Azerbaijan takes unprecedented stand against French neocolonialism, expert says

Azerbaijan has been playing an unprecedented role on the global stage in the fight against French neocolonialism, PhD in colonialism, Louis Philippe Patrick De Jongh Filho, said in his article published by Contemporary magazine.

Filho, in preparing his article, attended two UN meetings organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), conducted a series of interviews in Azerbaijan, and analyzed relevant literature to assess the country’s contribution to the global struggle against French neocolonialism, Caliber.Az reports.

The author argues that despite the global community’s formal departure from colonialism in the 20th century, some nations, notably France, continue to exert control over certain territories, which they term "overseas territories."

Filho points out, however, that these territories are, in fact, colonial possessions. He further highlighted that the indigenous populations in these territories resist French dominance, although France continues to ignore local realities and attempts to assimilate them. Notably, France has not ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention protecting the rights of indigenous peoples, he states.

Filho explains that Azerbaijan's stance on multiculturalism directly opposes the colonial policies of countries like France. Azerbaijan, he argues, promotes the protection of ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity, a policy in stark contrast to France’s assimilationist approach, which erases such diversity. He emphasizes that, in countries like Azerbaijan, Canada, and Australia, the position of ethnic minorities is better protected than in France, which seeks to integrate subordinate peoples and erase their unique identities.

In his article, Filho also references the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, established by a decree from Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev on May 15, 2014. The Center serves as an institutional example of Azerbaijan's defence of multiculturalism on the global stage. This initiative emerged from the Baku Process, launched in December 2008, which promotes intercultural dialogue and tolerance. The aim of the Center is to maintain societal cohesion by fostering respect and dialogue among different ethnic, racial, and religious groups, preventing societal fragmentation.

Abdulla Najafov, a representative of the Center, noted that the institution’s creation reflects Azerbaijan's commitment to promoting its model of multiculturalism to the world.

Filho also examined the educational models of Azerbaijan and France, highlighting the differences in their approaches. He contrasted Azerbaijan’s educational model, which respects cultural and linguistic diversity, with France’s unifying approach, which disregards cultural and linguistic differences. According to Filho, French schools function as tools for governmental control, shaping the minds of the overseas population to align with national interests.

In his research, Filho interviewed BIG representatives and analyzed their activities in fighting neocolonialism. He lauded BIG’s efforts at the UN as groundbreaking and noted the establishment of a special commission within the Azerbaijani Parliament to address decolonization issues—an initiative with no parallel in other countries.

The scholar emphasized that Azerbaijan’s role in combatting French neocolonialism on the world stage is unprecedented, noting that BIG’s actions have drawn significant UN attention to the issue and raised global awareness of the ongoing colonial dynamics. For Azerbaijan, the fight against colonialism is not only a political value but is deeply intertwined with its commitment to multiculturalism as a way of life.

Filho concluded that Azerbaijan’s efforts to challenge French neocolonialism and promote multiculturalism position the country as a key player in the global fight against colonial legacies.

By Vafa Guliyeva