Statement by Ms. Varduhi Melikyan, Counsellor of the Mission of Armenia to the UN at the UNGA80 Sixth Committee under agenda item “Crimes against Humanity”

14 October, 2025

Madam Vice - Chair,

War crimes and gross violations of international humanitarian law continue to increase in both number and severity. As violent conflicts have tripled in recent years, the UN Human Rights Office recorded a 40 precent increase in civilian deaths during conflicts in 2024. UN data also demonstrates that atrocity crimes are being committed against the most vulnerable groups, particularly children. We are facing the mounting challenges of displacements, with armed conflicts remaining among the main drivers.

The multilateral system faces serious challenges for addressing the growing accountability gap. We underscore the important role of the international justice system at all stages of conflicts and post-conflict situations, as well as its contribution to the prevention of violations. From that perspective we firmly believe that international courts, including International Court of Justice, must be adequately resourced.

The progressive development and strengthening of international law, especially international humanitarian law is essential from this perspective. Armenia strongly supports the ongoing process of elaborating of the Convention of Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity and hopes that the upcoming Conference of Plenipotentiaries will serve as a result-oriented platform ensuring smooth launch of negotiations.

Last year Armenia joined the International Criminal Court. The prevention of genocide and other atrocity crimes has long been the cornerstone of Armenia’s foreign policy. The ratification of the Rome Statute gave us additional impetus to develop our national legislation. We are currently developing several legislative initiatives, including Draft Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters which will enable full participation in the activities of the ICC and deepen our cooperation with the Court.

Madam Vice- Chair,

The prevention efforts require genuine multi-stockholder approach, one that ensures the voices of states, international mechanisms, civil society, academia, specialized institutions, victims and survivors are heard and valued equally. With this understanding Armenia hosts biennial Global Forum on the Crime of Genocide in Yerevan. Last December, the 5^th Forum was focused on strengthening the effectiveness of international mechanisms for early warning and early response to the risk of genocide and other atrocity crimes.

Armenia welcomed and joined the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law. We believe this constructive platform has a potential to address the existing gaps in number of areas, including the use of Information and communication technologies in modern warfare.

The biennial Resolution on the Prevention of Genocide initiated by Armenia at the Human Rights Council provides a robust framework for addressing key issues and strengthening synergies across the UN system. In 2015, upon Armenia’s initiative, the General Assembly unanimously proclaimed 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime. Building on this milestone in 2025 Armenia tabled a resolution to convene a High-Level marking the 10^th Anniversary of the International Day. The meeting will serve an important occasion for member states and other stakeholders to assess the progress, reflect on challenges and strengthen multilateral cooperation.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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