Azerbaijan closes UN, international organization offices in Baku

The Azerbaijani government has decided to close the offices of several United Nations agencies and international organizations operating in the country.

The decision affects the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the U.N. International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

Official notifications regarding the closure of these offices have been sent to the respective organizations.

Reasons behind decision

The decision is reportedly based on Azerbaijan’s transformation from a country facing humanitarian crises in the 1990s to one that is now assisting others. The Azerbaijani government argues that the issues these organizations previously addressed in the country no longer exist, making their continued presence unnecessary.

Another key factor influencing the decision was the reluctance of representatives from these organizations to visit Karabakh after its liberation following the Second Karabakh War.

Azerbaijan’s changing role in international aid

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov previously stated that the country has now become a donor nation and is reassessing its cooperation with U.N. agencies.

However, he emphasized that Azerbaijan will continue to collaborate with the central offices of these U.N. agencies on a project-based basis.