HRC 49: Debate in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Theme: Voices for action against racism: Delivered by Mrs. Zoya Stepanyan, First Secretary

28 March, 2022

28 March 2022

HRC 49: Debate in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Theme: Voices for action against racism

Delivered by Mrs. Zoya Stepanyan, First Secretary

Mr. President,

Armenia thanks the High Commissioner for her remarks. We also extend our appreciation to the panelists for their insightful presentations.

The theme for today’s discussion tackles the issue of response to the voices of oppressed and to the crime of racism in all its manifestations. We believe those responses should be prompt and institutionalized. Racial and ethnic hatred nourish mass atrocities, wars and genocides.

From March 8^th Azerbaijan has cut the gas supply for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh amid severe winter conditions. For 20 days Azerbaijan has been exercising collective punishment of around 120.000 Armenians only due to their ethnic origin. This is a clear-cut case of racial discrimination, however, far not the sole one.

In fall 2020 Azerbaijan started a brutal war against peaceful population of Nagorno Karabakh, a war that can serve as a textbook example of racially motivated atrocity crimes.

The International Court of Justice has recently ruled that Azerbaijan must take all necessary measures to prevent the incitement and promotion of racial hatred and discrimination targeted at persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin by its officials and public institutions. Those two categories were specifically mentioned in Court’s ruling.

As we speak Nagorno Karabakh faces another wave of aggression and ethnic cleansing, accompanied by extreme racist rhetoric rooted in centuries old hatred, prejudices and colonial narratives about Armenians. We cannot expect any voices of discontent from Azerbaijani human rights defenders or civil society. Those who ever dared were either jailed, killed or fled the country. But the rest of us must speak up. Thank you.

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