April 16 – An extended collegiate meeting devoted to the progress and challenges in the field of provision of citizens with ID cards and the work done for public order and public security maintenance and supply of technical facilities in the context of the First European Olympic Games was held in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Minister of Internal Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic Colonel General Ramil Usubov noted that both issues to be discussed are urgent and cover important areas of the internal affairs bodies’ activities.
The Minister emphasized the importance of proper organization of provision of citizens with ID cards and noted that recently field services were organized in the capital and a number of regions of the country for the purpose of issue of ID cards to the population and citizen satisfaction orientation on the initiative of the Main Passport, Registration and Migration Department. Such activities were well received by citizens however there is still a lot of work to do.

The Minister reminded that hosting the First European Olympic Games is another striking example of the appreciation of enhancing international authority and economic power of our country which has turned into a leading state of the region, wide-scale construction and renovation works and fundamental democratic and legal reforms carried out in the republic under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, and emphasized the importance of effective carrying out of preparatory works, consistent implementation of planned actions and strict control over such actions. The Minister emphasized major efforts made on the threshold of the above mentioned event of national importance connected with public order and security maintenance in the republic and preparation to the First European Olympic Games owing to the personal essential support of President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev and the First Lady, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, member of parliament Mehriban khanim Aliyeva.
Touching upon the criminal situation in the country, the Minister noted that complex measures have been successfully taken in the field of crime prevention, maintenance of public security and protection of human rights and freedoms during the first quarter of this year just as in previous years and all set tasks have been completed worthily.

Chief of the Main Passport, Registration and Migration Department Police Major General Arziman Aliyev delivered a report on the first item of the agenda.
It was noted that taking into account issue of new generation ID cards which started in December last year the Special Commission consisting of executives and specialists was formed by order of the MIA for the purpose of efficient problem solution. In line with the Order of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic dated December 1, 2014, the Commission upgraded the infrastructure of 9 regional centers provided for printing biometric ID cards within the framework of implemented measures, and prepared a technical project for improvement of the lower system for ID cards issue of the “Entry/exit and registration” interagency data retrieval system.
About 200 thousand expired ID cards were replaced by field groups within the activities carried out under control of the Main Department and the lists of citizens living in foreign countries were adjusted. To hasten the process of issue of ID cards to students of 9th and 11th forms appropriate targeted steps were organized in secondary schools last year. Total of 197,723 students throughout the country received ID cards.

Chief of the Main Public Security Department, Police Major General Javanshir Zeynalov, Chief of the Main State Traffic Police Department, Police Major General Ramiz Zeynalov and Chief of the Main Information and Communication Department, Police Major General Dilgam Aslanov delivered reports on the work done for public order and public security maintenance and supply of technical facilities in the context of the First European Olympic Games.
It was mentioned that a briefing session devoted to the full and timely mission accomplishment had been held in the Ministry on February 4, 2013. According to the resolution of the session, technical facilities, devices and accessories demand was determined, a special commission was formed, and a plan of actions in the field of organizational work, personnel training, preventive measures, public order and traffic safety maintenance was approved and presented for implementation.
Employees of the Ministry also took part in the Working Group formed by the European Games Operations Committee in connection with security issues resolution. A Stationing Plan was approved for the purpose of public order and public security maintenance and guarding the competition and non-competition facilities. The Control Headquarters and auxiliary headquarters were formed by a relevant order for coordination of activities of the personnel of the Ministry services, local police bodies, combatant forces of police and Internal Troops, organization of mutual interaction between the event planners and respective government entities, on-line monitoring of the background, prompt response to any change in the background and monitoring of law and order.

It was brought to the notice of the Collegium members that employees of the Austrian Federal Minister of Internal Affairs and Public Security Division of the Vienna Police Department visited Azerbaijan in early March this year to enhance the efficiency of exchange of best practices in the field of public order maintenance during the Olympic Games. Meetings were held in the Main Public Security Department and Secure City and 102 Call Center, workshops and training sessions were conducted in the Mobile Police Regiment and exchange of ideas on security issues took place.
In addition, on the 10th of March an evaluation plan for determination of the total number and functions of forces and facilities to be employed for public order and public security maintenance, crime prevention, guarding the territory and identity check activities during the Olympic Games was elaborated and presented to auxiliary headquarters. It was also noted that on the 27th of March the Minister of Internal Affairs, Colonel General Ramil Usubov checked the service arrangement status at the Baku Olympic Stadium, National Gymnastics Arena, Athletes’ and Media Villages, Baku Sports Hall, European Games Park, BMX Velopark, and Baku Shooting Center.

According to preliminary estimates made together with the European Games Operations Committee, provision is made for use of special checkout equipment at identity check points. 2377 new road signs with 798 solar energy signs were installed in 2014 and this year for the purpose of maintenance of traffic safety as one of important components of preparation for the European Games, 25 traffic lights were mounted and 224 thousand running meters of traffic lane markings were made. The work on installation of surveillance cameras at 290 points in Baku city were completed for 65%. So far, there are 8085 cameras at 2039 points (including metro stations) throughout the republic including 4224 cameras at 1356 points in the capital installed within the Secure City system.

Reasonable efforts were made in the field of improvement of the level of professional training and sociability of patrol service personnel to be involved in public order maintenance. In the employment of the staff to the internal affairs bodies preference was shown to applicants with foreign language skills. The guidance manual ‘Code of conduct of police officers’ was prepared and distributed among all bodies and units. English language courses were organized for a total of 1000 officers of the patrol service of the Mobile Police Regiment and capital bodies and units. It was brought to the notice that the Operations Committee holds meetings of the Working Group on a regular basis and appropriate measures are taken for existing problems solving.
In detailed discussion of the delivered reports, participants of the session touched upon the work done and determined the problems to solve.

Having summarized the session, the Minister emphasized again the importance of further improvement of activities of the field groups in distant villages and settlements, strict control over provision of all levels of the population with appropriate documents and at the same time demanded to prevent any cases of bureaucracy in this field and to strengthen control by chiefs of the territorial police bodies, respective services and deputy supervisors over this work. The Minister emphasized the importance of time-efficient consideration of all ID card applications and instant issue of ready documents.
Mr Usubov mentioned that the internal affairs bodies have important duties in connection with preparation for the First European Games and must worthily perform all tasks set in the enactments of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, Action Plans of the Ministry, orders and instructions, and stressed the importance of exerting every effort by the personnel for further improvement of the professional reputation and image of the Azerbaijani police during the Olympic Games.
The Minister of Internal Affairs also touched upon the importance of ensuring safe conditions for the event adequate to the authority of our country, organization of periodical training to provide readiness of the personnel to any emergency situation, strict monitoring of operational environment, continuous exchange of information among relevant divisions and departments of the Ministry and further improvement of moral, psychological and professional training of the personnel.
In conclusion Colonel General Ramil Usubov assured President of the country, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev that the personnel of the internal affairs bodies will always perform their duties and functions at the highest level and serve truly our people and state, and is committed to discharge all assigned duties for hosting the upcoming First European Olympic Games at the highest level.