Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

The Nizami Ganjavi International Center has held discussions with former Irish president, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, the center said on September 24.

The discussions took place as part of the meetings being held in the United States to prepare for the second Shared Societies Forum, due in Azerbaijan next year.

Robinson noted the importance of discussing women's issues at the forum.

Earlier in September, the High-Level Preparatory Meeting for the forum was held in Baku, which discussed conflicts in the South Caucasus, increasing women's participation in society, as well as inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue.

The first Shared Societies Forum was held in Baku in May 2013. The forum was organized jointly by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, a cultural, non-profit, non-political organization dedicated to the memory of Azerbaijan poet, Nizami Ganjavi, and the Club de Madrid, the largest forum of democratically elected former Presidents and Prime Ministers, with the support of Azerbaijan's State Committee for Work with Diaspora.

The forum was aimed at sharing the experience and vision of the members of the Club de Madrid with that of authorities and stakeholders in Azerbaijan, particularly on democracy-related issues like inclusion, shared societies and women's economic, social and political empowerment. This was the first Club de Madrid forum in the Caucasus.

The forum was attended by some 200 high-ranking guests from more than 50 countries, as well as 45 former heads of state and government.