To the Participants of the International Baku Ombudsmen Summit on “Human Rights in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, Risks and Responsibilities”

Dear summit participants,

I extend my greetings to you on the occasion of the opening of the International Baku Ombudsmen Summit on the theme of “Human Rights in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, Risks and Responsibilities.”

The holding of this Summit, dedicated to new global challenges in the field of human rights, on June 18 – Human Rights Day in the Republic of Azerbaijan – is of particular significance. This date marks the day when the National Leader of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, approved the country’s first State Programme on the Protection of Human Rights and identified the protection of human rights as one of the main priorities of state policy.

Today, the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies is fundamentally transforming humanity’s social, economic, legal, and ethical agenda. Alongside new opportunities, this process is bringing new priorities to the forefront in all areas, including the field of human rights.

Our country regards ensuring that technological progress serves human welfare as one of the fundamental principles of state policy. In this regard, Azerbaijan is taking significant steps toward the responsible and balanced application of innovative technologies and artificial intelligence. The legal acts, concepts, and action plans adopted in this area promote the implementation of these technologies within a framework based on security, transparency, and respect for human rights, while supporting inclusive development and accelerating digital transformation.

The initiatives being implemented as part of Azerbaijan’s new digital architecture, the expansion of artificial intelligence applications in public administration, and the development of information security and national AI infrastructure demonstrate our country’s strategic approach to contemporary challenges.

It should be particularly noted that the 13th session of the United Nations World Urban Forum, recently held in Baku, became an important demonstration of Azerbaijan’s contribution to international cooperation and global dialogue on sustainable development, digital governance, and the creation of human-centered urban environments.

In this context, the “smart city” and “smart village” concepts being implemented in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories represent a successful development model in which artificial intelligence technologies, innovative solutions, and principles of environmental sustainability are directed toward improving human well-being, creating a safe living environment, and ensuring socio-economic reintegration.

These development trends also increase the importance of institutional mechanisms and international cooperation in the field of human rights protection. In this regard, national human rights institutions, including the ombudsman institution, play an important role in safeguarding human rights and freedoms and promoting a culture of human rights in an age of new technological challenges.

I am confident that the International Baku Ombudsmen Summit will make a significant contribution to expanding international cooperation and the exchange of best practices in this field, as well as to promoting human-centered and law-based innovative governance mechanisms.

Once again, I extend my greetings to you and wish the Summit every success.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 17 June 2026