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ASSURANCES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF AZERBAIJAN RELATED TO ITS MEMBERSHIP IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, Parliamentary Assembly Opinion No. 222 (28 June 2000) (excerpt)

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14. The Parliamentary Assembly takes note of the letters from the President of Azerbaijan, the speaker of the parliament, the Prime Minister and the chairmen of the political parties represented in Parliament, and notes that Azerbaijan undertakes to honour the following commitments:

i. as regards conventions:

a. to sign, at the time of its accession[*], the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as amended by Protocols Nos. 2 and 11 thereto, and Protocols Nos. 1, 4, 6 and 7;

b. to ratify the ECHR and Protocols Nos. 1, 4, 6 and 7 thereto during the year following its accession; (...)

d. to sign and ratify, within one year of its accession, the Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities; (...)

h. to sign the European Social Charter within two years of its accession and ratify it within three years of its accession, and to strive forthwith to implement a policy consistent with the principles contained in the Charter; (...)

iii. as regards domestic law: (...)

e. to adopt, within one year of its accession, the law on the Ombudsman; (...)

iv. as regards human rights and fundamental freedoms: (...)

d. to guarantee freedom of expression and the independence of the media and journalists, and particularly to exclude the use of administrative measures to restrict the freedom of the media;

e. to re-examine and amend the law on the media, within two years of its accession at the latest;

f. to turn the national television channel into a public channel managed by an independent administrative board;

g. to adopt, within three years of its accession, a law on minorities which completes the provisions on non-discrimination contained in the constitution and the penal code and replaces the presidential decree on national minorities;

h. to re-examine and amend, at the latest within one year of its accession, the rules governing registration of associations and appeals procedures; (...)

16. On the basis of these commitments, the Assembly is of the opinion that, in accordance with Article 4 of the Statute of the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan is able and willing to fulfill the provisions of Article 3 of the Statute, setting forth the conditions for membership of the Council of Europe: "Every member of the Council of Europe must accept the principles of the rule of law and of the enjoyment by all persons within its jurisdiction of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and collaborate sincerely and effectively in the realisation of the aim of the Council (of Europe).".....

*Accession occurred on 25 January 2001.