Baku: President Ilham Aliyev has approved a new law titled 'On Children's Rights,' as reported by APA. The legislation, comprising 8 chapters and 63 articles, seeks to bolster the framework for the protection and promotion of children's rights in Azerbaijan.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the law mandates the creation of a database to monitor the implementation of children's rights. It emphasizes instilling patriotism in children as a state policy objective and outlines key guarantees for prioritizing children's best interests. The law expands children's rights to liberty and personal inviolability, prohibiting tracking, video, photo, and audio recording of children, except in legally specified cases. It also ensures the confidentiality of children's communications, including correspondence, phone calls, and digital communications. The legislation defines the parameters for handling children's personal data, including its collection, processing, and protection.

The law allows parents or guardians to raise children according to their religious beliefs, provided there is mutual agreement. It also imposes new responsibilities on educational and medical institutions to shield children from violence. Parents, guardians, and institutional employees must report signs of child violence to law enforcement or local child protection commissions while maintaining confidentiality. They are also encouraged to contact child helpline services. Additionally, the law obliges relevant authorities to restore the well-being of children who have experienced violence.

Children are entitled to financial support, at least equivalent to the legally defined subsistence minimum. Educational institutions are required to offer free psychological assistance, and a psychologist's presence is mandatory during investigative processes involving children.