Humanitarian consequences of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan / Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Reply to Recommendation
| Doc. 15662
| 30 November 2022
- Author(s):
- Committee of Ministers
- Origin
- Adopted at the 1448th meeting
of the Ministers’ Deputies (16 November 2022). 2023 - First part-session
- Reply to Recommendation
- : Recommendation 2209
(2021)
1. The Committee of
Ministers has carefully examined Parliamentary Assembly
Recommendation 2209 (2021) “Humanitarian consequences of the conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan / Nagorno-Karabakh conflict”.
2. On 16 February 2022, the Ministers’ Deputies adopted the third
Action Plan for Azerbaijan (2022-2025), which was officially launched
during the Secretary General’s visit to Baku on last 5 April. In
addition, at their 1447th meeting (3
November 2022), the Deputies adopted the new Action Plan for Armenia
(2023-2026). These action plans, drawn up in close co-operation
with the relevant national authorities, aim to assist them in taking
strategic reforms forward in the fields of human rights, rule of
law and democracy. They are based on the Council of Europe’s progress
reports and recommendations, while also taking into account the
reform priorities set out in the national strategy papers and the
outcomes of previous action plans. They include activities to safeguard
human rights, notably by helping to improve the situation of the
most vulnerable, promoting tolerance and combating hate speech.
3. Steering committees were set up for each action plan in order
to monitor their implementation and the progress made. Each of these
steering committees, composed, inter
alia, of representatives from the Ministries of Foreign
Affairs, from national partners and from the Council of Europe,
may, where necessary, make adjustments to the action plans in order
to allow for flexibility in their implementation, better respond
to the needs of the beneficiaries and take into account developments
on the ground, including the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
4. With regard to confidence-building measures to foster reconciliation
between both countries, the Secretary General informed the Committee
of Ministers that she had stressed the importance of such efforts during
her recent working visits to Azerbaijan (4-5 April 2022) and Armenia
(16-17 June 2022). The Secretary General also informed the Committee
of Ministers that, on her initiative, a first exploratory meeting
between civil society representatives from Armenia and Azerbaijan
was held in Venice from 16 to 18 May 2022. The participants agreed
to continue this dialogue and to work together on possible joint
activities, with the support of the Secretariat.
5. As regards the interim measures ordered by the European Court
of Human Rights, the Committee points out that, on 9 March 2021,
the Court decided to notify the Committee of Ministers, in accordance
with Rule 39 § 2 of the Rules of Court, of a set of interim measures,
indicated under Rule 39 of its Rules, concerning alleged Armenian
captives, in particular. These interim measures were then brought
to the attention of the Committee of Ministers which discussed them.
6. The Committee of Ministers notes that States Parties to the
European Convention on Human Rights are required to ensure that
everyone within their jurisdiction enjoys the rights and freedoms
enshrined in the Convention and that they are collectively responsible
for the Convention system and for guaranteeing its effectiveness.
7. The Committee of Ministers took note of the initiatives taken
by the Parliamentary Assembly and Council of Europe bodies, in particular
the Commissioner for Human Rights, to address the humanitarian consequences
of the conflict.