At Baku's request, UNICEF closes its representation in Azerbaijan

The UNICEF representative office in Azerbaijan will cease its activities in the country on September 3, 2025, announced Irina Mazur, Regional Chief of Communications for Europe and Central Asia at the international organization.

"UNICEF's activities in Azerbaijan will be terminated on September 3, 2025. UNICEF will continue to cooperate with partners in Azerbaijan through its regional office and headquarters," Mazur noted.

On March 3, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, stated during a meeting with the Regional Director of the UN Coordination Office for Europe and Central Asia, Gwi-Yeop Son, that Baku's further interaction with some UN structures would continue "through a project cooperation mechanism in accordance with national priorities."

It was also emphasized that future cooperation with some UN structures would be carried out directly through their headquarters.

At the same time, official Baku proposed closing the offices of other UN agencies in Azerbaijan: the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

According to pro-government media, the Azerbaijani authorities were dissatisfied with the UN offices' funding of independent NGOs and their support for alternative research by local experts.