Remarks by H.E. Mr. Vahe Gevorgyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia at the UNSC Open Debate on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict

23 May, 2023

Madame President,

I would like to express my appreciation to Switzerland for placing protection of civilians among its Council presidency priorities. I thank Secretary-General António Guterres and President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger for reflecting on the current and evolving challenges of protection of civilians in armed conflicts, in particular the issues of addressing food insecurity and protection of critical civilian infrastructure in conflict situations. The presence and the intervention of the President of Switzerland Alain Berset during this debate demonstrates the high importance and urgency related to the protection of civilians.

I would like to acknowledge Switzerland’s outstanding historic record in humanitarian affairs, as the birthplace of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Today, 160 years after founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross, its role continues to remain even more pertinent for alleviating the suffering of the civilians trapped in conflicts, bringing back home the prisoners of war and ensuring that humanitarian aid is accessible to all those in need.

Deliberate targeting of civilian population and objects indispensable for their survival, disruption of supplies of essential goods, denial of international humanitarian access, using starvation as a method of warfare and collective punishment constitute a war crime and thus threat to lives and well-being of civilians living in conflict zones.

In this regard, we would like to underscore the critical importance of full and unconditional implementation of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. The UN Security Council plays a key role in ensuring full adherence of the states to their legally binding obligations under the international humanitarian law.

Madame President,

Since 12 December 2022 Azerbaijan has imposed a blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh in a blatant violation of the international humanitarian law and the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020. For 6 months now a population of 120.000, including 30000 children suffer from critical shortage of essential goods, including food and medical supplies. The humanitarian situation is further exacerbated by complete disruption of gas and electricity supplies, deterioration of critical infrastructure, as well as regular targeting of civilians conducting agricultural activities, in an attempt to deprive them of the means of subsistence and create unbearable conditions for life. Throughout six month of blockade people living in Nagorno-Karabakh received only 7.5 percent of their usual food and other essential goods supply.

Instead of adhering to the legally binding order of ICJ issued on February 22, 2023, to “take all necessary measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”, the authorities of Azerbaijan installed a checkpoint in the corridor on 23 April, 2023, thus openly assuming their responsibility for the illegal blockade and incompliance with the Court’s Order.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan is continuously hindering the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation to address the immediate life-saving needs of the conflict-affected population, transfer patients for urgent treatment and deliver essential goods to the remote settlements. So far it has not been possible to ensure the UN and its agencies access and involvement on the ground leaving Nagorno-Karabakh and its people out of UN radar for a quite a long time. The collective pledge of leaving no one behind is yet to be fulfilled for them.

All these unlawful actions on the ground accompanied with decades-long policy of promoting anti-Armenian hatred and xenophobia, clearly indicate the genocidal intent of Azerbaijan, with a final goal of the total ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Madame President,

December last year the Security Council has already discussed the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh caused by the closure of the Lachin corridor. Since then the situation on the ground has been only deteriorating inflicting further suffering on civilians. We hope that, as a primary body responsible for the maintenance of the international peace and security, the Security Council will remain seized of the matter and in line with its mandate will ensure dignity, physical security and fundamental human rights of people, in line with the international humanitarian law and the international human rights law.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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