Azerbaijan-UN: 30 years of progressive cooperation

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

In the late 20th century, the Azerbaijani people declared their commitment to constructing a free, democratic, and lawful society, as well as living in peace, friendship, and cooperation with other nations, while integrating closely with the world community.

In this regard, Azerbaijan immensely values cooperation with the United Nations, the world's most prestigious and influential international organization, and has worked hard to build, maintain, and enhance relations with it since its independence.

On March 2, 1992, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Azerbaijan’s admission as a member state to the organization at its 46th session, following Azerbaijan's application for membership. The resolution, which was proposed by 111 states, was voted unanimously by all UN members. The admission of Azerbaijan to the UN has become one of the key milestones in the country's history.

Multilateral cooperation within the UN enabled Azerbaijan to strengthen its position in the international arena in a relatively short period of time, to establish close ties with both member states and the organization itself.

Azerbaijan’s permanent mission to the United Nations was established on March 6, 1992, providing the country with a perfect chance to develop relations with this institution. The UN permanent mission to Azerbaijan was established in November of the same year.

The permanent mission of Azerbaijan to the UN developed collaboration with the organization and its specialized agencies in the political, economic, scientific, technological, cultural, and humanitarian domains in a short period of time.

On October 24, 2011, Azerbaijan saw a momentous and historic event in its history. Azerbaijan was elected a member of the UN Security Council at the elections. Azerbaijan's nomination was backed by 155 nations in a contentious and multi-round voting, and the country was elected a member of this organization.

UN, Karabakh conflict

Azerbaijan's admission to the UN played a critical role in attracting worldwide attention to the Karabakh conflict and establishing an objective world opinion at a time when Armenia's hostility against the country was intensifying.

The need for territorial integrity, sovereignty, and inviolability of Azerbaijan's borders was emphasized in six statements by the UN Security Council chairman in connection with the expansion of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan in 1992-1993, as well as resolutions 822, 853, 874, and 884 of the organization.

The documents demanded the immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, the provision of a ceasefire, and a peaceful solution to the conflict.

However, Armenia ignored the aforementioned UN Security Council resolutions, keeping Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territories under occupation for almost 30 years. During this period, Armenia destroyed Azerbaijani cities in the occupied lands inflicting huge financial, humanitarian, ecological and moral damages on the country.

Following the regime change in Armenia in 2018, the new leadership's inflammatory anti-Azerbaijan rhetoric destroyed any prospects for the conflict's peaceful settlement.

Moreover, in July 2020, Armenia launched military operations against Azerbaijan on the state border in Tovuz region, which was beyond the conflict zone, to occupy new territories.

All of these circumstances pushed Azerbaijan to react against Armenia with a full-scale counter-offensive on September 27, 2020, in order to avoid further Armenian military provocations and safeguard civilian safety.

Azerbaijan liberated its occupied territories as a result of the historic 44-day war with Armenia, fulfilling the terms of the four UN Security Council resolutions.

UN, post-conflict realities

As a result of Azerbaijan’s active cooperation with international organizations, the world's leading international organizations, including the UN have acknowledged the post-conflict realities created by Azerbaijan in the region.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev described the international event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan's membership in the UN, which was recently held in Shusha under the UN auspices, as a highly significant occasion.

“It was a very significant event. It showed yet again that the UN is a body that fully recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said in a meeting dedicated to the results of the first quarter of 2022.

Aliyev underlined that the UN Security Council adopted fair decision against Armenia, when it had occupied Azerbaijani territories, but these resolution remained unfulfilled almost for 30 years.

“However, the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the unilateral settlement of it by Azerbaijan has also taken this burden off the UN. I would like to reiterate that this event in Shusha was of particular importance, and it is no coincidence that it triggered a wave of panic and hysteria in Armenia,” Aliyev stressed.

Azerbaijan is currently working on rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in its liberated lands, in addition to achieving international recognition of the new realities produced by the historic victory gained in 2020 over Armenia.

The signing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of the realities created by the 44-day war in 2020 is one of the key issues ahead.

In this sense, the creation of new forms of collaboration, the opening of communications, and the signing of a peace treaty with Armenia are critical to the regional peace and security.

But at the same time, the genocides, tragedies and inhuman war crimes committed by Armenia and its supporters against Azerbaijan in different periods of history should not be forgotten.

UN’s demining support

One of Armenia's most significant war crimes is the planting of land mines in Azerbaijan's former occupied territory, and it is the main obstacle to the rehabilitation in these lands.

Azerbaijan is cooperating with various states and international organizations in demining its liberated territories. The UN is one of the important international institutions that supports Azerbaijan’s mine clearance endeavors.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) assisted in the establishment of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) in 1999 and continues to support its work, which has included the clearance of over 806,000 mines and unexploded ordnance and the safe return of people to their homes.

On April 1, 2022, a Baku-based conference on "Humanitarian mine action and sustainable development goals (SDGs)" jointly organized by ANAMA and UNDP to draw international attention to Azerbaijan’s mine-littered lands.

The conference highlighted that millions of mines were planted by Armenians on Azerbaijan’s formerly occupied territories and Azerbaijan is working hard to clear the area of mines.