On August 11, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening of the Nakhchivan Regional DOST Centre of the DOST Agency under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population.

AZERTAC reports that Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population Anar Aliyev informed the President and the First Lady about the facilities created at the centre.

It was reported that 164 social services will be provided to the public at this centre. The centre will employ 117 staff members and 50 volunteers, and is expected to serve an average of 500–600 citizens per day.

All services have been organised based on the “one-stop shop” principle and will be provided to the residents of Nakhchivan in a convenient, efficient and accessible manner. This approach enables various social services – including pensions, labour and employment, social benefits, disability, adoption and other social services – to be provided transparently in a single location.

Medical and social assessments of persons with disabilities will also be carried out at the centre. They will be provided with rehabilitation aids according to their individual needs, while referrals to specialised rehabilitation institutions for rehabilitation services will also be arranged.

The President and the First Lady also viewed prostheses produced by leading international manufacturers. These prostheses enable users to move naturally, freely and safely, adapt to different surfaces and speeds, and integrate more quickly into social and working life. To date, 620 high-tech prostheses have been provided to more than 500 servicemen. In addition, nearly 300 persons with war-related disabilities have regained their health through high-tech rehabilitation and medical-social services.

The provision of high-tech prostheses to persons with war-related disabilities in Azerbaijan was initiated by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, distinguished by its noble activities.

As a result of the state’s social protection policy aimed at strengthening the provision of rehabilitation aids to persons with disabilities, the range of rehabilitation aids has increased from 57 to 130 types. Since the beginning of this year, persons with disabilities have been provided with nearly 300 thousand  different rehabilitation aids.

The President and the First Lady viewed an exhibition of handicrafts prepared by beneficiaries of the Ministry’s inclusive centres, including wood carving, carpet weaving, pottery, fine arts, stained glass, floristry and other forms of art. The “dostart.az” portal, established to identify the creative potential of persons from vulnerable groups and support their economic activity, enables these handicrafts to be sold online and makes an important contribution to their integration into the labour market.

The project of the Nakhchivan DOST Inclusive Development and Creativity Centre, which is planned to be established on the basis of the Nakhchivan Regional Information Centre, was also presented to President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

It was noted that social skills development services currently provided to persons with disabilities in 13 areas are planned to be expanded to 20 areas at the new centre.

Social reforms implemented in Azerbaijan in recent years have received high international recognition, with more than 300 awards and certificates from various international organisations. Among them is the United Nations Public Service Award for the initiative “Inclusive and Equal Social Protection Services for All”.

The DOST centres, established at the initiative of First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, have contributed to the formation of a qualitatively new stage in the provision of social services. To date, 164 types of services have been provided to citizens at these centres, with a total of 4.6 million social services delivered. The satisfaction rate with the services has been approximately 99 percent.

Work on expanding the DOST network across the country is currently continuing. In 2026–2027, DOST reception offices are planned to be established in all district centres of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while by 2030, an extensive nationwide service network consisting of 18 DOST centres, 60 branches and service points is planned to be established.