Azerbaijan
Practice Relating to Rule 135. Children
Azerbaijan’s Law concerning the Protection of Civilian Persons and the Rights of Prisoners of War (1995) provides that, in case of evacuation of civilian persons from a besieged zone, “special attention is given to children and they are taken great care of”.
Azerbaijan’s Law on the Rights of the Child (1998) states: “The government of Azerbaijan undertakes to ensure protection of children located in a conflict zone”.
In 2009, in its combined third and fourth periodic reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Azerbaijan stated:
420. Although 13 years [have passed since] … the announcement of [a] cease fire in the military conflict started by Armenia, children still suffer from its consequences. The war-affected children can be categorized as follows:
(a) Children living in refugee towns or other temporary residences;
(b) Children suffer[ing] from explosive remnants of war (mines);
(c) Children from both categories [who] need physical or psychological rehabilitation
421. Starting 2005, 20-day annual camps [have been] organized for [the] psychological rehabilitation of children and youth [who] became disabled because of mines and [who are] still living in the front-line regions.
…
424. The Azerbaijani State is committed to [provide enduring] … protection [for] … the children of the war-affected areas in accordance with international legal norms.
Azerbaijan’s Law on the Rights of the Child (1998) states: “[T]ake all possible measures to evacuate children located in the areas of military operations to more secure places and protect their lives”.
In 2008, in its initial report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child under the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, Azerbaijan stated: “Pursuant to the Rights of the Child Act, the military authorities must do everything possible to evacuate children from conflict zones to safe places in order to protect their lives and health.”