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Azerbaijan: Conference aims to build "a brighter future for children"

Boys from the UNICEF-assisted Drop In Centre for street children in the capital, Baku.

BAKU, February 3, 2006: Children and young people will speak out at a high-level meeting of government officials, MPs, media, district authorities and civil society representatives in Baku next week.

The “Creating a Brighter Future for the Young People of Azerbaijan” conference on 6-7 February, organized by UNICEF, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Economic Development, has two main goals: to help large and diverse groups explore common values, purposes and projects on youth participation; and to help participants envisage the future they want for children and young people, and chart a course to achieve that future.

The results of the Conference are expected to be incorporated into the State Programme on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2006-2015.

The event will be preceded by a two-day meeting (4-5 February) for young people aged 14-18 from across Azerbaijan. These will include school and university students, street children, IDPs and children with disabilities will meet each other, exchange views and prepare for the main conference.

“Young people contribute to society in countless, influential ways," said Hanaa Singer, UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan. "When they are appreciated as sources of energy, imagination, knowledge and passion, young people flourish and so do their communities."

For more information:

Ayna Mollazade, Communication Officer, UNICEF Azerbaijan. Tel: (+99 412) 492 3013. Email: amollazade@unicef.org

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