Azerbaijan, 2011

I would like to

join previous speakers in congratulating you, Sir, on

your election as President of General Assembly at the

sixty-sixth session, and wish you every success in that

highly responsible post. I thank your predecessor, His

Excellency Mr. Joseph Deiss, for his productive work

during the last session.

I also express my profound respect and gratitude

to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban

Ki-moon, for his leadership and dedication to

revitalizing the United Nations Organization.

With regard to the theme of this year’s general

debate, we welcome the adoption at the sixty-fifth

session of resolution 65/283 on strengthening the role

of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes,

conflict prevention and resolution. In that document,

the General Assembly reiterated that all Member States

should strictly adhere to their obligations, as laid down

in the United Nations Charter, and reaffirmed, inter

alia, the commitment to respect the sovereignty,

territorial integrity and political independence of all

States.

Azerbaijan looks forward to the relevant guidance

for more effective mediation, as indicated in the

resolution, and we are ready to actively contribute to

its elaboration. Unfortunately, we have to admit that

29 11-51670

not all States approach their international obligations

responsibly and comply with the generally accepted

norms and principles of international law.

For almost two decades, we have witnessed the

flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and

other documents of international law by the Republic

of Armenia, which has perpetrated aggression against

the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic

of Azerbaijan. As a result of that aggression, almost

20 per cent of the territory of Azerbaijan remains under

occupation and about 1 million Azerbaijani refugees

and internally displaced persons are unable to return to

their homes.

In 1993, the Security Council adopted four

resolutions (resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993) 874

(1993) and 884 (1993)) demanding the immediate,

complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian

forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan

and reaffirmed the sovereignty, territorial integrity and

inviolability of the internationally recognized borders

of Azerbaijan. The same appeals were made also by

other international organizations. Unfortunately,

Armenia continues to ignore the calls of the

international community.

What is even more worrisome is that, instead of

preparing its people for a peaceful, prosperous and

stable future in friendship and cooperation with the

neighbouring countries, the leadership of Armenia

continues to publicly incite the future generations to

new wars, violence and aggression and to propagate,

by all means, the dangerous ideas of animosity and

hatred towards not only Azerbaijan, but also other

peoples of the region.

Illegal activities in the occupied territories of

Azerbaijan, including the implantation of ethnic

Armenian settlers, as well as the destruction and

appropriation of historical and cultural heritage,

represent another source of serious concern. Such

activities serve to further consolidate the current status

quo of the occupation, securing the results of ethnic

cleansing and colonization of the seized lands, as well

as to seriously hamper the prospects for conflict

resolution. Earlier in this Hall, we heard a very

aggressive and unconstructive statement by the

President of Armenia. He openly confirmed that

destructive policy of Armenia. (see )

The Field Assessment Mission conducted by the

Minsk Group Co-Chairs of the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe in October 2010 to

the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, stated, inter alia,

that the status quo of the occupation was unacceptable

and urged Armenia to put an end to its illegal practices

in those territories.

As a country suffering from the occupation of its

territories and the forcible displacement of hundreds of

thousands of its citizens, Azerbaijan is the most

interested party in the earliest negotiated settlement of

the conflict. Our position is well known to the

international community. It is based on strict adherence

to the norms and principles of international law,

according to which the acquisition of territory by force

is inadmissible and must be rejected resolutely and

unconditionally.

It is absolutely illogical that the leadership of

Armenia, which has implemented the total ethnic

cleansing of not only the occupied territories of

Azerbaijan, but also of the Azerbaijani population in its

own territory, is trying to apply the principle of self-

determination. It is obvious that one cannot expel

peoples from their homes on ethnic grounds and, at the

same time, speak about self-determination for those

who remain on the same grounds.

Azerbaijan recognizes that the right of peoples to

self-determination can be implemented only

“at all times in conformity with the purposes and

principles of the Charter of the United Nations

and with the relevant norms of international law,

including those relating to territorial integrity of

States”,

as enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act.

Azerbaijan is confident that the conflict

resolution must start with the withdrawal of Armenian

armed forces from the occupied territories, within the

fixed timetable, followed by the restoration of

communications, the return of refugees and internally

displaced persons, and the creation of conditions for

the peaceful coexistence of Azerbaijanis and

Armenians in the Nagorno Karabakh region within the

territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. That step-by-step

approach, which has been proposed by mediators and

supported by the international community, except,

unfortunately, the leadership of Armenia, can bring

durable peace, stability and predictability to the region.

Azerbaijan still maintains its interest, motivation

and patience in that very hard and sensitive process of

11-51670 30

negotiations. We believe that the international

community will convince the Armenian side to respect

the generally accepted norms and principles of

international law and cease abusing the right of

Azerbaijanis to live within their own territories,

including the Nagorno Karabakh region. In return, we

are ready to guarantee the highest level of self-rule for

that region within the Republic of Azerbaijan.

I would like to touch upon another important

issue of the international agenda — Palestine.

Azerbaijan reaffirms its adherence to the position

expressed by the majority of the United Nations

Member States. We reiterate our long-standing

solidarity with the people and leadership of Palestine,

and believe that the time has come to reach a

breakthrough in that long-standing and very important

issue. The time has come for Palestine to be fully

represented at the United Nations.

Azerbaijan is determined to contribute further to

the realization of the development goals and objectives

agreed within the United Nations. In recent years,

Azerbaijan has enhanced its humanitarian assistance to

support international and national efforts aimed at

eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable

development and global prosperity for all. We pay

particular attention to addressing the special needs and

vulnerabilities of developing and least developed

countries, as well as those recovering from natural

disasters and suffering from climate change, in

particular small island States.

The recent humanitarian crisis in the Horn of

Africa once again demonstrated the importance of

global solidarity. Azerbaijan has provided urgent aid to

support the ongoing efforts towards the eradication of

famine in that region. The Government of Azerbaijan is

currently considering additional funding to support the

international community in ramping up its efforts to

respond to the humanitarian situation and contribute to

a mid- and long-term sustainable solution to the crisis

in the Horn of Africa.

Proceeding from the fruitful cooperation between

the United Nations and the Government of Azerbaijan,

resolution 64/186, entitled “Building connectivity

through the Trans-Eurasian Information Super

Highway”, initiated by Azerbaijan, was adopted at the

sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly on

21 December 2009. As the main coordinator of the

project, Azerbaijan has conducted a feasibility study

and is financing the Secretariat of the project. We have

taken a number of steps towards the establishment of a

consortium, comprising of major telecommunications

operators in the region.

Azerbaijan has always been a place of

coexistence and tolerance among various faiths, ethnic

groups and philosophies. It is one of the unique places

where different cultures and civilizations meet at the

crossroads between East and West and North and

South.

As a bridge between cultures and an active

member of the Group of Friends of the Alliance of

Civilizations, Azerbaijan feels responsible for

promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue

based on mutual respect and understanding. Thus, over

the past years, we hosted a number of high-profile and

action-oriented events, including the Summit of World

Religious Leaders in April 2010, the World Forum for

Intercultural Dialogue from 7 to 9 April 2011 and other

similar events.

Desiring to contribute further to the maintenance

of international peace, security, stability and prosperity,

Azerbaijan has put forward its candidature for a

non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the

term of 2012-2013. The elections will be held this year

on 21 October at the General Assembly.

The year 2012 marks the twentieth anniversary of

Azerbaijan’s membership in the United Nations,

although, unlike other candidates from the Group of

Eastern European States, we have never had an

opportunity to become a member of the Security

Council. Azerbaijan’s election to the Security Council

would contribute to redressing the underrepresentation

of small developing States and bring a more balanced

membership to that United Nations organ. The

Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan would

highly appreciate the valuable support of the States

Members of the United Nations for its candidature for

a non-permanent seat in the Security Council.