Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's speech at the UN General Assembly drew criticism from opposition figures. In particular, Ganimat Zayidov, editor-in-chief of the Azadliq newspaper, and Gulu Mammadli expressed the opinion that the president's data on the country's socioeconomic situation did not reflect reality.

Zayidov noted the small number of people in the audience during his speech, while Mammadli emphasized that the unemployment rate, in his opinion, is significantly higher than stated, and the standard of living leaves much to be desired. Opposition members claim that the situation in the country is worsening as a result of Aliyev's long-standing rule.

"When he said that unemployment in Azerbaijan was 5%, there were only 12 people in the audience, five of whom were accompanying him. In reality, unemployment is around 60%, and the standard of living is lower than in Somalia." "Just three days ago, they 'removed from office' a man (businessman Adnan Ahmedzade), whose fortune, stolen from the Azerbaijani people, amounts to 5-6 billion dollars. All of this is the result of 32 years of dictatorial rule," Gulu Mammadli stated.