Baku: Azerbaijan will revise its cooperation format with several international organizations, citing new realities and the perceived ineffectiveness of outdated organizations. Among the organizations whose cooperation format will be revised, UN bodies are dominant.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov highlighted the issue during a meeting with Gwi-Yeop Son, UN Development Coordination Office’s Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. The meeting took place during Son’s visit to Azerbaijan. It was noted that the liberation of Azerbaijan’s territories and the socio-economic progress achieved in recent years have allowed the country to rely more on its internal resources for social projects, even acting as a donor through several UN bodies.
In light of these developments, Azerbaijan has decided to revise its priorities in cooperation with the UN to align with current realities. Future partnerships with some UN bodies will transition to a project-based cooperation mechanism that aligns with national priorities.
After the Patriotic War and anti-terror operations, Azerbaijan’s needs and priorities have shifted, leading to the proposal to close four UN offices in Azerbaijan: the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and UNICEF. Notices regarding the closure of local representations of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) have also been sent. The Azerbaijani government argues that these organizations no longer have work to do in Azerbaijan, allowing the UN to redirect resources to areas in greater need.
Azerbaijan’s dissatisfaction with UN operations is not new. UNHCR previously stated that the issue of internally displaced persons did not fall under their mandate, focusing instead on refugees. Furthermore, UNHCR’s refusal to visit Talish village in the former Nagorno-Karabakh region unless under “non-publicization” conditions has strained relations. Similarly, the UNDP’s role has been questioned due to its NGO-like operations and funding practices that contravene Azerbaijan’s “Grant Law.”
Despite these moves, Azerbaijan insists it is not halting cooperation with the UN. The country will host the World Urban Forum in 2026, indicating continued collaboration. Azerbaijan plans to establish direct cooperation with the UN’s central headquarters or regional offices, bypassing local representations that have not met the country’s evolving needs.
Arzu Naghiyev, Chairman of the Defence, Security and Counter-Corruption Committee of the Milli Majlis, explained that Azerbaijan is no longer in a humanitarian crisis and has become a donor state. He emphasized that the UN’s limited financial resources should be directed to areas in greater need. Naghiyev noted that Azerbaijan’s restored territorial integrity and sovereignty mean it no longer requires humanitarian assistance, advocating for direct work with central headquarters rather than local UN programs.