HRC 49: Interactive dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children and armed conflict, Ms. Virginia Gamba Delivered by Mrs. Zoya Stepanyan, First Secretary

16 March, 2022

15 March 2022

HRC 49: Interactive dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children and armed conflict, Ms. Virginia Gamba

Delivered by Mrs. Zoya Stepanyan, First Secretary

Mr. President,

Armenia welcomes the Special Representative and thanks for her continued engagement with the Council. We warmly congratulate Madam Gamba on the occasion of 25^th anniversary of the creation of the mandate.

Neither global health care crises, nor the calls of the Secretary General for the global ceasefire stopped aggressive militarism and the victimization of the most vulnerable.

As the world gradually recovers from the pandemic, another humanitarian disaster is unfolding in our region. 15 months after secession of active hostilities Azerbaijan has blown up gas pipeline in Nagorno-Karabakh exercising a collective punishment and imposing unbearable living conditions upon its indigenous people. Children in Nagorno-Karabakh are freezing in this winter conditions just for having Armenian ethnic origin. Continued shelling of vilages and specifically schools is accompanied by the non stop threats from loudspeakers to terrorize the civilians. In the absence of voices in defense of their rights, this evil roar is all that the children in Artsakh hear.

Azerbaijan is apparently inspired by impunity it enjoyed for committing war crimes during its aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh, when again the first victims were children, who were killed by brutal and indiscriminate bombardments including by cluster munition and incendiary weapons.

I thank you.

Right of Reply

President,

Armenia exercises its right of reply to Azerbaijan.

During the previous, 48^th Session of this Council we warned about racism and hate speech in Azerbaijan. Armenia stated on the record that high ranking Azerbaijani officials were posting photos of Stepanakert, capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, deprived of electricity and water and calling it (I quote) “an Armenian reservation, which will submit to Azerbaijan or will flee” (end of the quote). They were threatening the people of Nagorno-Karabakh with cold winters without electricity and water. Back in October the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan denied those statements. However, at this very moment we witness how those calls have materialized. It has been more than a week now since Azerbaijan cut the energy supply to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The news agencies were showing earlier today the children hospital in Stepanakert where the patients were literally freezing in the cold winter conditions. Children cannot attend schools because there is no heating. Furthermore, Azerbaijan keeps under fire the Armenian villages in vicinity to the line of contact.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan uses loudspeakers to intimidate civilians and call them to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, otherwise threatening to use force against them. Some villages have already evacuated their children and elderly, which came to add to another 40.000 Armenians who were displaced by the recent war. The displaced people are double victimized since many of them do not have yet adequate housing and living conditions.

There are many shocking images coming from Nagorno-Karabakh. Instead of exercising the right of reply under this agenda item we could have just shared those photos and videos to this august Council.

After three consecutive wars imposed upon people of Nagorno Karabakh in the course of 30 years and after decades of a foreign domination marked by ethnic cleansing and massacres, Azerbaijan now explores new methods of terror.

Certainly, Azerbaijan takes advantage of the disarray the world found itself to finalize its long-term plan of ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh. It also takes advantage of the near absence of international organizations in Nagorno-Karabakh. For many years Azerbaijan has hindered the access of international organizations to Nagorno-Karabakh to carry out its heinous plans without any foreign scrutiny.

However, we believe that in no circumstances the international community should give a blank license to Azerbaijan to pursue its ethnic cleansing campaign.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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