A delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) carried out an evaluation visit to Azerbaijan from 18 to 22 May 2026 as part of the fourth evaluation round of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.
This new evaluation round of monitoring the implementation of the Convention focuses on vulnerabilities to human trafficking and measures taken by States Parties to prevent them, detect and support vulnerable victims, and punish the offenders. This includes a focus on the use of information and communication technology (ICT), which brings structural changes to the way offenders operate and exacerbates existing vulnerabilities.
Prior to the visit, the Azerbaijani authorities provided a reply to GRETA's questionnaire for the fourth evaluation round. In addition to the new thematic focus, GRETA examined how the main recommendations made in its third evaluation report on Azerbaijan have been implemented.
During the visit, the GRETA delegation held consultations with Mr Seyfulla Azimov, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and National Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, as well as with officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (including the State Labour Inspectorate and the Centre for Assistance to Victims of Trafficking), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Science and Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The delegation also met officials from the State Migration Service, the State Border Service, the State Security Service, the State Committee on Family, Women and Children’s Affairs, the State Customs Committee, the State Tourism Agency and the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organisations. In addition, meetings were held with prosecutors from the Prosecutor General’s Office and judges from the Baku Court for Serious Crimes and the Baku Court of Appeal, as well as with members of a guardianship and trusteeship body and a commission for the protection of children’s rights in Baku.
Further, the GRETA delegation met representatives of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson).
The visit provided an opportunity to visit the state shelter for victims of trafficking, as well as two NGO-run shelters in Baku, one supporting women victims of violence and the other - vulnerable children.
In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation travelled to Sumgayit, where it met police officers, prosecutors, judges and labour inspectors, as well as members of the guardianship and trusteeship body and the commission for the protection of children’s rights.
The GRETA delegation held separate meetings with representatives of non-governmental organisations and lawyers representing victims of trafficking. It also met with representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan.
The visit was carried out by Mr Thomas Ahlstrand and Ms Ia Dadunashvili, members of GRETA, who were accompanied by Mr Elvin Aliyev of the Secretariat of the Convention.
Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report, which will be sent to the Azerbaijani authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report which will be published.
