The humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh
Recommendation 2260
(2023)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 12 October 2023 (23rd sitting) (see Doc. 15840, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and
Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Mr Domagoj Hajduković). Text adopted by the Assembly on
12 October 2023 (23rd sitting).
1. Referring to
Resolution 2517 (2023) “The humanitarian
situation in Nagorno-Karabakh”, the Parliamentary Assembly invites
the Committee of Ministers to take urgent measures to address and
redress the exodus of almost the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh
and the critical humanitarian and human rights crisis affecting
it in the months before and immediately after the military operation
launched by Azerbaijan on 19 September 2023. The Assembly is deeply
concerned by a situation which seems, at the very least, to invite
suspicions of many aspects of ethnic cleansing.
2. Regretting that Azerbaijan has not respected the commitment
it undertook when it joined the Council of Europe to peacefully
settle the conflict in this region, as stated in
Opinion 222 (2000) “Azerbaijan’s
application for membership of the Council of Europe”, the Assembly
believes that it is not too late for Azerbaijan to redress the situation
and prove its intention towards the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
3. To this end, the Assembly requests that the Secretary General
and the Committee of Ministers do everything possible to organise
a Council of Europe fact-finding mission to Azerbaijan as swiftly
as possible, with the aim of assessing and outlining the measures
to be put in place to protect the rights of the Armenians of this
region, including those who have sought refuge outside the country,
and to ensure the safe return of those who wish to do so. Such on-the-ground
fact finding would help in determining what support the Council of
Europe can provide to this process, including expertise on minority
issues and confidence-building measures. This process should doubtless
include immediate measures to register and protect the property
and assets of those who are currently seeking refuge outside the
country and to facilitate access to relevant international or national
procedures, in particular in Azerbaijan.
4. The Assembly also calls on the Committee of Ministers to:
4.1 establish country monitoring
for Azerbaijan in accordance with the Committee of Ministers Declaration
of 10 November 1994 on compliance with commitments accepted by member
States of the Council of Europe;
4.2 consider initiating the complementary joint procedure
in response to a serious violation by Azerbaijan of its statutory
and accession commitments.
5. Acknowledging the huge humanitarian crisis which Armenia is
facing with the arrival of more than 100 600 Armenian refugees,
the Assembly welcomes the ongoing fact-finding mission to Armenia
by the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration
and Refugees, which aims to determine the support which the Organisation
could provide to its member State in assisting these refugees.
6. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the Assembly will
remain vigilant as to the next measures taken by the Azerbaijani
authorities and the follow-up to
Resolution 2517 (2023), basing itself
in particular on the need to ensure full and unambiguous honouring
of the international commitments and obligations entered into by, and
incumbent upon, Azerbaijan.