The Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov’s speech at the training session for heads of regional and municipal Youth and Sports Departments

Dear attendees of the event,
In recent days, the situation on the frontline complicated. The next time our country was subjected to Armenian military provocation, harassment of peaceful population. In fierce battles, Azerbaijani soldiers honorably repulsed the enemy, having displayed a great courage. A number of elevations and residential districts have been released, a large number of enemy’s military personnel and equipment destroyed. Thereby, the Azerbaijani army, soldiers and officers once again demonstrated high professionalism, military training and enthusiasm. Officers and soldiers were heroically killed in the battles. I ask to honor their memory and, in general, the memory of all our young heroes who have been killed so far for the Azerbaijan's territorial integrity with a moment of silence.
Rest in peace!
As you know, the implementation of the state youth and sports policy in our country has been assigned to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and its local departments. Over the last few years, the legal framework and infrastructure have been formed in both directions, a large number of national and international events and projects have been implemented.
Over the last five years, our activities in the field of youth have been carried out on the basis of the "Azerbaijani youth in 2011-2015" State Program. Under the program, 675 events were held, of which 554 were national, and 121 international events. These figures reflect only the events held by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The regional and municipal youth and sports departments have held more than 12 thousand events and projects related to the implementation of the program.
Today, our main task is concluded first of all in the upbringing faithful, physically healthy, patriotic citizens. We carry out a wide spectrum of works aimed at the formation of young people aware of the idea of azerbaijanism, closely and actively participating in the country's political, economic, scientific, cultural and sports life, its promotion in the international community.
To increase the degree of involvement of young people, our state supports the creation of non-governmental youth organizations and their activities. As you know, along with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Youth Foundation under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan plays a big role in this activity. As a result of this care, since 2011, the youth NGOs have also begun to form quickly in regions, and the number of projects implemented in the regions has significantly increased. Today, we can say that there is no city or region but has any youth project implemented.
By the Order of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated January 29, 2015 the "Azerbaijani youth in 2015-2025 Development Strategy" was approved. For the first time a document covering a wide period was adopted in the field of work with youth. The main objectives and tasks have been identified until 2025. Work with 17 different categories of youth has been envisaged. As each group has different needs, our working methods and forms also differ.
Currently, 35 "Youth homes / Centers" was put into operation. Some "Youth Homes" operating in cities and regions have already achieved success in everyday and active work with youth (Surakhani, Mingachevir, Guba, Goygol). The full use of the opportunities created in these institutions, the organization of everyday work meeting different interests and needs of young people, the obligatory implementation of demonstrative plans drawn up by the ministry is both the duty and the great support for the organization of work of the Youth and Sports Departments.
To increase the effect of activities aimed at the promotion of healthy lifestyle and physical activity among young people, prevention their negative habits, the studying the expectations of various groups and taking adequate measures are among the important tasks of the current phase.
Local departments should analyze information of knowledge, behavior, and various trends of youth and, if necessary, plan their activities taking into account the local specifics. Accurate and targeted implementation of the action plans, evaluation of probable results is your main duty.
Implementation of events aimed at the patriotic and moral education of young people, their intellectual development and interest in science, expanding their horizon and promotion of the ideas of secularity is especially important. For this purpose, you should strengthen your own experience by the acquisition of additional knowledge, work in cooperation with relevant institutions.
As you know, the development of sports is one of the main indicators of the cultural development of every nation. As socio-political event, sport is of paramount importance especially in the life of young people. The state care of athletes helps them to cultivate such qualities as political will, leadership, self-assertion. Just our young people properly evaluating the moral values can express and assert themselves in competitions. The emergence of new talents in sports competitions which lead to the development of social values depends on the creative nature of sport. Events aimed at the achievement of positive results in this area are held at the country level.
Sports gives a huge boost to the unification of the community around a common national idea and the formation of a sense of patriotism in youth as well.
For the period of independence, especially in recent years, our country has gained a high international reputation in the field of sports. Our success in the Olympic Games is evident. This is good news that the construction and putting into operation of a wide network of the Olympic sports complexes and other sports facilities in the country creates the conditions for the improvement of our sports results from year to year, the mass development of physical culture, and the acceleration of works on the preparation for the Olympic Games. As a result of these works, athletes not only from Baku but also from Sumgayit, Ganja, Nakhchivan, Mingachevir, Lankaran, Jalilabad, Goranboy, Balakan and other regions and cities adequatly represented our country in the prestigious international sports competitions held in the Republic and abroad, and get on the top tier.
The share of the athletes who passed training and preparation in the regions in the gained achievements significantly increased and it proved once again that sports infrastructure created in the regions and the organization of training of sports cadres meet the up-to-date requirements. This issue should always be in the center of attention as a priority, and in the regions like in the capital special attention should be given to the preparation of the sports staff.
One of the main priorities of the reforms conducted in the field of civil service is the orientation of young cadres and their preparation for the civil service in the course of creation of a professional civil service system. One way of creating this system is to encourage promising young cadres to build their careers at the civil service in regions. I would like to inform you that 160 young people who have won the competition held by the State Civil Service Commission are currently holding the civil service positions in the Ministry and its structural subdivisions.
To increase knowledge and skills of our employees, trainings and workshops on various topics are held on a permanent basis. To facilitate the exchange of experience, business trips were organized in a number of countries.
In modern times, the tasks we face at the current stage of development were indicated by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the meeting with young people devoted to the 20th anniversary of the First Youth Forum held on January 29, 2016 as follows: "Today we are building a strong state, a state that is highly respected in the world. We have to try and are trying to make our development sustainable. In order to achieve this, it is not enough to have a strong economy. In order to achieve sustainable development, the people who will be leading our country in the future must always contribute to our statehood and overall development. You as young people will be leading our country in the future. The fate of our country will be in your hands. Therefore, your activities, your views and thoughts will be decisive for our country in the future."
I think that organizing this workshop is very important. As the leaders of organizations who are in everyday contact with youth, you know better today's achievements, goals, skills, and concerns of young people at places. I wish you fruitful discussions and great success in your further activities.
 Thank you for your attention.