Baku Initiative Group expands activities, targets colonial-era injustices

The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) has significantly broadened the scope of its activities over the past year, according to the organisation’s executive director, Abbas Abbasov.

Speaking to journalists, Abbasov highlighted that the group is now advancing several international projects that reflect its expanding role in global decolonisation efforts.

“An important part of the decolonisation process is reparations,” Abbasov said. “Within this framework, we have already begun implementing international projects and organising conferences at the global level.”

He emphasised that BIG has placed particular focus on exposing and addressing the legacy of Belgian colonialism, as well as other colonial practices of the 18th–20th centuries that were directed against humanity. While public awareness of these historical injustices has grown, Abbasov noted that international organisations have yet to respond adequately.

“We, as an international non-governmental organisation, strive to bring these issues to the global agenda and achieve fair compensation,” he said.

According to Abbasov, the group has already established cooperation with representatives from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support efforts toward securing reparations under international law. “We are confident that after the first steps toward reparations, the international community’s attention to this topic will increase,” he added.

Abbasov also underscored that BIG’s work is not driven by commercial or political motives. “We do not cooperate with specific states for commercial purposes,” he explained. “Instead, we consider appeals from representatives of formerly enslaved or colonised territories and build international partnerships with them.”

Founded on July 6, 2023, in Baku, the Baku Initiative Group is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting global partnerships in decolonisation and human rights.

The organisation was established by participants of the conference “Towards the Total Elimination of Colonialism,” held as part of the Non-Aligned Movement ministerial meeting under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship.

Since its inception, BIG has actively supported the freedom and independence movements of people living under colonial or neocolonial domination. In addition to its core mission, the organisation promotes women’s empowerment, human rights protection, environmental sustainability, and cultural exchange initiatives—combining solidarity with practical action.

Committed to justice and equality, BIG continues to advocate for communities across the world that remain affected by colonial structures in the 21st century, reaffirming its role as a catalyst for decolonisation and global cooperation.

By Tamilla Hasanova