Statement delivered by H.E. Andranik Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia during the General Debate under Agenda Item 8 of the 46th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

19 March, 2021

HRC 46^th Session: Item 8: Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

Delivered by Amb. Andranik Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative

President,

The Vienna Declaration and Program of Action stipulated that the efforts of the UN towards the universal observance for human rights for all contribute to the stability and well-being necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among nations.

It is in this spirit that we pursue the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the respect of human rights, including the right to self-determination as one of the purposes of the UN Charter in developing friendly relations and strengthening the peace.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not settled. On November 9, 2020 leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan issued a statement that aimed at restoring the ceasefire and reaffirming the security. It contained some provisions concerning the conflict settlement, however, it did not address its root causes and key elements, and the most important among them is the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The internationally agreed format of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution is the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, which is comprised of Russia, France and the USA. On December 3, 2020 the Co-chair countries issued statement reiterating “their consistent and united position in favor of a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining core substantive issues of the conflict in line with the basic principles and elements.”

These principles have been outlined by the Co-chairs on numerous occasions and they include the self-determination of people of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as their right to determine final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh through legally binding expression of will.

At all stages of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenia has been in favor of its exclusively peaceful settlement and we will continue to strive for a just, durable and dignified peace.

I thank you.

1st Right of Reply

Vice President,

My delegation asked for the right of reply in response to the statement made by Azerbaijan. At the outset we would like to reiterate once again that at all stages of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenia has been in favor of its exclusively peaceful settlement and we will continue to strive for a just, durable and dignified peace.

There is a stark contrast between statements and state induced Armenophobia in Azerbaijan, where internet is regularly shut down, human rights defenders and journalists are being tortured, jailed, abducted from the territories of third countries and occasionally killed, where rallies are only allowed if an enraged crowd calls for “death to Armenians”.

We would like to bring to the attention of this Council the few examples of just the last ten days. On March 8, on International women’s day the rally with the calls to end femicide and violence against women in Azerbaijan was brutally suppressed by extensive use of force. Freedom House stated in this regard “For third year in a raw Azerbaijani authorities have cracked down on the International Women’s Day march, rejecting organizers’ permit application, detaining activists, and shutting down public transportation in a brazen violation of the freedom of assembly”. There are credible reports on government-led smear campaign against women’s rights defenders, in particular through publication of private content. Videotaping of apartments and hotel rooms of human rights activists and journalists with further blackmail and then broadcasting is one the most widely used and utterly shocking tactics in this country for the last decades. In the most recent incident Azerbaijani blogger in exile Mahammad Mirzali who runs a video blog and criticizes Azerbaijani authorities, has been blackmailed with the video that was made in the house of his sister. According to the report by the Committee to Protect Journalists several days ago Mirzali was stubbed and severally injured by six attackers who also attempted to cut out his tongue.

As to the provisions of November 9 statement, we would like to remind Azerbaijan about Armenian prisoners of war and detainees. the European Court of Human Rights issued a final notice to Azerbaijan with request to provide information on their fate and whereabouts. Most recently Court has decided to notify the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the subject, noting that Azerbaijan has failed to respect time-limits set by the Court. There are currently 188 active interim measures applied against Azerbaijan with respect to the Armenian captives. Non-implementation of interim measures amounts to violation of the internationally legally binding obligations of Azerbaijan.

I thank you.

2nd Right of Reply

President,

We have to remind to the delegation of Azerbaijan that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, its causes and consequences is the most vivid example of outright denial of the basic human rights. Peace is never built by multiplying impunity. Peace can’t be built on the ruins of justice.

Four days ago, the President of Azerbaijan declared that he will erase Armenian inscriptions from the ancient Armenian churches, because he believes they are fake. In its Orwelian reality Azerbaijan believes that it can change history by the wish of authorities. Azerbaijan is convinced that its crimes will be left unpunished. A country that has been in the center of basically all international corruption related scandals of the last decade by breeding and exporting corruption, a country that undermined values, laws and institutions, is convinced that aggressive militarism, terror, threats and impunity will make their way.

Facing huge magnitude of human rights related criticism Azerbaijan fails to make use of the human rights instruments to reverse its dire record of gross violations. Instead, it tries to shift the attention to the conflict related matters to conceal its unapologetic crackdown on human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Vice President,

The earliest just settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an immediate imperative for all who are interested in turning the South Caucasus into a peaceful, stable and prosperous region. No durable solution is possible at the expense of fundamental human rights of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh.

I thank you

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