Azerbaijan pushes forward Armenia peace agenda at UN rights council in Geneva

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov outlined the current state of post-conflict normalisation with Armenia during his visit to Geneva for the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Mammadov, who attended the session from February 23 to 25, addressed a high-level segment and held several bilateral meetings, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

In his speech, he detailed the progress in implementing the Washington agreements, including the development of the Zangezur Corridor and its expected contribution to regional growth. He also highlighted Azerbaijan’s ongoing humanitarian initiatives, such as efforts to determine the fate of missing persons, clearance of landmines, and the Great Return programme. 

Mammadov stressed that extensive mine contamination remains a major obstacle to fully realising human rights and underlined the importance of international cooperation in this area.

The deputy minister emphasised that trials of individuals found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity were conducted in line with international law and domestic legislation, achieving justice in Azerbaijan’s view.

He cited the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention report of 13 March 2025 concerning Ruben Vardanyan, which, he said, refuted Armenian claims and confirmed that Azerbaijani legal procedures met international standards.

Mammadov also underscored Azerbaijan’s growing role as a global dialogue platform, noting that the country’s COP29 conference made a significant contribution to accelerating climate action.

He announced that Baku will host this year the 82nd session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the 13th World Forum of Cities, and the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue.

By Aghakazim Guliyev