On November 9, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan, who is in Paris on a working visit, participated in the 42th session of UNESCO General Conference.
The start of the session was preceded by an event dedicated to the memory of H.E. Christian Ter Stepanian, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to UNESCO, where the President of the General Conference of UNESCO, the President of the Executive Board, the General Director of UNESCO and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia delivered remarks.
In his speech Minister Mirzoyan particularly noted:
“It is with heavy heart that I am paying tribute in memory of Permanent Representative of Armenia, our dear colleague H.E. Mr. Christian Ter Stepanian who passed away on November 7 at the age of 72.
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Ambassador Ter Stepanian was a prominent diplomat, who made a great contribution to the establishment of the system of the Diplomatic Service of Armenia and proudly represented our country in various international fora.
Christian Ter Stepanian dedicated the last years of his life to promoting the core values and principles of UNESCO and strengthening Armenia’s cooperation with the Organization.
As the Personal Representative of the Prime Minister of Armenia to the International Organization of Francophonie Ambassador Ter Stepanian played an invaluable role in advancing Armenia’s ties with the Francophonie and its member states.
The 30 year-long professional career of Christian Ter Stepanian was marked with dedication, professionalism and tireless work in serving Armenia and promoting its national priorities and international cooperation. A brilliant person and a good friend for many diplomats, currently present here, he will be remembered by the diplomatic community.
I extend my deepest condolences to the Ambassador’s family members, relatives and all those who mourn his loss.”
Ararat Mirzoyan also delivered remarks at the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference.
Remarks by Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference
Madame President of the General Conference,
Madame Chair of the Executive Board,
Madame Director-General,
Excellences,
Distinguished Delegates,
At the outset, I would like to congratulate H.E. Ms. Simona-Mirela Miculescu on her election as President of the 42nd session of the General Conference, and wish every success in her responsible mission. I also want to express my sincere appreciation to H.E. Mr. Irazabal Mourao for his excellent work during his tenure as President of the 41st session of the General Conference.
Madam President,
The persistent challenges that the world faces today, ranging from armed conflicts to the impacts of climate change, underscore the imperative to redouble our joint efforts in all the fields of competence of UNESCO.
Therefore, we support UNESCO’s future strategic orientations and programmatic priorities, in particular in the field of right to education for all, cultural rights, freedom of expression, and the fight against racism, discrimination, intolerance and hate speech.
As a member of the Executive Board, Armenia will further contribute to the successful implementation of programs in favour of the Global Priorities Africa and Gender Equality, as well as priority groups – Youth and Small Island Developing States.
As a co-chair of the Group of Friends of Small Island Developing States, we will continue to support the implementation of Operational Strategy to address the systemic vulnerabilities of this group of states.
Armenia stands firmly behind UNESCO’s endeavors to protect cultural heritage, especially in the regions affected by conflicts and natural disasters and condemns any attacks on cultural symbols due to their diverse origins or identities.
In this regard, Armenia reiterates its commitment to further contribute to the restoration of Iraqi documentary heritage in the framework of UNESCO’s flagship initiative “Revive the spirit of Mosul”.
2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention and this landmark occasion creates an important momentum for renewing the commitment of the international community for protection of cultural property during armed conflicts. Armenia stands ready to contribute to observation of this important anniversary.
Madam President,
Amid our shared struggle to maintain the fragile peace in various corners of the world, while promoting the values of living together, it is with deep concern that I draw your attention to the dire situation in our region.
The 10 month-long blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, humanitarian crisis, absence of food, medicine, gas and electricity supplies and, as a culmination, the large-scale military offensive and indiscriminate targeting of the civilian population and infrastructure resulted in forcible displacement and ethnic cleansing of the entire indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, leaving behind their homes, shrines and the millennia-old cultural and religious heritage.
Armenia is currently facing a massive influx of more than 100 000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, among them 30 thousand children, who fled their ancestral homeland in just a few days, under the fear of persecution and atrocity crimes. The Government of Armenia, in cooperation with the international organizations and partner states, has undertaken a number of measures to address the life-saving, protection and early recovery needs of the refugees.
In this regard, I wish to extend Armenia’s gratitude to the UNESCO and its Director-General for the rapid deployment of the UNESCO emergency mission to Armenia for the assessment of educational needs of refugee children.
With regard to the cultural and religious heritage left in Nagorno-Karabakh, its protection from vandalism and looting is crucial. Since the fall of 2020 the Republic of Armenia has consistently alerted the international community on Azerbaijan’s state-led policy of destruction, desecration and appropriation of the vast religious and cultural heritage in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.
The legally binding order on the Provisional Measures issued by the International Court of Justice on 7 December 2021, compels Azerbaijan to “take all necessary measures to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage, including but not limited to churches and other places of worship, monuments, landmarks, cemeteries and artefacts”.
Deployment of UNESCO’s independent fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh with the view of independent monitoring and mapping of the Armenian cultural heritage is a key prerequisite to prevent destruction or distortion of the Armenian cultural property, as was the case with the complete annihilation of the Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhijevan between 1997-2006.
In conclusion, I would like to stress Armenia’s unwavering support to the Organization in its efforts to foster a culture of peace and tolerance anchored on upholding and promoting human rights.
Thank you.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government