Azerbaijan, Baku, May 11 / Trend A.Gasimova /
Peace agreements should never encourage the acceptance of any situation resulting from the unlawful use of force, nor promise amnesties for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and gross human rights violations, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Azerbaijani Permanent Mission to the U.N. Tofig Musayev said in Washington, the UNSC reported.
"Efforts to foster a peaceful, just and prosperous world had not always been consistent and successful, and the result was continued suffering among civilian populations during armed conflict," Musaev said in an open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict at the UNSC.
"As was known, the Council had, in resolutions adopted in 1993 in response to the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, made specific references to violations of international humanitarian law, including the displacement of a large number of civilians, attacks on civilians and bombardment of inhabited areas," he said. "The European Court of Human Rights later described the behavior of those carrying out the incursion in Azerbaijan "as acts of particular gravity which may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity".
"Azerbaijan believed that ending impunity was essential, not only to identify individual criminal responsibility, but to ensure sustainable peace, truth and reconciliation," Musayev said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.