Today, Wook-Jin Chang, Head of the UN Department for NGOs, visited the office of the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF). Umud Mirzayev, who welcomed the high-ranking UN official, introduced him to the projects IEPF has undertaken since its establishment, including journalist visits organized to conflict zones and films produced by IEPF. After the introduction, a meeting was held in the office’s conference hall between Wook-Jin Chang and representatives of the Azerbaijani NGO sector, organized by Umud Mirzayev.
Initially, IEPF’s president informed the guest about the situation of the NGO sector in Azerbaijan. Mirzayev highlighted the scope of activities conducted by the sector, the challenges it addresses, as well as the reconstruction and demining efforts in Karabakh and surrounding regions, and the "Great Return" plan. He stressed that although these activities are on a massive scale, the UN and other international organizations have, to a large extent, left Azerbaijan to handle them alone.
Mirzayev emphasized that, due to the Azerbaijani government’s focus on these large-scale efforts, there are limited funds available to support NGOs. He linked the lack of adequate representation of Azerbaijani NGOs at the UN to this factor, noting that “a single trip for NGO leaders to Geneva can cost nearly as much as their annual salary.”
Mirzayev also spoke about IEPF’s history of cooperation with the UN, mentioning that the strengthening of relations with the UN under the leadership of Ban Ki-moon, Wook-Jin Chang’s compatriot and former UN Secretary-General, marked a significant phase for Azerbaijani NGOs in their engagement with the UN.
In speeches that Wook-Jin Chang listened to attentively, several local and regional issues were discussed. Sahib Mammadov, Chairman of the League for the Protection of Workers' Rights, described the financial difficulties faced by Azerbaijani NGOs and emphasized the need for more sensitive approaches in this area. Following him, Cesaret Huseynzade, Chairman of the Public Union for Supporting Information Initiatives, raised the issue of funding challenges for Azerbaijani NGOs in the South Caucasus and requested broader support from the UN for activities in this region.
Irada Rzazade, Chairwoman of the Public Union for Social Welfare of Citizens, spoke about demining and reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, as well as the importance of the "Great Return" plan. She underscored that the Azerbaijani state needs NGOs, and NGOs, in turn, need funding, appealing for the UN’s more active involvement in this process.
At the end of the speeches, Wook-Jin Chang thanked IEPF and Umud Mirzayev personally for this important meeting, mentioning that his homeland, South Korea, also faces landmine issues, and praised the fund’s efforts against mines. He noted the importance of Azerbaijan taking a more active role in the international NGO network and emphasized the need for global powers to intensify efforts to address funding challenges. A commemorative photograph taken at the end of the visit remains a memorable memento of this meeting.
