On February 3, 2021, Mrs. Bahar Muradova, the Chair of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, met with Mrs. Wendy Morton, UK Minister of State for the European Neighborhood and the Americas.

Mrs. Bahar Muradova greeted Mrs.Morton and expressed her gratitude for initiating the meeting. She emphasized that Mrs. Wendy Morton's visit to Baku would have a special place in the Azerbaijani-British relations. She noted that relations between our countries have always been based on friendship and mutual cooperation. Speaking about the consequences of the war, the chairperson stressed: "We have a lot of serious work to do in the post-war period, and it is very important that our friends are with us."

Mrs. Wendy Morton, UK Minister of State for European Neighborhood and the Americas, thanked for the meeting and said she was looking forward to visit Azerbaijan and that it was important to discuss issues of common interest. She welcomed the adoption of a new National Action Plan on the prevention of domestic violence in Azerbaijan, emphasizing the importance of this document in combatting violence. Stressing that domestic violence is a problem that affects people in many countries around the world, Mrs. Morton said that it was important to discuss new forms of cooperation to reduce the number of cases, and asked to share information on the steps taken in this direction in our country.

Speaking about the situation during the Great Patriotic War and the increase of violent cases during the coronavirus pandemic, the chair of the Committee once again emphasized the importance of the adopted "National Action Plan".

Mrs. Muradova informed on the preparation of an amendment to the law on domestic violence. She talked about a project aimed at strengthening local institutions to ensure the safety of victims of domestic violence and their support mechanisms which had been implemented with the support of international organizations.

She mentioned about new hotline 860 which was opened jointly with the United Nations Population Fund. A two-month analysis of complaints showed that victims suffered mostly from psychological and economic violence. The Chair of the Committee also informed about the activities of the monitoring groups created under the local executive authorities.

Talking about the activities of women's resource centers in the regions, Mrs. Muradova noted that these centers play an important role in eliminating the economic dependence of women through the implementation of women's entrepreneurship initiatives. She thanked the British government for the support in establishing such resource centers in three regions  - Agdam, Agjabadi and Tartar.

Noting the importance of active participation of children in society, Mrs. Muradova spoke about the activities of the Assembly of Children's Ambassadors, created in the framework of the Committee's project. It was noted that children from different countries, including Great Britain, actively participated in the events organized by the Assembly.

Mrs. Morton spoke on the provision of appropriate assistance to war-affected families and women, drawing attention to UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Mrs. Morton added that she is interested in the activities of women's resource centers set up in the regions. The parties also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. Mr. James Sharp, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Azerbaijan also participated at the meeting.