Statement by Mr. Aram Hakobyan, Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN at the UNGA78 Third Committee General Discussion

30 October, 2023

Mr. Chair,

Equality in all spheres of life and prohibition of discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic or social origin, religion, or any other personal or social circumstances are embedded in the national legislation of Armenia.

We are of the view that hate speech, discrimination and xenophobia in any form or manifestation should be condemned fully and unequivocally. Respect for and protection of all rights and freedoms is indispensable for promoting tolerance and non-discrimination within and between societies.

In the current digital era, hate propaganda is often amplified by information technologies, making it easier to program and brainwash large segments of society. Political leaders, academia, civil society and media bear special responsibility in curtailing hate speech, hate propaganda and indoctrination, both online and offline. Unfortunately, time and again, we have seen some of these same actors incite hatred and hate crimes, deny and justify past crimes, including in our own region. Hate speech at the high level can serve as an official instruction to its constituents to hate, which can easily translate into violence and hate crimes. Institutionalized hate speech targeting ethnic and religious groups often represents the root cause of conflicts. Such cases of discrimination and xenophobia are early warning signs, which, if unaddressed, pave the way for atrocity crimes.

Mr. Chair,

As a point in case, in our own region, Armenians have long been a target of state-led hate-propaganda and xenophobia in the neighboring Azerbaijan, including at the highest level. International and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations have extensively documented this fact.

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination sets the general framework and standards in terms of countering the challenges related to the elimination of all kinds of discrimination. The Convention similarly creates judicial basis for settling international disputes. In this vein, in 2021 Armenia instituted proceedings against Azerbaijan before the International Court of Justice with regard to violations of the ICERD.

Based on Armenia’s requests, the Court has instituted several orders of provisional measures. including on 7 December 2021 indicating that Azerbaijan shall, inter alia, “Take all necessary measures to prevent the incitement and promotion of racial hatred and discrimination, including by its officials and public institutions, targeted at persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin”.

Armenia is fully committed to eradicating racism and all other forms of discrimination both nationally and internationally. In this context, we emphasize the importance of complying with the recommendations contained in the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Mr. Chair,

The International Covenants on Political and Civil Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, empower people to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development, reflecting the strong interlinkage between the universal realization of the right to self-determination and the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Armenia attaches special importance to the international protection of collective human rights, including the respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, as enshrined in the UN Charter.

Any attempt to suppress by use of force the aspirations of the people to live in freedom and dignity should be viewed as a challenge to the purposes of this Organization and as gross violation of human rights, and be firmly rejected by the international community.

Thank you.

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