Statement by Mrs. Narmin Ahangari First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Children and armed conflict: how to advance our collective norms towards protecting children and ending all grave violations”
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Azərbaycan Respublikasının |
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Permanent Mission |
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Statement by Mrs. Narmin Ahangari First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Children and armed conflict: how to advance our collective norms towards protecting children and ending all grave violations” 27 June 2024
Mr. President We would like to thank the Republic of Korea for convening the open debate on this very important topic. Yet another year, we have studied the report of the Secretary-General (A/78/842-S/2024/384) with the gloomy picture over the world of children being targeted by grave violations, including killing, maiming, abduction and recruitment for military purposes. At this critical juncture, ensuring full compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as providing accountability for past violations remains an ongoing imperative in the path to an effective prevention and protection of children in armed conflicts. Mr. President Children of Azerbaijan suffered immensely from the Armenian occupation of our territories in the past 30 years. The occupation claimed the lives of hundreds of Azerbaijani children, while around 3500 lost either one or both of their parents. In contrary to international humanitarian law 92 children were taken hostage by Armenia and hundreds of thousands were displaced along with their families. About 1500 secondary schools and preschools were destroyed or substantially damaged. Another act of aggression committed by Armenia during the fall of 2020, including through missile strikes on the residential areas in the cities of Ganja and Barda of Azerbaijan, resulted in the killing of 12 children and injury of 16. The youngest victim was only 10 months old. Even after the liberation of our territories, children continue to be subjected to suffering, as Armenia refuses to share accurate and comprehensive information about the hundreds of thousands of landmines it laid on our territories. Since the fall of 2020, 363 citizens of Azerbaijan, including 10 children and youth became victims of landmines. Furthermore, around 4000 citizens, including 71 children of Azerbaijan are still missing in connection with the conflict, whose fate Armenia consistently refrains to clarify. Mr. President, While Armenia continues its wide practice of the recruitment of children by armed forces and exploits them for hate propaganda against Azerbaijan, my country has embarked on a full-scale restoration and rehabilitation process in the liberated territories. Through rebuilding civilian objects, reconstructing educational facilities, including the establishment of Karabakh University in the city of Khankendi, Azerbaijan determined to create an opportunity for children to live and prosper in a peaceful, sustainable and thriving region. I thank you, Mr. President. |
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