New york: ‘The protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms are the highest priority objectives, as determined by the Constitution of Azerbaijan, and continuous legal and institutional measures are taken in the country to that end in line with international standards,’ said Tofig Musayev, Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), as he addressed the General Debate of the Third Committee of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, in the field of socio-economic development, the policy programme entitled ‘Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development’, approved by the President of Azerbaijan, includes a competitive economy; a dynamic and inclusive society based on social justice; competitive human capital; the Great Return Programme; and a clean environment and a country of ‘green growth.’
‘As a multiethnic and multicultural society, Azerbaijan proudly preserves and develops its diversity as its strength. Being at the crossroads of different cultures and civilizations, Azerbaijan has consistently promoted intercultural dialogue globally. Notably, the “Baku Process”, launched in 2008, with the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue as its component part, serves as an internationally recognized platform for raising awareness and exchanging best practices on issues related to intercultural dialogue among various international stakeholders,’ Musayev noted.
‘Following the end of the conflict and the liberation of its territories from nearly thirty years of occupation, Azerbaijan initiated the normalization of relations with Armenia based on the five basic principles rooted in international law and tabled the proposal for a peace treaty.
The subsequent negotiations materialized in the initialing by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Armenia of the text of the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the two countries on 8 August this year.
Over the past five years, Azerbaijan has launched and continued large-scale rehabilitation and reconstruction in the liberated territories to rebuild entire cities, towns and villages and thus to enable the hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced persons to exercise their right to safe and dignified return to their places of origin. More than 50,000 people have already returned to their homes.
However, these efforts are seriously hampered by the massive contamination of these areas by landmines and other explosives. The number of post-conflict mine victims in Azerbaijan is rising and has reached 409 since November 2020, of whom 71 lost their lives and 338 suffered horrific injuries, most of them civilians,’ he emphasized.
Musayev pointed out that the scale and magnitude of the landmine threat in Azerbaijan necessitate enhanced accountability, stronger solidarity and partnership, and adequate international assistance for national humanitarian demining capability and efforts.
He further added that another pressing humanitarian issue is the fate of nearly four thousand (3,990) Azerbaijani nationals, who went missing in connection with the conflict since the early 1990s. Among the missing, 779 are civilians, including 284 women, 316 elderly and 71 children. In several of these cases, people went missing along with their family members, resulting in the destruction of entire generations. Some of the missing disappeared even after being visited in custody by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
‘Since the end of the occupation and the conflict, the remains of 187 persons were found in 28 mass graves and other burial sites in the liberated territories. Most of them were identified and returned to their families. These graves shed light on the willful killing of civilians and other persons protected under international humanitarian law.
Azerbaijan has taken decisive steps to investigate and prosecute numerous atrocity crimes committed during the conflict,’ the representative added.