On 19-20 October 2022, Deputy Secretary General Fuad Alakbarov took part in the Baku International Conference “The role of Ombudsmen and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) on business and human rights” devoted to the 20th anniversary of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The aim of the conference was the discussion of current trends and challenges in the field of business and human rights, and sharing best practices. Heads and representatives of Ombudsman institutions and NHRIs of Turkic States and other countries, as well as international organizations and civil society organizations took part in the event.

Debates during the sessions of the two-day conference was focused on the role of ombudsmen and NHRIs in the protection of economic and social rights, current initiatives, opportunities and challenges for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, monitoring and receiving complaints about human rights abuses by business enterprises, interaction with international and regional human rights mechanisms, and the role of NHRIs and civil society organizations on business and human rights.