FM: Azerbaijan experienced most tragic consequences of international law violations

Azerbaijan has experienced the most tragic consequences of violations of international law, including humanitarian law, and faced injustice due to the non-implementation of the statutes and a number of resolutions of the main UN bodies.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov made the remarks during the “Summit for the Future” within the “High-Level Week” of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Foreign Ministry's press service.

The minister informed the representatives of the member states about the rehabilitation works carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“At this critical moment, when the world is facing unprecedented challenges, including climate change, conflict and geopolitical tensions, the Future Summit stands at an important crossroads in the fight against inequality and shows that the multilateral system can be effective if it speaks with one voice. My country, Azerbaijan, has experienced the most tragic consequences of violations of international and humanitarian law and has faced injustice due to non-compliance with the statutes and resolutions of the main UN bodies. It is against this background that Azerbaijan fully supports the Summit's call for strict compliance with international law and the elimination of the erosion of international norms. The UN Charter and all instruments and mechanisms enshrined therein should be applied without double standards, political or any other privileges, and unconditionally,” the minister said.

According to Bayramov, Azerbaijan needs a roadmap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, as only 17% of the Goals are currently being worked on: “We urgently need to transform our political commitments into decisive actions to achieve progress. In this context, Azerbaijan fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to strengthen progress towards the SDGs and, remaining true to its national commitments stated in the declaration on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the UN, prioritizes 17 goals, 88 targets and 119 indicators, making progress and serving as an example for others. This is achieved through a collaborative and inclusive process involving civil society, the business community, women, youth and other key stakeholders.”

“The liberation of our territories has also opened a new chapter in terms of achieving the SDGs. The government has launched a large-scale recovery and rehabilitation effort worth 10 million USD, covering all aspects of SDG implementation. Moreover, Azerbaijan has submitted an action-oriented national project, SDG 18. We call on Member States for greater international support and solidarity,” the minister said.

Bayramov added that Azerbaijan was the first country in the region to present the Fourth Voluntary National Report on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals: “Azerbaijan has contributed to the beginning of a new era by putting an end to the illegal use of force and restoring the rights to sovereignty and territorial integrity protected by the Charter. Azerbaijan proposed a post-conflict peace process agenda based on mutual recognition and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity between Azerbaijan and Armenia, achieved through bilateral negotiations. We called for the removal of remaining obstacles and emphasized the importance of political will and the exercise of responsibility to achieve this goal.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is crucial to emphasize climate change as the greatest transnational challenge of the century. Climate change threatens the lives of billions of people around the world. Building on the call for solidarity for a green world, Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November 2024. We aim to unite both developed and developing countries and develop a spirit of cooperation to combat climate challenges as a common duty and moral obligation of the future COP29 chair. We work inclusively with all parties, including both participants and non-participants,” the diplomat noted.

He went on to say that Azerbaijan's chairmanship of COP29 will be comprehensive and the inclusive strategy will build on two complementary pillars, raising ambition and creating an opportunity for action by setting a new climate finance target as a key priority this year.

“COP29 will also provide an opportunity to contribute to the global peace and climate agenda. Given the intersection of conflict and the climate crisis, Azerbaijan has included the recently announced joint initiative “Multi-Sectoral Pathways for Climate Resilient and Healthy Cities” (MAP) in the COP29 agenda. We call for joint work and efforts under COP29,” he added.

By Khagan Isayev