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Leading Liberal Democrat Peer supports the Many Happy Returns campaign

22 September 2014 11:49 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. Baroness Manzoor CBE, elevated to the House of Lords in 2013, is a leading Liberal Democrat Peer. She has now publicly expressed her support for the Many Happy Returns (MHR) campaign at www.manyhappyreturnsidp.com, TEAS told APA.

Over more than two decades, Baroness Manzoor has held various public sector positions, and for eight years was the Chief Executive and Legal Services Ombudsman for England and Wales, during which she spearheaded the investigation into health compensation cases on behalf of former coal miners. She has dedicated her life to improving standards in public life, particularly with regard to the legal profession, as Legal Services Complaints Commissioner and as oversight regulator for the Law Society.

Prior to this, Baroness Manzoor masterminded the merger and delivery of health services for the Northern and Yorkshire regions of the NHS Executive, and was a member of the NHS Policy Board for England and Wales. She initiated and helped establish the first pilot for the NHS Direct scheme, the innovative 24-hour health advice and information service. Baroness Manzoor has also sought to examine alleged malpractice in the NHS.

Baroness Manzoor has always strived for the development of a more egalitarian society, and H.M. Queen Elizabeth II recognised her work in combating racial and gender discrimination by awarding her the CBE in 1998. Most notably, she was Deputy Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality.

The MHR campaign focuses on the plight of the 1 million Azerbaijani Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees who are the ongoing victims of the Armenian–Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Baroness Manzoor commented: “Good luck to MHR in raising awareness of this situation. I hope the IDPs and refugees will soon be able to return to their homes.”

The title of the MHR campaign is based on the English birthday greeting ‘Many Happy Returns’ which, in this case, also refers to the wish of the Azerbaijani IDPs and refugees to return to their rightful homeland. The website features photos of IDPs in just three of the camps spread across the 76 regions of Azerbaijan, taken by the renowned German photographer Philipp Rathmer.

Despite a ceasefire being called 20 years ago, and four UN Security Council resolutions being passed against the illegal Armenian occupation, those whose land was seized remain unable to go home.

The MHR website also gives members of the public the opportunity to pledge their support for a poll – taking just 30 seconds – to redesignate ‘UN World Refugee Day’ as ‘World Refugee and IDP Day’.