United Nations Special Rapporteur, Michel Forst, will visit Azerbaijan from 14 to 22 September 2016 in an official mission to probe the situation of human rights defenders in the country.

According to the UN office in Baku, the independent expert, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to review the promotion and protection of human rights defenders in the world, will gather first-hand information on challenges facing the civil society in Azerbaijan and explore ways to widen democratic space. The visit will take place at the invitation of the Government of Azerbaijan.

“The right to defend human rights is a universal right,” the expert said. “This visit will allow me to assess to what extent the promotion of human rights is guaranteed in Azerbaijan, especially in a context of increasing constraints and challenges faced by civil society organizations. I look forward to having a constructive dialogue on ways to strengthen the democratic space and create an enabling environment for Azerbaijani rights defenders to carry out their valuable work.”

During his visit, the Special Rapporteur will meet with State officials, members of the judiciary, human rights defenders as well as representatives of civil society and the diplomatic community.

The Special Rapporteur’s final report will be presented in March 2017 to the Human Rights.