Azerbaijan, 1999

Allow me first of all to

sincerely congratulate Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab on his

unanimous election to the presidency of the General

Assembly at its fifty-fourth session and to express

confidence that under his skilful leadership the Assembly

will cope successfully with the complex issues before it.

I would like also to commend the President of the

previous session of the General Assembly, Mr. Didier

Opertti, on his remarkable commitment to the success of

the session.

I wish also to congratulate and to welcome the new

Members of our Organization — the Republic of Kiribati,

the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga.

Speaking from this lofty rostrum, representatives of

the States Members of the United Nations are trying to

communicate to their colleagues and the international

community the most pressing problems that their

countries face. The truth, which is not always pleasant, is

expressed here with hope for justice, understanding and

support.

States, including the Republic of Azerbaijan, that

have regained their freedom and now face threats to their

independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, count

on the support of the international community. They are

also deeply concerned about the current difficulties of the

Organization. Member States look to the United Nations

with trust and hope. This places on the Organization an

important responsibility for finding a way out of the

current complex situation.

In this connection, the Republic of Azerbaijan

actively supports the United Nations reform process,

which our times demand. We believe that a transformed

Organization, adapted to modern realities, will be in a

position to cope with an increasing number of challenges

and risks to international peace and security.

Threats to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and

security of the Member States of the United Nations have

become appallingly routine. States often face aggression,

military occupation, “ethnic cleansing”, separatism and

terrorism. A conflict that is not dealt with in a timely and

resolute manner is later transformed into a humanitarian

disaster that brings about a very sensitive reaction on the

part of the international community.

Given the resolute action by the international

community in the Balkans, the situation with regard to the

unresolved or frozen conflicts in other regions seems

especially tragic. We consider it unacceptable to set

priorities in this respect, and wish to draw the attention of

the international community to the intolerable fact that

15

one fifth of the territory of a sovereign Member State of the

United Nations — the Republic of Azerbaijan — has

continued to be under foreign occupation for more than six

years and that, as a result of “ethnic cleansing”, one out of

seven of its citizens is a refugee or displaced person in his

own country.

The clear trend towards putting up with the behaviour

of the aggressor and sometimes even conniving at his

attempts to legalize the situation in the conflict zone, as

well as the eagerness of some mediators to reach an easy

settlement on the basis that the “ethnic cleansing” of the

Azerbaijani population and the occupation of its territories

is a fait accompli, will only lead to continued tension and

further delay the prospects for a settlement of the conflict

and the restoration of durable peace and stability in the

region, based on the norms and principles of international

law.

The only valid premise for a lasting settlement of

conflicts is a timely display of determination and solidarity

by the international community, first and foremost by the

United Nations, which has primary responsibility for the

maintenance of international peace and security, for the

protection and observation of the norms and principles of

international law and for making every effort to secure the

implementation of decisions taken.

Like other countries facing aggression and militant

separatism, Azerbaijan rejects settlement models that

infringe on its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the unity

of its State and run counter to its national interests. An

example is the concept of the common State, which was

proposed as a model for settlement in the context of certain

conflicts, but failed to find the support of the countries

concerned. That concept is pernicious, because it attempts

to distort the notion of statehood and State sovereignty; in

fact, it is an attempt to provide a legal framework for the

ideology of militant separatism.

It goes without saying that an important factor in any

settlement is the readiness of the parties involved to find a

compromise. At the same time, by definition, compromise

implies reciprocity and clear limits. Seeking a realistic

formula for a compromise based on adherence to the norms

and principles of international law, taking into account

national and State interests, the President of Azerbaijan,

Heydar Aliyev, has maintained direct contact and held talks

with the President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian. It is

Azerbaijan’s hope that this approach can open new

possibilities to steer the settlement process out of the

deadlock that we have witnessed during the past year.

It is now possible to speak about the achievement of

a positive climate, which should be complemented with

more active work by the Organization for Security and

Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, which is

responsible for the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan

conflict, so that the negotiation process can be resumed in

the near future. We regard it as absolutely unjustified that

some members of the Minsk Group use the fact that there

are direct contacts between Azerbaijan and Armenia as an

excuse for their stepping aside from the process and for

their inactivity. In this connection, we call upon the

Co-Chairmen of the Minsk Group to make every effort

necessary to bring about in the near future a revised

proposal for the settlement of the conflict that would

represent an acceptable combination of elements.

It will be necessary effectively to use the time

remaining before the OSCE summit in Istanbul in order

to come closer to achieving concrete results. It is

extremely important that the consistency and

determination of the international community be

maintained in advocating its declared positions on the

settlement of the conflict between Armenia and

Azerbaijan. We believe, in particular, that the sequence of

steps provided for in the Security Council resolutions on

the conflict continues to be optimal.

Azerbaijan reaffirms its commitment to a peaceful

settlement and unconditional implementation of the

ceasefire until a political agreement on the cessation of

the conflict is concluded. Guided by a spirit of goodwill

and a sincere desire to reach progress in the settlement

process, on 18 September 1999, during the visit of Knut

Vollebaek, the Chairman-in-office of the OSCE, the

President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, announced the

unilateral release of all Armenian prisoners of war held in

Azerbaijan. We expect an adequate reaction from the

Armenian side in the near future.

Azerbaijan supports the reform process in the

Organization, based on the proposals of the

Secretary-General and the decisions of the General

Assembly. Reform of the Security Council continues to

be the priority problem. Azerbaijan fully agrees with the

approach reflected in resolution 53/30, in accordance with

which any decisions on this issue would require the

positive vote of a minimum of two thirds of the Member

States.

We still believe that the representation of the States

of Asia, Africa and Latin America in all membership

categories of the Security Council should reflect modern

16

political realities. Azerbaijan reconfirms its support for the

election of Germany and Japan as permanent members of

the Security Council. We continue to believe that, together

with that, objective reality calls for the allocation of one

additional non-permanent seat to the Eastern European

Group.

With regard to the reform and strengthening of the

effectiveness of the work of the Security Council, I cannot

fail to draw the attention of the Assembly to the fact that

the four resolutions adopted by the Security Council on the

Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, resolutions 822 (1993), 853

(1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993), have still not been

implemented. We believe that the lack of an adequate

reaction to the violation of the principles of the United

Nations Charter and the non-compliance with decisions

adopted within the United Nations is seriously undermining

the image of the world Organization.

Azerbaijan welcomes the increased attention of the

Security Council to acute humanitarian problems in conflict

situations, and supports the inclusion in the mandate of

peacekeeping forces of concrete and adequate provisions for

the demilitarization of conflict zones and the disarmament

of combatants, as well as of special provisions on the

protection of and support for the civilian population,

including women and children.

Illegal arms transfers to conflict zones make the

prospects for settlement more remote and aggravate

humanitarian disasters. Recently this has become a pressing

problem which requires special attention and specific joint

action by the international community. In this context,

breaches of the relevant provisions of Security Council

resolutions, especially by some of the Council’s own

members, are unacceptable. Azerbaijan supports convening

an international conference on the illicit arms trade in all its

aspects not later than 2001.

We attach great importance to the timely convening of

a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted

to disarmament, which could determine the future course of

action in the field of disarmament, arms control and related

international security matters.

Azerbaijan stands by the Convention on the

Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer

of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, and

welcomes its entry into force; we welcome also the

outcome of the First Meeting of States Parties, held in

Maputo. A national agency in this sphere has been created

in Azerbaijan; it has begun its activities and has started to

establish cooperation with its international counterparts.

Azerbaijan’s formal accession to the Convention is

directly dependent on the issue of the continuing

occupation of its territory by Armenia.

Azerbaijan has a highly positive view of the

establishment of the International Criminal Court, and

supports the work of the Preparatory Commission for the

International Criminal Court on a number of provisions of

its Statute. We regard as very important the work being

done by the Commission to define the crime of

aggression, and believe that the definition should be clear

and viable, and that it should make provision for a norm

establishing personal criminal responsibility. As a victim

of aggression, Azerbaijan maintains that the Court should

become an effective organ for the prosecution of those

who commit crimes against humanity.

My country is interested in taking an active part in

combatting international terrorism, organized crime and

illegal drug trafficking. The fight against these evils can

be effective only if it is based on joint efforts by all

countries, at both the regional and the global levels. We

support the idea of convening in 2000 an anti-terrorist

conference or a special session of the General Assembly

on this issue, and the elaboration of a declaration of

principles on the interaction of States in combatting

terrorism. We hope that the United Nations Development

Programme (UNDP) will be able to mobilize additional

resources to continue the joint project on drug-abuse

control of the UNDP, the United Nations International

Drug Control Programme and the Government of

Azerbaijan.

Another emerging topical area of activities is the

provision of humanitarian relief assistance in emergency

situations and periods of natural disasters, such as those

that we have witnessed in recent months. In this

connection, Azerbaijan calls for increased assistance to

the victims of the tragic earthquake in brotherly Turkey,

which claimed thousands of human lives.

Despite the objective difficulties caused by the

armed conflict and the transitional period, Azerbaijan

believes that there is no alternative to its chosen course of

reform aimed at building a democratic society with a

market economy. As a State located at a key point

between Europe and Asia, Azerbaijan is keenly interested

in securing access to trans-European and trans-Asian

communication networks; this would facilitate the

development of industrial and trade links among

participating countries, improved access to markets,

17

increased integration links, and closer cooperation among

the economies of European and Asian countries.

Unfortunately, the process of the profound

transformation of the national economy is facing the serious

consequences of the presence in the country of 1 million

refugees and internally displaced persons. Coping with this

emergency situation has been a primary concern of the

Azerbaijan State for many years. Given the limited financial

resources of our State, humanitarian assistance from the

United Nations and other international organizations is a

necessary element not only of the physical, but also of the

moral survival of people who have lost their homes. We

would like to express our most sincere gratitude to the

United Nations, to the relevant United Nations agencies and

to donor countries providing humanitarian assistance to

Azerbaijan, and we call upon them not to reduce the

volume of that assistance.

Allow me to touch briefly upon the role that the

United Nations and its agencies are playing in Azerbaijan.

At the last session, I spoke about the constructive work

being done with respect to the social and economic

development of our country by the United Nations

Development Programme. The UNDP is actively assisting

the Government of Azerbaijan and bilateral and multilateral

humanitarian organizations in addressing development

issues. At the same time, my Government is deeply

concerned at the fact that UNDP is entering the new

millennium with an extremely decreased financial base. We

all need a UNDP able to cope with the development

problems that we are not in a position to solve alone. All

participants in this process — donors and recipients of

assistance — should provide sincere and solid support to

the development activities of the United Nations.

In this context, I would like to call upon all concerned

to improve significantly the very difficult current financial

situation of the Organization.

With reference to relations between my country and

the United Nations in general, I would like again to draw

attention to the fact that Azerbaijan is still not represented

in the United Nations Secretariat.

The world is tired of crises and wars. Mankind

deserves a peaceful, prosperous and happy new millennium.

Our Organization is designed to play a leading role in

overcoming obstacles to global peace and progress. It must

be in a position to implement that noble mission. This is

not an abstract desire, but a realistic task based on an

assessment of the situation and an awareness of both

needs and possibilities.