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From May 6-8, 2013 the first Club de Madrid South Caucasus Forum on Inclusion in Azerbaijan will be held in the Azerbaijan cities of Ganja and Baku. The Forum will bring together some 30 heads of state, including the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, 12 Club de Madrid Members and 12 Nizami Ganjavi International Center Members, as well as over 200 high level experts, stakeholders, scholars and civil society representatives.

The Nizami Ganjavi International Center, which initiated putting this first of its kind Forum together, plays an outstanding role in contributing to a socially inclusive society in the region, which has also been acknowledged by His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama who has praised the important and honorable work of the center.[1] Much of this outstanding work has to be attributed to the outstanding leadership role played by its Executive Director, Mr. Rovshan Muradov. His foresight and visionary approach have contributed greatly to make this Forum happen.

Throughout the setting of the Forum participants will address democracy-related issues like inclusion, shared societies and women’s economic, social and political empowerment. The Global Partnerships Forum will also contribute to the Forum through the participation of its Chairman, Mr. Amir  A. Dossal in a panel on “EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH TECHNOLOGY”. This session will in particular explore the practical matters of empowering women through increased access to high-speed and high-bandwidth wireless services, promotion of financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and access to training. The set-up of this important panel is particularly owed to the inspring work of Lilie Fournier, Founder of Women's Day Live, which is a powerful initiative that brings together visionary world leaders, NGOs, governments, celebrities, corporations, technology, telecommunications and global media platforms to accelerate the social, economic and political participation of women and girls.

The most important session of the Forum will be held in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, from 7th to 8^th May. This gathering will allow for the presentation of key messages and commitments of the Club de Madrid’s Shared Societies Project and thus raise awareness and contribute to building a shared society in Azerbaijan.

The South Caucasus Forum on Inclusion will start with a workshop on women empowerment to be held in the second city of Azerbaijan, Ganja. The agenda to this session will cover three thematic areas: women in politics and policy making, women and peace building and women in the labour market. 

Further attendees to the Forum include HM Queen Noor of Jordan; MP Dora Bakoyannis, Ehud Barack, former Minister of Defense of Israel will join Nizami Ganjavi International Center Members Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria, Suleyman Demirel, ninth President of the Republic of Turkey, Vaira Vike Freiberga, Co-Chair of the Nizami Gangavi Internacional Center and Club de Madrid Member, M.S Swaminathan and democratic former Heads of State and Members of the Club de Madrid, Wim Kok, Jorge Quiroga, Ricardo Lagos, Cassam Uteem, Jennifer M. Shipley and others. 

The Nizami Ganjavi International Center, a cultural, non-profit, non-political organization dedicated to the memory of Azerbaijan poet, Nizami Ganjavi, with the support of the State Committee for the work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan has invited the Club de Madrid, the largest forum of democratically elected former Presidents and Prime Ministers, to co-organize this first “Club de Madrid South Caucasus Forum on Inclusion; Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Building Shared Societies in Azerbaijan” which is aimed at sharing the experience and vision of the Members of the Club de Madrid with that of authorities and stakeholders in Azerbaijan particularly on the issues of Shared Societies and women’s empowerment. This will be the first Club de Madrid forum in the Caucasus.