Baku, August 29, AZERTAC

The International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) appeals to the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, to seriously consider the recommendation adopted by the European Parliament of 5 July 2017 to the Council concerning the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (2017/2041(INI)).

On June 9, 2017, the report was submitted to the committee. After discussion, amendments, and final vote, the recommendation was adopted on July 5, 2017.

In the proposed and adopted amendments, Azerbaijan's position is clearly infringed upon. The final version of the recommendation ignores the real facts about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and misleads the reader.

The adopted recommendation requires a serious and thorough revision, as it does not comply with the norms of international law and does not reflect the official position of the United Nations on the conflict, which has lasted for more than a quarter of a century.

The International Eurasia Press Fund believes that public organizations, as well as various structures, should join this appeal and call for a fair assessment of the recommendation proposed by the European Parliament, which will be considered during the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly to be open on Tuesday, 12 September 2017. The general debate will be held from 19 to 23 September.

Bellow you can read the proposed and then amended text:

9 June 2017

(a) to continue to call for the full respect of the sovereignty, internationally recognised borders and the territorial integrity of Eastern European and South Caucasus countries, including Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, in light of the violations of international law in these areas; to support and reinvigorate diplomatic efforts for a peaceful and sustainable settlement of these ongoing and protracted conflicts including the conflict in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and for the respect of human rights on the ground; to urge the international community to implement fully the policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea; to actively increase pressure on Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, in order to resolve the conflict in Ukraine in line with the Minsk agreements as well as the occupation of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; to find a geopolitical balance that rejects all aspirations for exclusive spheres of influence;

5 July 2017

(a) to continue to call for the full respect of the sovereignty, internationally recognised borders and the territorial integrity of Eastern European and South Caucasus countries, namely Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, in light of the violations of international law in these areas; to support and reinvigorate diplomatic efforts for a peaceful and sustainable settlement of these ongoing and protracted conflicts as well as the conflict in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and for the respect of human rights and territorial integrity, non-use of force, and equal rights and self-determination of the peoples on the ground; to urge the international community to implement fully the policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea; to actively increase pressure on Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, in order to resolve the conflict in Ukraine in line with the Minsk agreements as well as the occupation of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; to find a geopolitical balance that rejects all aspirations for exclusive spheres of influence.

AZERTAC presents the text of IEPF`s appeal.

“Dear Mr. António Guterres,

We address you on behalf of the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) to request that you consider, with particular attention, the recommendation adopted by the European Parliament of 5 July 2017 to the Council concerning the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (2017/2041(INI)). A careful look will show you that this recommendation consists of an unjust approach to Azerbaijan and does not reflect the objective reality of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In its recommendation of July 5, 2017, the European Parliament recalls that the EU should play a proactive part in building a United Nations that can contribute effectively to global solutions, peace and security, human rights, development, democracy and a rule-of-law-based international order.

The resolution calls for the full respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of such states as Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. It also called on the international community to fully implement a policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of the Crimea. In regards to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict it calls for the respect of human rights and territorial integrity, non-use of force, and equal rights and self-determination of the peoples on the ground.

Sadly, the adopted recommendation does not provide any information about the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, while 20% of this country, including Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 adjacent regions, has been under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces for more than 25 years. Occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven regions are an integral part of Azerbaijan. This is once again reaffirmed by the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions 822, 853, 874, 884 from 1993, demanding immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from the territory of Azerbaijan. As well as in the UN General Assembly Resolutions #A/RES/48/114 of December 20, 1993, entitled "Emergency international assistance to refugees and displaced persons in Azerbaijan", #A/RES/60/285 entitled “The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan”, and #A/RES/62/243 dated March 14, 2008, entitled "The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan".

Since the beginning of the conflict, thousands of innocent citizens of Azerbaijan have suffered from the occupation policy of Armenia and the brutality with which it happened. Only in 1989, with the help of the Soviet army, 270,000 Azerbaijanis were deported from Armenia. At that time, only tens of thousands of Armenians were living in Nagorno-Karabakh. The territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is less than each of the seven adjacent occupied regions. While Armenians are trying to defend the right to self-determination of several thousand of Armenians residing in Nagorno-Karabakh, in Azerbaijan, for the last 30 years, 1.2 million refugees and internally displaced persons, formed as a result of Armenian occupation and military operations, suffer. In Azerbaijan, one out of every 8 persons is a refugee or IDP. This is a catastrophic situation.

On June 16, 2015 the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced its decision related to the case of Chiragov and Others v. Armenia. ECHR stated that Nagorno-Karabakh, Lachin district and other adjoining territories are currently under occupation. The Court confirmed its conclusion from the decision of December 14, 2011, according to which "NKR" is not recognized either by countries or international organizations as a state under international law. Thus, the ECHR confirmed the position of the international community, which overwhelmingly rejected the formation of NKR and refused to recognize the legitimacy of the situation caused by the use of force against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, accompanied by the sad practice of ethnic cleansing and other flagrant violations of the fundamental norms of international law.

Throughout the history of the conflict, Armenian armed forces have destroyed all villages, plural monuments and cultural heritage sites on the occupied territory, while killing civilians with particular cruelty. About 900 settlements, 150,000 houses, 6,000 industrial and agricultural enterprises, and 1,000,000 hectares of crops were destroyed by the Armenian armed forces. Deserted land has not been processed for several decades and remains abandoned. This is one of the terrible ecological disasters of the 21st century.

For almost 3 decades, all the requests of the Azerbaijani people are aimed at calling for justice and for the speediest resolution of this conflict. People want to return back to their homes, which are now under occupation. Everyday, civilians in the villages close to the frontline live with the fear of being killed as a result of regular military provocation from the Armenian side. It is worth noting that there are no civilians in the frontline regions on the Armenian side, while in Azerbaijan’s frontline regions ordinary people continue to live and work. All too often they become a target for Armenian forces. Does this mean that the conflict is frozen?

In order for peace to have a serious chance, we need to talk openly about the real facts of the conflict and identify the main aggressor.

Since the beginning of the conflict, the world community has not paid enough attention to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Maybe here is the reason why there are so many similar conflicts taking place in other post-Soviet countries like Moldova, Georgia and recently in Ukraine. A one-sided and biased approach will never change the situation and, foremost, will only deepen the wounds fueling the conflict. We are not sure that all those who voted for the adoption of the recommendation are familiar with the real situation in the region and we believe this led the the recommendation with such amendments being adopted.

It seems obvious that the interests of the superpowers, not the norms of international law, prevail in this issue. Otherwise, there would never be such an attitude towards the conflict, which has already taken so many lives. The name of the main aggressor and occupant has to be loudly said and not hidden under the word "parties of the conflict".

With regards to the adoption of the preconceived recommendation of the European Parliament to the Council, we, the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF), an international non-governmental organization in Azerbaijan with General Consultative status with UN ECOSOC, send you a letter of protest to draw attention to the fact that this document does not reflect the reality of the situation and clearly ignores the position of the United Nations in regards to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The majority of those who work in this organization are refugees or IDPs who have been suffering from the conflict for more than 25 years and who, with pain in their hearts, see the injustice reflected in this recommendation and rely on your support.

Dear Mr. António Guterres,

We earnestly ask you to take a serious look at the recommendation. We support your policy of peaceful resolution of conflicts and partnership with the whole world. We trust and believe that you know about the causes and consequences of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Therefore, we ask you to pay special attention to the adopted recommendation and prevent the injustice from happening. The UN should conduct a fair practice of assessing all facts in order to make the recommendation fair to all parties.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this important matter.”