Western Azerbaijan Community calls for action on return of displaced Azerbaijanis at UN forum

The Western Azerbaijan Community (WAC) took part in the XVII session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues, which took place in Geneva on November 28-29.

The event saw a key address by Shahin Ismayilov, Deputy Chairman of the WAC’s Control and Audit Commission and a Member of Parliament, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

In his speech, Ismayilov highlighted the forced expulsion of Western Azerbaijanis from Armenia, which led to the country becoming a mono-ethnic state. He emphasized that the WAC has developed the "Concept of Return," a framework designed to ensure the safe and dignified return of these displaced people to their ancestral lands in Armenia, in full compliance with international law. He stressed that the United Nations must play a more active role in supporting the return of Western Azerbaijanis, as well as in securing their rights and safety.

Ismayilov further pointed out that the issue of return should be a central element in the UN's human rights agenda. He called for a stronger international focus on addressing the rights of those displaced and advocating for their return to their historical homeland.

The UN Forum on Minority Issues, established in 2007 through a resolution by the UN Human Rights Council, aims to foster dialogue and cooperation on issues relating to national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities. This marks the second consecutive year that the Community of West Azerbaijan has participated in this prestigious forum, and they are committed to raising awareness of the return issue at the global level.

Originally founded in 1989 as the Azerbaijan Refugee Society and later rebranded as the Western Azerbaijan Community, the organization has been at the forefront of advocating for the rights of Azerbaijanis displaced from modern-day Armenia. Their mission goes beyond supporting the return of displaced individuals; it also focuses on protecting their rights, ensuring their development, and safeguarding their security in the region.

By Tamilla Hasanova