Tale Aliyev: The UN failed to stop the aggression against Azerbaijan

The international community must remain unwavering in countering impunity, supporting victims, survivors and their families, assisting national accountability efforts, and combating disinformation campaigns aimed at releasing those responsible for the gravest crimes.

As Report informs, this was stated by Tale Aliyev, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN, at the organization's Security Council meeting held under the Arria formula on the topic "Protecting international law in armed conflicts."

"First of all, we would like to express our gratitude to the Permanent Mission of Pakistan for organizing this important discussion. Armed conflicts continue to be accompanied by serious violations of international law, high levels of death and injury among civilians, as well as deliberate or indiscriminate strikes on civilian objects and vital civilian infrastructure, including under conditions of occupation," he noted, adding that Azerbaijan's experience underscores the limitations of the international system.

Thus, the UN and other international organizations were unable to prevent the aggression committed against Azerbaijan and the serious violations of international law, nor to put an end to the nearly three-decade-long occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

"The first thing required to uphold international law and ensure accountability is political will. Certain acts in armed conflicts constitute grave crimes under international law and are prohibited by imperative norms (jus cogens), while at the same time constituting a serious breach of obligations owed to the international community as a whole (erga omnes).

All states bear obligations under international law to investigate such offenses, bring those responsible to trial, and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. These obligations stem from a number of legally binding instruments, as well as from customary international law. Accordingly, blanket amnesties, de facto impunity or other forms of immunity, as well as the early release of persons responsible for the gravest international crimes, are incompatible with states' obligations under international law," Tale Aliyev concluded.