Wednesday, May 24 2023 10:54

ArmInfo.On May 23, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan  participated in a meeting of the UN Security Council on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict and delivered remarks.

In his speech, he said: 

"I would like to express my appreciation to Switzerland for placing  protection of civilians among its Council presidency priorities. I  thank Secretary-General Ant¢nio Guterres and President of the  International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric Egger for  reflecting on the current and evolving challenges of protection of  civilians in armed conflicts, in particular the issues of addressing  food insecurity and protection of critical civilian infrastructure in  conflict situations. The presence and the intervention of the  President of Switzerland Alain Berset during this debate demonstrates  the high importance and urgency related to the protection of  civilians.

"I would like to acknowledge Switzerland's outstanding historic  record in humanitarian affairs, as the birthplace of the  International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Today, 160 years  after founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross, its  role continues to remain even more pertinent for alleviating the  suffering of the civilians trapped in conflicts, bringing back home  the prisoners of war and ensuring that humanitarian aid is accessible  to all those in need.

"Deliberate targeting of civilian population and objects  indispensable for their survival, disruption of supplies of essential  goods, denial of international humanitarian access, using starvation  as a method of warfare and collective punishment constitute a war  crime and thus threat to lives and well-being of civilians living in  conflict zones.

"In this regard, we would like to underscore the critical importance  of full and unconditional implementation of the Geneva Conventions  and their Additional Protocols. The UN Security Council plays a key  role in ensuring full adherence of the states to their legally  binding obligations under the international humanitarian law.

"Since 12 December 2022 Azerbaijan has imposed a blockade on  Nagorno-Karabakh in a blatant violation of the international  humanitarian law and the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020. For  6 months now a population of 120.000, including 30000 children suffer  from critical shortage of essential goods, including food and medical  supplies. The humanitarian situation is further exacerbated by  complete disruption of gas and electricity supplies, deterioration of  critical infrastructure, as well as regular targeting of civilians  conducting agricultural activities, in an attempt to deprive them of  the means of subsistence and create unbearable conditions for life.  Throughout six month of blockade people living in Nagorno- Karabakh  received only 7.5 percent of their usual food and other essential  goods supply.

"Instead of adhering to the legally binding order of ICJ issued on  February 22, 2023, to "take all necessary measures to ensure  unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin  Corridor in both directions", the authorities of Azerbaijan installed  a checkpoint in the corridor on 23 April, 2023, thus openly assuming  their responsibility for the illegal blockade and incompliance with  the Court's Order.

"Furthermore, Azerbaijan is continuously hindering the activities of  the International Committee of the Red Cross and the peacekeeping  forces of the Russian Federation to address the immediate life-saving  needs of the conflict-affected population, transfer patients for  urgent treatment and deliver essential goods to the remote  settlements. So far it has not been possible to ensure the UN and its  agencies access and involvement on the ground leaving  Nagorno-Karabakh and its people out of UN radar for a quite a long  time. The collective pledge of leaving no one behind is yet to be  fulfilled for them.

"All these unlawful actions on the ground accompanied with  decades-long policy of promoting anti- Armenian hatred and  xenophobia, clearly indicate the genocidal intent of Azerbaijan, with  a final goal of the total ethnic cleansing of the indigenous  population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"December last year the Security Council has already discussed the  humanitarian situation in Nagorno- Karabakh caused by the closure of  the Lachin corridor. Since then the situation on the ground has been  only deteriorating inflicting further suffering on civilians. We hope  that, as a primary body responsible for the maintenance of the  international peace and security, the Security Council will remain  seized of the matter and in line with its mandate will ensure  dignity, physical security and fundamental human rights of people, in  line with the international humanitarian law and the international  human rights law."