Statement by H.E. Mr. Mher Margaryan, Permanent Representative of Armenia at the UN Security Council Open Debate on “The role of reconciliation in maintaining international peace and security”

19 նոյեմբերի, 2019

Mr. President,

I would like to thank the UK Presidency for choice of the theme for today’s open debate. We thank the Secretary General for highlighting the efforts of the United Nations to promote reconciliation between and within the states and war-torn societies and we took careful note of the remarks offered by the briefers earlier today.

In reflecting on the role and functions of the United Nations aimed at promoting reconciliation, we need to carefully address the challenges and conditions generating gross violations of human rights in certain parts of the world.

While we all recognize that reconciliation is vital for sustaining peace and security, it is obvious that crimes of exceptional scope and magnitude such as genocide require a framework of reconciliation, which entails right to truth, justice, accountability and guarantees of non-recurrence.

The irresponsibility of flaring hate speech, racial and ethnic profiling, glorification of hate crimes, especially led by political leaders, cultivate fertile ground for discrimination and marginalization, which if not addressed, may lead to mass atrocities. Attempts to deny or to justify the crime of genocide, are not only reprehensible, but risk undermining the fight against impunity, reconciliation and efforts to prevent atrocity crimes in the future.

These challenges necessitate strong collective efforts by the member states, international organizations, religious leaders and civil society to overcome the cycle of violence and sustain peace on the basis of human dignity and respect, human rights, including the right to life.

We agree that reconciliation should be incorporated in peace efforts throughout all stages of conflict. Preparing peoples for peace, restoration of the violated human rights and fundamental freedoms are crucial to promote confidence, trust and reconciliation and pave way for the settlement of conflicts. Reconciliation is a process that must occur at individual, societal and state levels. We would like to stress the indispensable role of women and youth in promoting reconciliation. Meaningful and inclusive participation of women affected by conflict in the peace processes is instrumental, as it has proven to amplify chances of durable and lasting settlement and reconciliation.

Genuine reconciliation should be anchored on drawing lessons from the dark pages of history. Dealing with the past can be meaningful if it proceeds from unequivocal condemnation of previous crimes thus enabling the realization of the right to truth.

The religious leaders play an important role in promoting tolerance, dialogue and peaceful coexistence and standing against attempts to abuse religion to commit violence hence the attacks on religious leaders such as the recent killing by terrorists of two priests of the Armenian Catholic Community of Qamishli in north-east Syria should be resolutely condemned and perpetrators brought to justice.

Mr. President,

As a nation, which has witnessed the horrors of genocide in its own historic homeland and continues to face the challenges of denial and justification of the past crimes, Armenia bears special duty to promote prevention of the crime of genocide. Derogatory statements, aimed at justifying the genocide by means of denigrating and insulting the dignity of the victims and qualifying it as “the most reasonable act”, deepen misunderstanding and distrust and make the genuine reconciliation and dialogue even harder.

Indeed, the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is essential for serving truth, historical justice and reconciliation. It is essential for the entire international community and particularly the potential victims of the identity-based crimes, those people, who are vilified simply because of their ethnic and religious origin.

Armenia remains committed to advancing prevention agenda, also through education and awareness-raising of gross violations of human rights and identity-based discrimination against all groups and peoples that if not addressed can lead to mass atrocities and genocide.

It is through acknowledging the truth, commemoration and tribute to the dignity of the victims of past crimes that we can pave way for genuine reconciliation and sustainable peace.

Thank you.

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