Statement by Ambassador Mher Margaryan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN, at the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment

25 June, 2024

Mr. Chair,

We thank the keynote speakers of today’s session for highlighting the multiple challenges faced by the humanitarian system and for underscoring the urgency of addressing those challenges through meaningful action.

The report of the Secretary-General serves as a stark reminder that, 75 years after the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, the world is still facing an alarmingly growing rate of violations of international humanitarian law.

The unprecedented rise in attacks against civilians, the use of starvation and the targeting of essential infrastructure as methods of war illustrate the need to reinforce these fundamental legal frameworks and the universally accepted commitments they represent to ensure that humanitarian principles are upheld and protected at all times.

The integrity and credibility of the United Nations depend on its unwavering commitment to these principles, whereas failure to address violations exacerbates conflict and injustices.

The consequences of turning a blind eye are profound and far-reaching, as they extend beyond immediate suffering to undermine and erode the very notion of shared humanity. It is paramount to ensure that no population is left behind and that there are no blind spots where violations can persist unchecked.

The failure to reflect in the report on what transpired in our region in 2023 makes it glaringly evident that, in the case of Nagorno-Karabakh the Organization and its humanitarian arm have been unable to address the violations against the civilian population, when the entire ethnic Armenian population was intentionally starved, attacked militarily and eventually forced into mass displacement from their ancestral homeland.

The blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the viciously planned and executed ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh demonstrate nothing short of a brazen attack against the international humanitarian system, including the ICRC, which has been systematically denied access to the area. Over 100,000 people became displaced and vulnerable, including 30,000 children, in violation of the international humanitarian law and the multiple orders on provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice.

Mr. Chair,

Addressing heinous attacks against the civilians are essential steps towards upholding the international humanitarian law and protecting affected populations.

Armenia is deeply concerned over the ongoing catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where civilians are enduring dire conditions bearing the brunt of the violence and deprivation. We stand firmly with the international community in calling for an immediate ceasefire, as outlined in the resolutions of the UN General Assembly.

Armenia is resolute in fighting atrocity crimes, as exemplified in our decision to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the 124^th state party. Compliance with the legally binding decisions of international courts and tribunals is fundamental in ensuring that justice and human rights prevail over violence and aggression and, as such, remain essential in guiding the work of the Organization.

The United Nations and its operational actors are yet to rise to this challenge, as evidenced in our own region, where the inadequate response (or the lack of thereof) has only served to embolden the perpetrators and their enablers, and as continues to be demonstrated in other parts of the world.

Upholding justice and dignity for all populations affected by conflict must remain the paramount goal for the international humanitarian system to ensure that every violation, wherever or whenever it occurs, is addressed with the urgency and seriousness it demands.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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