OSCE Office supports discussions on difficulties preventing domestic violence in Azerbaijan

Some 30 representatives from government agencies and civil society organizations discussed what hinders efforts to prevent domestic violence in Azerbaijan at an event organized by the OSCE Office in Baku and the Labour and Population Social Protection Ministry.

The two-day event that took place from 28 to 29 October brought together professionals from Baku and the regions of Azerbaijan who provide social services to victims under the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence.

“Stopping domestic violence is essential for safeguarding families and making them stronger, for protecting children and thus reinforcing the foundations of society in any nation,” said Nicholas Detsch, the Acting Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in Baku. 

The event participants exchanged views on how best to identify victims of domestic violence and discussed the role of shelters in providing direct assistance to them. They also discussed regulatory aspects of accrediting civil society organizations working in this sphere, various referral mechanisms for the protection of victims that exist in OSCE participating States, domestic violence in the framework of human rights, and existing minimum standards for support services.