Baku: Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova delivered a speech on July 9 at the Inter-Parliamentary Union's webinar on 'Protection of the Natural Environment in Armed Conflicts'. In her speech, Sahiba Gafarova stated that the protection of the environment during armed conflicts is a critical issue not only from an ecological perspective, but also from humanitarian, legal, and security standpoints. She noted that armed conflicts cause human tragedies as well as long-term damage to ecosystems, biodiversity, water resources, and agricultural lands, undermining sustainable development and negatively affecting future generations.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Gafarova emphasized that international humanitarian law provides an important legal framework for environmental protection during conflicts. She highlighted that its effectiveness depends on implementation at the national level, where parliaments have a vital role. This includes reflecting the principles of international humanitarian law in national legislation, strengthening oversight of its implementation, improving legal liability mechanisms for environmental damage, and supporting post-conflict environmental restoration.
The Speaker pointed out the destructive consequences of armed conflicts on the environment based on Azerbaijan's experience, noting that during the 30-year occupation, forests were destroyed, lands degraded, water resources polluted, biodiversity annihilated, and natural resources illegally exploited. More than one million mines planted in the territories continue to pose a serious threat to both people and nature, hindering environmental restoration and the safe return of internally displaced persons.
Gafarova mentioned that Azerbaijan is actively engaged in humanitarian demining, ecosystem restoration, tree planting, and green energy projects in the liberated territories. The Milli Majlis is continuously enhancing legislation to bolster the national legal framework. In this context, the article 'Ecocide' was added to the Criminal Code in 2024, defining it as a crime against peace and humanity. Laws such as 'On the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction' and 'On Demining Operations' were also adopted.
Referring to the Final Document of the Parliamentary Meeting jointly organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Milli Majlis within the framework of COP29, Gafarova stated that it calls on parliaments to prevent the environmental impacts of conflicts, raise awareness about the ecological damage caused by mines, and strengthen legislative initiatives against ecocide. She emphasized that this approach reflects Azerbaijan's position as the host country of COP29.
Concluding her speech, Sahiba Gafarova called for continued joint efforts to strengthen the implementation of international humanitarian law and ensure a safer and more sustainable future for generations to come.