UN Security Council Open Debate, entitled “Protection of Civilians during Armed Conflict” - Statement by Ms. Varduhi Melikyan, Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to[...]

Mr. President,

We thank the Presidency of Mozambique for convening this open debate on the theme "Protection of Civilians during Armed Conflict" and for the Aide mémoire provided. We thank the briefers for their valuable contributions to our debate today.

The international humanitarian and human rights law continue to shape the framework for the effective protection of civilian population. Armenia attaches utmost importance to the full compliance by all parties to conflicts to the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols without any preconditions. Attempts to isolate the population residing in conflict areas from the humanitarian relief efforts or from the application of international humanitarian law under political pretexts should be identified and addressed by the international community.

Mr. President,

Armenia reiterates its steadfast position on the prevalence of justice and accountability. We are constantly reminded that impunity for the past crimes can lead to the most serious violations in the future, the ultimate manifestation of which are genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect has a key role to play in consolidating international efforts and prevention mechanisms through effective monitoring of grave human rights violations and assessing the risks of potential atrocities.

Identifying early warning signs and enhancing accurate reporting capacities of the United Nations, its relevant structures and departments is crucial for countering the systematic policies of promulgation of hate speech, incitement and glorification of violence based on ethnicity or religion, in particular, when such policies are state led. In this context, it is highly regrettable that the recent report of the Secretary-General on the Protection of civilians in armed conflict failed to adequately reflect on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh and the ethnic cleansing of the 120000 population from their ancestral homeland.

The aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and its devastating consequences have been widely discussed on several occasions in this Chamber. Our strong belief is that the humanitarian catastrophe could have been prevented had United Nations and this Council acted effectively and resolutely in addressing the starvation of entire population caused by illegal blockade of the transport corridor, the instances of extrajudicial killings, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment of the civilians.

On 22 September 2023 the Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide issued a statement on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh stressing that "Military action can only contribute to escalate what is already a tense situation and to put the civilian population in the area at risk of violence, including risk of genocide and related atrocity crimes". Violations of humanitarian law by Azerbaijan have been documented by various international humanitarian and human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the UN Committee against Torture in its recent concluding observations of the 5^th periodic report of Azerbaijan published on May 6, 2024.

The expert opinion of the former ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, the reports of the first UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Professor Juan Mendez, circulated as official documents of the Security Council (S/2023/826; S/2023/642) elaborated extensively on a well-planned ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

ICRC has a critical role in protecting civilians during armed conflicts. As an impartial, neutral and independent organization, the ICRC has a unique mandate under international humanitarian law to provide protection and assistance to victims of conflict. The release and repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages remain an urgent humanitarian issue.

Mr. President,

The United Nations and the Security Council have a crucial role in protecting civilians during armed conflict. By pursuing justice for the victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity, we reaffirm our commitment to the universality of the international humanitarian and human rights law thus upholding the dignity and safety of every civilian caught in the situations of armed conflict.

I thank you.