Mr. Ali Hasanov Head of Department of Public and Political issues of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Speech entitled “Implementation of Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities in the Republic of Azerbaijan” United Nations Human Rights Council 5th Session of the Forum on minority issues (November 27-28, 2012, Geneva) Dear Chairman! Dear members of the Forum! First of all, let me express my gratitude to the United Nations Human Rights Council for organizing and hosting this Forum. I also would like to thank you for this opportunity to inform you on measured taken by the Azerbaijan government in the realm of protection of national minority rights. This meeting takes place on the 20th anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. It is truly historic document, which serves as an authoritative guideline and contains the main norms on minority rights. Turning to the topic of this session, I would like to note that Presidential Decree dated September 16, 1992 “On the protection of rights and liberties, and state support of the linguistic and cultural development of national minorities in the Republic of Azerbaijan” became the first alike in the post-soviet area. By comparing two mentioned documents we can notice that they share the common methodological and legal approach to national minority issues. This fact evidences that the Republic of Azerbaijan pays attention to the minority issues from the first days of its independence, and also serve as a bright example of state’s adherence to the principles of international law. National minorities constitute 8.4% of the country’s population in accordance to the population census in 2009. Ethnical and religious multiplicity in Azerbaijan is still preserved. Being a multinational and poly-confessional state Azerbaijan advocates for the implementation of the “unity in diversity” principle. We can also be proud of the fact that no act of intolerance or discrimination was registered in Azerbaijan at any stage of its history.