National Conference on Child Welfare Reform in Azerbaijan begins in Baku - VIDEO
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22 Oct 2009 13:45 ]
Baku. Kamala Guliyeva – APA. The National Conference on Child Welfare Reform in Azerbaijan began in Baku on Thursday.
President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, member of the Azerbaijani parliament Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the conference, APA reports. “As a mother of three, I value the mission of mother as dear mission of my life. Unfortunately there are children deprived from parents’ care and living in the orphanages. Those children are not guilty in their heavy fate. They have no opportunity to change their condition. Everyone should take care about their fate. Since the founding, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has done great work for protection of children without parents’ care and living in the orphanages and boarding schools”.
Mehriban Aliyeva said the Foundation funded the reconstruction and maintenance of 31 orphanages. The State Program for Adoption of Orphan Children by Families and Alternative Care in 2006-2015 was approved. According to the plan elaborated within the State Program 11 orphanages and boarding schools are considered to be transformed in a year and 44 orphanages and boarding schools in 3-5 years.
UNICEF representative to Azerbaijan Mark Hereward said great work has been done in Azerbaijan in recent years for protection of children and defending them from violence. “But there is still need in improvement of national mechanisms for protection of children. We have to share authorities correctly, to carry out reforms in the field of protection of children and to support families”. Hereward said UNICEF was closely working with the government of Azerbaijan and Heydar Aliyev Foundation. “We are hopeful that this conference will determine concrete, sustainable commitments in the frame of time for protection of children and children will not be left behind the progresses around”.
The conference will continue its work on Friday. A final declaration will be adopted at the end of the conference.