," the statement emphasized.