U.S. to host international conference on ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis in Armenia
Baku, June 23, AZERTAC
On June 24, an international conference titled "The Right of Return and Self-Determination: Double Standards and Selective Approaches" will be held at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., organized by the Baku Initiative Group.
This marks the first time that an event specifically addressing the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis by Armenia will be hosted inside the U.S. Congress.
The conference will gather experts specializing in the protection of the rights of refugees and national minorities, human rights defenders, international law specialists, and representatives of civil society institutions. The event will also bring together delegates from affected communities and diaspora organizations that have faced violence, discrimination, and persecution based on their ethnicity.
The participants will focus their discussions on ensuring that international organizations permanently prioritize the recognition of fundamental rights—specifically, the right to a safe, voluntary, and dignified return to historical homelands. This issue will be examined through the lens of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who were forcibly expelled from their historical lands within the territory of Armenia as a result of a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing.
The gathering will feature a broad exchange of views on providing a legal assessment under international law regarding the systematic destruction, desecration, and appropriation of the cultural, religious, and historical heritage of the Azerbaijani people remaining in Armenia. This includes the erasure or alteration of toponyms, mosques, cemeteries, shrines, and other historic monuments.
Furthermore, the sessions will explore avenues for bringing these violations before international accountability and monitoring mechanisms within the UN framework and its relevant bodies. The participants will discuss on-site investigation and documentation, the deployment of dedicated fact-finding missions, and the development of specialized investigative and reporting frameworks through UN special rapporteurs and other international mandate holders.
Additionally, the conference will address the realization of the right to self-determination for peoples suffering under colonialism. In particular, discussions will center on advancing the inclusion of colonies on the UN agenda under the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories scheduled for decolonization.
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