Social

Home page

Social

Meeting was held with World Bank representatives at Azerbaijan's State Committee

08 October 2025 16:39 (UTC +04:00)

Chairman of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons of the Republic of Azerbaijan Rovshan Rzayev met with a delegation of the World Bank, State Committee told APA.

The guests were informed about the work carried out by the Committee to ensure the sustainable settlement of former internally displaced persons within the framework of the Action Plan of the First State Program on the Great Return. It was noted that the reconstruction and construction work carried out under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev in the territories liberated from occupation creates conditions for the return of internally displaced persons to their homeland in safe conditions, voluntarily and with dignity. In addition, thanks to the attention and care of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, necessary measures are being taken to ensure social protection of internally displaced persons, improve living conditions, and increase their employment.

Complex measures are being implemented to ensure a dignified life for the population and improve their material well-being. The project, which is being implemented jointly with the World Bank, is also important in terms of ensuring employment for IDPs preparing to return to their homeland.

It was noted that about 800 IDPs participated in the trainings held within the framework of the project, which covered 18 cities and districts. During the project, special attention was paid to increasing the economic activity of women. About 30 former IDPs with disabilities are also among the beneficiaries of the project. Trainings were organized within the framework of the project on more than 60 professions, including confectioner, tailor, hairdresser, accounting, graphic design. 257 people were provided with equipment appropriate to their profession. The Chairman of the State Committee emphasized that the former IDPs involved in the implementation of the project already know what profession they will engage in after returning to their homeland, which makes a positive contribution to sustainable settlement. Therefore, the World Bank was thanked for its support.

Representatives of the World Bank – Eric Caldwell Johnson, the World Bank project manager for the “Improving the Living Conditions of Internally Displaced Persons Project”, Sabina Anne Espinoza, a World Bank employee, and Khalisa Shahverdiyeva, a representative of the World Bank related to its activities in Azerbaijan, expressed gratitude for the organization of the meeting and detailed information, emphasized the importance of cooperation on internally displaced persons and expressed their satisfaction with it.

Eric Caldwell Johnson said that the project was implemented at a high level, and the results achieved were much higher than expected. We believe that the former internally displaced persons involved in the project will benefit from the skills they have acquired after returning to their homelands, establish and develop their small businesses. He noted that participation in the project has also had a positive impact on the self-confidence of former internally displaced persons.

It should be noted that in 2023, a Letter of Agreement was signed between the State Committee and the World Bank on the “Improving the Living Conditions of Internally Displaced Persons in Azerbaijan” grant project. The main goal of the project is to increase the skills, access to support services, and income-generating opportunities of internally displaced families who are scheduled to be resettled to the liberated territories of our country between 2023 and 2026, in accordance with the "I State Program on the Great Return to the Liberated Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan".