NAM conference: Azerbaijan Prez calls for amplifying women’s role in decolonisation process

Baku: The present time demands to bring the issues of women and colonialism together and amplify the role of women in the decolonisation process, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has said.

Aliyev made the comments at a high-level conference on “Decolonisation: Women's Empowerment and Development” here on Tuesday, hosted by Azerbaijan as the current chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

“As chair of the NAM, Azerbaijan has always attached great importance to issues relevant to humanity and carried out effective work towards eliminating the injustices faced by the people worldwide...Our time demands to bring the issues of women and colonialism together and amplify the role of women in the decolonisation process,” Aliyev said.

“Regrettably, in the 21st century, women are still being subjected to slavery and exploitation in colonies, meaning that they are deprived of fundamental human rights,” he added.

The President expressed concerns about the continuation of colonialism and flagged violations of the rights of women and children in colonies.

He also accused France of continuing its neocolonialism policy.

“France, which currently controls 13 overseas territories as its colonies and interferes in the internal affairs of its former colonies located on different continents worldwide, continues its neocolonialism policy despite the many years of demands from international organisations and peoples fighting for independence," Aliyev said.

“Centuries have passed, but the new shameful methods of French colonialism continue to this day because policies and mindsets have not changed. The people of the overseas territories gathered at this conference have been fighting for independence for many years.

"Unable to abandon the history of colonialism, France does not respect the freedom, aspirations, and rights of the peoples living in overseas communities and territories outside of Europe, in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, and works hard to undermine the realisation of those aspirations,” he added.

Co-organised by the Republic of Azerbaijan, the current chair of the NAM, and its forthcoming chairs, the Republics of Uganda and Uzbekistan, the conference aimed to foster dialogue and exchange best practices on the promotion of women's rights and empowerment within the NAM framework.

“Bringing the issue of fighting neocolonialism to the international community’s attention through all possible platforms is crucial. In this regard, the activities of the 4th Committee of the UN General Assembly and the fight within international organisations should be stepped up. The role of women should be further enhanced, and their struggle on the path of decolonisation should be strongly supported,” the President said.

Over sixty delegations, comprising members from the NAM states, observer states, international organisations, and high-ranking officials from invited countries and organisations, participated in the conference for collaborative efforts to enhance the status of women across diverse cultures and political landscapes.