The Council of Europe Action Plan for Azerbaijan 2022-2025 was adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 16 February 2022 and officially launched in Baku on 5 April 2022 by Marija Pejčinović Burić, Council of Europe Secretary General, and Fikrat Mammadov, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Action Plan has been prepared in close consultation with the Azerbaijani authorities and is a strategic co-operation framework to support key national reforms and ultimately bring the country’s legislative and regulatory frameworks, institutions and practice further in line with European standards. In meeting its objectives, the Action Plan contributes to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Its priorities take into account relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, decisions, resolutions, recommendations, and opinions of the Council of Europe institutions, monitoring mechanisms and expert advisory bodies. They also reflect Azerbaijani’s reform priorities and needs. Additionally, the Action Plan builds upon the results and achievements of the previous Action Plan for 2018-2021.

Key areas of co-operation

Human Rights

  • Enhancing the effectiveness of the ECHR system at national level
  • Supporting the criminal justice reform
  • Freedom of assembly
  • Freedom of expression and the media
  • Data protection and artificial intelligence
  • Promoting gender equality and combating violence against women and domestic violence
  • Children’s rights
  • Non-discrimination
  • Social rights
  • Co-operation in the area of environment and climate change

Rule of Law

  • Constitutional justice
  • Independence and efficiency of justice
  • Fight against corruption, money laundering
  • Cybercrime
  • Prisons and police
  • Trafficking in human beings
  • Drug abuse and illicit trafficking

Democracy

  • Electoral issues
  • Civil society
  • Education for democracy
  • Youth for democracy
  • Intercultural dialogue

The total budget is approximately €12.5 million. Projects in the Action Plan are funded from multiple sources and co-ordinated with the international partners present in Azerbaijan. Funding is provided from the Council of Europe’s ordinary budget, as well as voluntary contributions, including the European Union (notably through the European Union/Council of Europe Partnership for Good Governance (PGG).  Projects ongoing within PGG Phase III (2023-2027) are geared towards fostering mediation, promoting equality, preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence and combatting economic crime.

The Council of Europe Office in Baku and the operational services in Strasbourg are responsible for the implementation of the Action Plan. In particular, the Council of Europe office in Baku co-ordinates the implementation of the projects in the field, including joint programmes with the European Union.

CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

  

Through the actions implemented in 2024, the Council of Europe Action Plan for Azerbaijan 2022-2025 contributed to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 1, SDG 4 (targets 4 and 7), SDG 5 (targets 1, 2 and c), SDG 10 (targets 2 and 3) and SDG 16 (targets 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 and a).

More information: Overview of the Council of Europe Contribution to the UN 2030 Agenda.