Azerbaijan advocates peaceful return of Western Azerbaijanis at UNESCO forum

The Western Azerbaijan Community's Concept of Return, developed in seven languages, has been unveiled at UNESCO's IV Global Forum Against Racism and Discrimination.

The forum, held from December 9 to 11 in Barcelona, Spain, saw the participation of Azerbaijan, represented by Malahat Ibrahimgizi, a member of parliament and chair of the Women’s Council of the Western Azerbaijan Community (WAC), the community told Caliber.Az.

Speaking at the session titled "Women's Leadership: Building Sustainable Gender-Based Societies," Malahat Ibrahimgizi highlighted Azerbaijan’s state policies on protecting women's rights, their involvement in socio-economic projects, and the promotion of women’s entrepreneurship.

She reminded participants that 300,000 Azerbaijanis, deported from Armenia between 1987 and 1991, including Azerbaijani women refugees, continue to face neglect from international organizations.

Emphasizing the importance of the peaceful return of Western Azerbaijanis to their ancestral homeland, Ibrahimgizi stressed the need for raising awareness among women about their right to reintegration.

She also called for the support and cooperation of international organizations, particularly UNESCO, to implement the Concept of Return effectively.

To recall, the Western Azerbaijan Community participated in the 17th session of the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva on November 28–29.

Addressing the forum, Shahin Ismayilov, Deputy Chairman of the WAC's Control and Audit Commission and a Member of Parliament, highlighted the forced expulsion of Western Azerbaijanis from Armenia, resulting in its transformation into a mono-ethnic state.

Ismayilov presented the WAC's Concept of Return, a framework for the safe and dignified repatriation of displaced individuals to their ancestral lands, in line with international law.

He called on the United Nations to take a more active role in ensuring the return of Western Azerbaijanis and safeguarding their rights and security. Ismayilov also urged the UN to prioritize the issue of return within its human rights agenda.

The WAC, originally established in 1989 as the Azerbaijan Refugee Society, has been instrumental in advocating for the rights and return of Azerbaijanis displaced from modern-day Armenia. This marks the second year the organization has participated in the forum, which was founded in 2007 to address issues affecting national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities.

The WAC remains committed to raising global awareness of the return issue and securing international support for the displaced community.

By Aghakazim Guliyev