The entrenched culture of systematic violations of human rights in Azerbaijan and the continued war-mongering and refusal to achieve a swift and negotiated peace agreement represents an actual physical threat to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia’s Permanent Representative to UN, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, said the aforementioned at the open discussion entitled “Respect for the principles and purposes of the Charter as a key element for the maintenance of international peace and security.”
In his speech, Ambassador Mnatsakanyan thanked the UN Secretary General for his comprehensive and adamant position over the three fundamental directions – peace, development and human rights. He noted that the human history has been accompanied by conflicts, wars and achievements, but it has also been full of examples of peoples’ struggle for self-determination, independence and freedom. Mnatsakanyan added that the Charter is based on valuing the fundamental human rights, dignity and human identity, and it is due to these fundamental principles that UN currently unites 193 states.
The Ambassador went on to say that the people’s right to self determination and their voice is often drowned in the justification and abuse of the principles of sovereignty, non-interference and territorial integrity. And this results in a political culture of repression, systematic violations of human rights and a disregard for the rule of law.
According to the Ambassador, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh effectively won their right to self-determination, whereas the entrenched culture of systematic violations of human rights in Azerbaijan and the continued war-mongering, as well as refusal to achieve a swift and negotiated peace agreement through the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group represents an actual physical threat to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Mnastakanyan attached great importance to the united support of the international community to the negotiation process, since it will at least prevent the ”refusing party” from deviating from the settlement principles.
Referring to the principle of autonomy, the Armenian Ambassador noted that it includes responsibility, whereas irresponsible autonomy poses a threat to the international peace and security. In his words, the responsibility of the states to build a peaceful and inclusive society is as important as autonomy. Mnatsakanyan stressed that the international cooperation for that purpose is no less convincing in terms of maintaining international peace.
