Decolonization remains key challenge for humanity, says Azerbaijani MP

Decolonization continues to be one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today, and the international community must work together to find a solution to this problem, according to Nizami Safarov, a member of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis.

Report informs that speaking at a conference in Baku on the French policy of neo-colonialism in Africa, Safarov emphasized that although the modern discourse of decolonization was shaped in the early 20th century and 80 former colonies gained independence, there are still 17 non-self-governing territories worldwide.

"For the peoples living in these territories, the process has not yet reached a logical and legal conclusion," he said.

Safarov noted that in 1945, the population living under colonial slavery was 750 million, and now it stands at 2 million. "However, the efforts of the international community should be aimed at reducing this figure to zero," he stressed.

The Azerbaijani MP added that some countries, particularly France, continue to pursue colonial policies. He highlighted two critical issues that remain unresolved: the payment of reparations to African countries and the return of the colonized peoples' cultural heritage, which European colonial powers, including France, took away and still keep in their countres.