Islamabad, Hilal Ahmad, November 28, AZERTAC

The Republic of Azerbaijan is going through a rapid transformation under the dynamic leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijan is being praised by the governments and people across the globe for the successful culmination of COP29 in Baku, where a decision was made to ensure the full operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, long awaited by developing and least developed countries.

On the other hand, Azerbaijan's shining ASAN Service is set to become a model for UN member countries. To facilitate the citizens of the country, the Azerbaijani government has changed the administrative services to a larger extent and adopted an e-government model. The launch of the Azerbaijani Service and Assessment Network (ASAN) model has provided the citizens easy access to get passports, ID cards, driving license and other important documents easily, rapidly and in a transparent way.

In this regard, people have access to a one-stop shop, ASAN. These services are available online and citizens could also visit service centers throughout the country. The people of Azerbaijan are getting these services in cities, online at their homes and at workplaces besides in the mobile offices across the country.

Recently, a Contribution Agreement has been signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and the United Nations to formalize this partnership. The agreement was signed by Ulvi Ramiz oglu Mehdiyev, Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

Under the agreement, innovations based on the ASAN Service model will be implemented in UN member states to enhance public service. It is important to note that the UN recognizes Azerbaijan's ASAN Service concept as a best model and intends to promote it across the globe. The agreement will help in a big way for training programs for public servants in respective countries. Moreover, they will get experience from Azerbaijan's ASAN Service model.

Azerbaijan has tremendously progressed in the fields of Science and Technology and IT sector. The initiative is being implemented on the great initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, who has transformed every sector of his beloved country especially economically, socially and politically. The country is achieving new horizons in socio-economic development by adopting the latest technology. Under the guidance of the President of Azerbaijan, the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations is playing a vital role to facilitate the people.

In order to enhance the quality of services in the country, a new e-service was launched commonly known as ASAN. The ASAN initiative has enhanced smoothness, transparency and efficiency of the government organizations to address the public issues by creating a one-stop shop for a wide range of state services. ASAN’s basic objectives are to reduce extra expenses and loss of time by citizens, up-gradation of professionalism, strengthening the confidence of masses towards the state institutions and ensuring large-scale use of IT services and digital tools.

Millions of people in the Republic of Azerbaijan have used ASAN services. The important component of ASAN service is to improve the relationship between government functionaries and the citizens. The basic purpose of this model is facilitating the people of Azerbaijan so that they can get all the required services in an easy and congenial environment.

The aim of ASAN service is to ensure the realization of the services provided by the state institutions in a uniformed and coordinated way. Thousands of young volunteers have become an active part of ASAN and they are helping those citizens who are unable to fill the applications or who cannot visit the ASAN centers.

The e-services under ASAN are being used as a connection between government departments and people in a more efficient and transparent way. ASAN provides dozens of services and thousands of volunteers are involved in this process. So far, thousands of citizens have been served through the Mobile ASAN Service. The call centers have received tens of thousands of calls by the needy people for the resolutions of their issues and grievances.

Most-used services which are benefitting the people across Azerbaijan include issuance and renewal of passports, issuance and renewal of identification cards, wedlock registration and renewal of driving licenses. The people of Azerbaijan are very much satisfied with the services provided by the government under the project ASAN.

It may be recalled that COP29 brought together about 200 countries in Baku and they reached an agreement that will: Triple finance to developing countries from the previous goal of USD 100 billion annually to USD 300 billion annually by 2035.

President Ilham Aliyev in his speech at the opening ceremony of World Leaders Climate Action Summit at COP29 in Baku said that a year ago, we fully restored our sovereignty in accordance with the UN Charter, international law, and UN Security Council resolutions, which had remained on paper for 30 years.

He apprised the world leaders that we implemented these resolutions ourselves and restored international law, justice, and put an end to the Armenian occupation. He said that as the President of COP29, Azerbaijan will do its best to find a common understanding between developed and developing countries, between the Global South and the Global North.

It is worthy to mention that after the end of the soviet era, Azerbaijan under the leadership of the great visionary National Leader and the then President late Heydar Aliyev, succeeded on many fronts resulting in the large-scale reconstruction and national development of the independent country.

In conclusion, we can say that President Ilham Aliyev is playing an important role in building a new Azerbaijan. He has proven his abilities and capabilities to take his country to new heights in every sphere of life. With the achievements of COP29, the Loss and Damage Fund will be able to start financing projects beginning in 2025. This marks yet another success of Azerbaijan's COP29 Presidency.

Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the Republic of Azerbaijan has achieved numerous milestones towards national development, liberation of occupied territories and national integration during the last over two decades.

President Ilham Aliyev has proven his abilities and capabilities to take his country to new heights at the national and international levels. In recent times Azerbaijan hosted the NAM summit and COP29 in Baku. It can be concluded that President Ilham Aliyev is becoming a bridge between developing and developed countries.