Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan

The Ministry of Youth and Sports was created on July 26, 1994 by Decree of the President No. 179. The regulation on the Ministry was approved by the National Assembly of Azerbaijan by resolution No. 861. The Ministry was founded in response to the urgent need for the development of Azerbaijani youth, which suffered from several years of the Nagorno-Karabakh war. It was estimated that at least 30% of Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons were young people under the age of 25. Fourteen committees within the ministry were formed to analyze how young people relate to topics such as religion , business , crime , drugs , education , agriculture , healthcare , sports , ideology , politics , entertainment. The results of government attention to sports were immediate. In 1995, Azerbaijani athletes brought home 52 medals, including 23 gold. They succeeded most in sports such as wrestling , boxing , judo and karate . On April 18, 2001, the Council on Foreign Tourism under the administration of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan was liquidated and its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which subsequently re-established it as the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism. On January 30, 2006, by decree of President Ilham Aliyev, the ministry was divided into the newly restored Ministry of Youth and Sports and the newly formed Ministry of Tourism, which will later be transformed into the Ministry of Culture and Tourism ^{[1] [2]} .

The ministry is headed by a minister and two deputy ministers.

Responsibilities of the Ministry

• relevant regulatory framework
• implementation of government programs in the relevant field
• the implementation of the activities of executive authorities and non-governmental organizations in the relevant field
• implementation of international agreements in the relevant field in which Azerbaijan participates
• state control in the relevant field
• development of long-term plans for the development of the relevant field
• ensuring public awareness of activities in the relevant field
• development of a unified information system in the relevant field
• ensuring the efficient use of budget funds allocated to the relevant sphere
• training in the relevant field

The main functions of the Ministry are:

• education and training of the younger generation in accordance with the national strategy for the development of youth in the social, economic and cultural life of the country,
• education of youth through the prism of universal and national values,
• ensuring social, moral and healthy physical development of youth,
• teaching and popularizing the significance of the historical and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan among young people;
• popularization of patriotic events to ensure loyalty to the motherland,
• cooperation with other relevant government agencies to ensure job opportunities for young people;
• assistance in implementing state programs to address the social problems of orphanages and children from poor families, protecting the rights of children;
• stimulating the creation of youth organizations across the country;
• ensuring cooperation of youth organizations with their peers abroad and their participation in international conferences; implementation of state programs in the field of physical education of youth;
• the promotion of all sports in social life.

The Ministry also holds an annual festival of creative students aimed at improving the aesthetic education of students, identifying creative and talented youth, and increasing their public support.

On February 2, 1996, the Youth Forum of Azerbaijan was held for the first time at the initiative of then- President Heydar Aliyev . Since 1997, this day has been celebrated as Youth Day in Azerbaijan. In 1999, the second youth forum of Azerbaijan was held. Further, in 2003, 2005 and 2008, Azerbaijani youth forums were also held. The VI forum of Azerbaijani youth was held in 2011 ^[3] . On June 2, 2014, the VII Youth Forum of Azerbaijan was held in the Heydar Aliyev Palace. On November 16, 2018, the VIII Forum of Azerbaijani Youth was held in the Baku Congress Center ^[4] .

International agreements

1. Additional Protocol between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Youth and Sports 1997 May 05 Ankara
2. Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of sports between the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Department of Sports and Tourism) April 9, 1996 Islamabad
3. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on cooperation in the field of youth and sports 1996 September 16, Baku
4. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of Georgia on cooperation in the field of youth employment February 1997 18 Baku
5. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan on cooperation in the field of sports and youth on June 18, 1997 Tashkent ^[5]

1. ↑ SPORTS POLICY (neopr.) . www.country.az. Date of treatment March 12, 2019.
2. ↑ Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On approval of the Regulation on the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan, structure ..." (unopened) base.spinform.ru. Date of treatment March 12, 2019.
3. ↑ The VI forum of Azerbaijani youth (neopr.) Is being held in Baku .
4. ↑ The VIII Forum of Azerbaijani Youth - PHOTO (neopr.) Is being held in Baku .
5. ↑ International agreements (neopr.) .

• Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan On the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan