On September 22, an event dedicated to the International Peace Day took place in the Seaside National Park, with organizational support from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population.

Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the event.

Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev, Human Rights Commissioner of the Republic of Azerbaijan Elmira Suleymanova and UN resident coordinator in Azerbaijan and resident representative of the organization’s Development Programme Ghulam Ishagzai addressed the event.

Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva viewed an exhibition comprising handicrafts dedicated to the International Peace Day in the Seaside National Park.

Art examples created by disabled people on peace, as well as thematic entertainment corners were visited at the exhibition.

Leyla Aliyeva talked with the authors of handicrafts being displayed here, took interest in the process of the works’ creation, and wished successes them in their future creative activities.

Leyla Aliyeva met also with sportsmen of BOCCIA Sports Federation. Establishment of BOCCIA sport in our country was realized following Leyla Aliyeva’s initiative. Entered on the programme of the Paralympic Games in 1984, BOCCIA sport has enjoyed rapid popularity in the course of 34 years, having been advanced in 50 countries. Since 2013, promotion of the BOCCIA sports type started by the Azerbaijan National Paralympic Committee, and a national team was formed on this type of sport. Children, youth and elderly with serious degree of disability may try this sports type, a novelty for the Azerbaijani sport.

Leyla Aliyeva, together with children, released doves - the symbol of peace - into the sky.

Participants of the event made another symbolic gesture of the International Peace Day. They left handprints on a board using colour paints.

Dance groups comprising disabled persons and children from child creativity centres performed in the Seaside National Park with music programmes. One of the interesting facts is that among those dancing were also children with hearing disability.

The International Peace Day was initiated by the UN General Assembly in 1981. In 2001, the General Assembly decided to celebrate the International Peace Day as the day of nonviolence and ceasefire. This significant day starts with sounding the “Peace Bell” located in the headquarters of the UN in New York. A present from the Japanese parliament, this bell has the words “Long live absolute world peace” on it.