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Armenia reiterates the importance of establishing and promoting a climate conducive to peace. Armenia also underlines the critical priorities of status and security for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said in his remarks delivered at the 39th Session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, the Foreign Ministry’s press service said.

The FM stressed the international community at all levels should continue to resolutely address the dangerous phenomena of the abuse of information technologies and the media for dissemination of hatred and intolerance. He noted history knows well about the dangerous consequences of unbridled hatred, reminding, “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

“Armenia and the Armenian people have been a consistent target for massive and systematic hate induced and xenophobic rhetoric emanating from Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani state propaganda is not merely a product of a targeted policy, but also a consequence of the weak democratic institutions, absence of free media and a poor record of human rights.

“We observe a direct correlation between the intensity of bellicose rhetoric and aggressive militarism from Azerbaijan directed against the Armenian people. The crimes committed during the military aggression of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh in April 2016 reinforce the validity of the exercise of the right to self-determination. This right is of existential value for the Karabakh people,” the top Armenian official said.  

He reiterated Armenia’s strong support to the universality of human rights and their applicability on an equal footing, without any discrimination and distinction in conformity with the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other fundamental instruments.   

“Equally, the commitment to "leave no one behind" is at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We should recognise the existence of territories and peoples that are striving for the exercise of their rights and, first of all, the right to self-determination.

“The acknowledgement of and the respect of the people's right to self-determination and other related rights are a serious test for the UN and its human rights protection system. Meanwhile, once again, I want to reiterate the strong commitment of Armenia, of its new government to the exclusively peaceful and negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, strictly within the internationally agreed format of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship,” the minister underlined.