At Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex the OSCE PA Autumn Meeting continued. At November 19 session the issues of protecting minorities and people affected by conflict were discussed.
The Vice President of the OSCE PA Daniela De Ridder highlighted the preservation of the humanitarian law norms, which is also enshrined in Vancouver Declaration, the humanitarian consequences and escalation cases. In this context she spoke about the displacement of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh and added that the authorities of the Republic of Armenia take all possible steps, however it is necessary to show assistance in solving the problems. Evaluating the peace in the OSCE region, the Vice President expressed opinion that the joint steps and the political will can ensure positive result.
Way of overcoming crises, humanitarian problems of conflict zone, reasons of conflicts: Fernand De Varennes, former UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues (2017-2023) touched upon these issues online. “Millions of people cannot realize their rights in the world,” Fernand De Varennes documented. To the rapporteur’s assessment, the prevention of conflicts and protecting minorities should be on the basis of everyone’s actions. Reference has been made to the cases xenophobia and intolerance being manifested with different reasons, which often have grave consequences.
Yeghisheh Kirakosyan, Representative of the Republic of Armenia on International Legal Issues highlighted the discussion of the issues on such platform. The rapporteur presented the problems plagued to our country, gave details on the disastrous consequences of the large-scale war of Azerbaijan. “When Azerbaijan began aggressive against Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, we faced human sufferings, tortures, in human attitude, capture and forcible disappearance, the missing, murders of prisoners and civilians, the sad realities of dozens of thousands of people deprived of their homes,” the RA Representative stressed and added that more than a month ago we witnessed the mass movement of Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia. According to him, the realities that Armenia faced during the last three years, motivated our country to be very active in terms of using the international legal mechanisms. In this context the RA Representative noted that he applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) with the case Armenia against Azerbaijan and presented the results of the lawsuits.
“We have very many conflicts, which break out in different parts of the globe, and the frozen conflicts explode in the European continent and other places, and it worries us a lot. This puts the international legal order under ordeal to see what can the international legal order do for solving these conflicts,” Yeghisheh Kirakosyan underscored.
He also referred to the inadmissibility of the speech of hatred sounding on the social networks, which also has disastrous consequences. The RA Representative also spoke about the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor and the humanitarian crisis created because of it, which resulted in ethnic cleansing.
In their speeches the delegates of the OSCE PA spoke about the importance of protecting the norms of the international humanitarian law (IHL), the prevention of genocides, the events taking place in Gaza, the elimination of hatred manifestation towards minorities and the necessity of joint fight in this issue. The Representative of Belgium emphasized the visit to the conflict zones and getting acquainted with the situation on the spot. The delegates reflected on the Russian-Ukrainian, Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, the military actions happened in Nagorno Karabakh. Viewpoint was sounded that peace cannot be without justice, the equal protection of the civilians’ rights. The delegates refused the policy of double standards. The respecting of sovereignty and territorial integrity was highlighted in the regulation process of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
The President Emeritus of the OSCE PA, member of delegation from Sweden Margareta Cederfelt noted that the genocides are considered to be part of history, however there are people, who still deny it. The delegate spoke about the manifestations of racism and anti-Semitism, religious violence, which the humanity still witnesses. In this context she deemed inadmissible the denial of genocide, underscoring that the parliamentarians should have their contribution in this issue.
The Deputy Head of the delegation of Belgium, the Head of the Belgium-Armenia Friendship Group Mark Demesmaaeker talked about the ethnic cleansing policy happened Nagorno Karabakh and noted he is going to visit the refugees’ centre, to meet them on the spot and to listen to their problems. “We should support Armenia to overcome this situation,” the MP underscored.
The member of the RA NA delegation to the OSCE PA, the representative of the Armenia Faction Lilit Galstyan reminded her colleagues that our calls aimed at the international community did not go through, and it was not possible to prevent the disaster in Nagorno Karabakh. She related to the problem of Armenian prisoners illegally held in Azerbaijan. Reminded the attendees about the anti-Armenian policy, noting that that country claiming Armenia as “Western Azerbaijan.”
“The best way to protect human rights is democracy, and the best environment is peace,” the member of the RA NA delegation to the OSCE PA, the Secretary of the Civil Contract Faction Artur Hovhannisyan mentioned and talked about the problems of the Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh. He reminded the attendees that according to resolutions, statements and even the decisions of the International Court, they should have been living in their homeland and not become refugees.
The delegates of the OSCE PA in their speeches spoke about the problems of protecting children’s and women’s rights in the conflict zones. An opinion was expressed that protection of the minorities’ rights is not the problem of only the states, but also the international community, and we should not need only resolutions, but also active steps are necessary for the real protection of the human rights. The protection of human rights and security of the Armenians in the South Caucasus region and the implementation of the promises concerning the Armenians’ re-integration in Azerbaijan were emphasized.
In his final speech the Head of the RA NA delegation to the OSCE PA Sargis Khandanyan expressed conviction the during the last two days, important discussions were held on the internal and external threats and the deteriorating situation of security in the OSCE region.
“Every time when we gather on this parliamentary platform, eventually, we hope that next time, when we gather again, we’ll appear in a better state, in a more stable and peaceful region of the OSCE. Nevertheless, it seems that hope is not enough, responding to what happened is not enough, we should undertake more decisive actions for winning this battle,” Sargis Khandanyan said. Concluding his speech, the Head of the RA NA delegation expressed his gratitude to the people, due to whom this meeting took place.
The OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella and the OSCE PA President Pia Kauma thanked the Armenian side for effectively organizing the Autumn Meeting at high level. Pia Kauma expressed conviction that the discussions over the past two days have made it very clear that the OSCE has strong advocates throughout our region. She highlighted the establishment of peace in the world and mentioned that the mission of the Assembly is to work in a right direction.
The Autumn Meeting of the OSCEPA ended its work.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia