HRC 55th Session: Item 3: interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment

06 March, 2024

Delivered by Ms Shogher Sahakyan

President,

Armenia welcomes the reports of the Special Rapporteur.

We concur that to achieve a clean, healthy, and sustainable future there is an urgent need to transform the role of large businesses that carry responsibility for devastating environmental impacts. We further agree that the States have primary obligation to protect the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment from harms generated by those businesses.

We appreciate the emphasis on the Indigenous Peoples’ rights in this context. We believe that environmental issues should not be politicized and instrumentalized as was done by Azerbaijan at the beginning of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh when the indigenous Armenian population was deprived of essential supplies and was subjected to starvation. Moreover, Azerbaijan used false accusations against Armenia regarding the construction of the metallurgical factory and opened fire in its direction. As a result, two foreign nationals were injured.

The environment does not recognize borders. Its safeguarding and preservation require transboundary approach and cooperation. Throughout the years Azerbaijan, regardless of numerous international efforts to put together regional projects on the protection of environment, has refused to cooperate with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

I thank you.

Right of reply.

Mr. President,

We exercise our right of reply to Azerbaijan.

After forcibly expelling the indigenous Armenian population, Azerbaijan now wipes out any traces of the Armenian presence in Nagorno-Karabakh and is engaged in ethno-demographic engineering. The complete demolition of the Armenian Holy Mother of God Church was documented by the BBC reporters in 2020. The Human Rights Watch referred to the war time attacks against the Armenian church as a possible war crime. There are numerous other examples.

However, this is not a new practice adhered by Azerbaijan. The Armenian monuments were erased in Azerbaijan systematically and continuously. Amongst the most notorious examples is the complete annihilation of Armenian heritage in Nakhijevan, which included 89 medieval churches, 5 840 cross-stones, and 22 000 ancient tombstones. It was done in the peacetime period, far from any conflict zone.

Armenia is also gravely concerned at the attempts for the appropriation of the Armenian cultural and religious sites. Azerbaijan officialy announced its decision to review and revise the cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh. With many Armenian religious sites already destroyed and misappropriated, this decision threatens with the elimination of the remaining ones.

The Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights have recently stated in this regard that (and I quote) “the International Court of Justice, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe have all expressed concerns about a developing narrative in Azerbaijan promoting a ‘Caucasian Albanian’ heritage to replace ‘Armenian’ cultural heritage and the revisionist tendency negating Armenian cultural heritage and presence. The vast majority of experts in the region’s art, architecture, and archaeology have all rejected the revisionist claims as false.” (end of quote).

Mr. President,

For years Azerbaijan also grossly violated the rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The use of chemical, incendiary weapons containing elements of phosphorus in Nagorno-Karabakh was only one example. Another example is the massive deforestation for the reasons of road construction.

The accusation by Azerbaijan on alleged damage caused by the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are completely groundless. Indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh had simply exercised its rights for ensuring means of subsistence, especially during the inhumane siege imposed against them by Azerbaijan

Furthermore, Azerbaijan solely rejected any attempts of international organizations to conduct joint regional environmental projects. Such attempts were made, in particular, by ENVSEC for water monitoring and the OSCE-led environmental mission.

I thank you

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