Agency: Western Azerbaijan to take main stage at UN Human Rights Council’s event

Executive Director of the Azerbaijani Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Aygun Aliyeva has said that a special event focusing on Western Azerbaijan will take place during the upcoming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, aimed at raising awareness about the region’s ongoing challenges.

Aliyeva made these remarks during public hearings at the Azerbaijani parliament, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

She highlighted the agency’s ongoing efforts to support projects that shed light on the issues facing Western Azerbaijan. The executive director noted that since the beginning of the year, the agency has funded 51 projects related to Western Azerbaijan, with a total investment of 667,000 manat ($392,352).

Since the launch of the funding programmes, 53 projects have been successfully implemented.

"In 2024, 29 projects related to Western Azerbaijan were selected through grant competitions, with NGOs receiving 374,000 manat ($220,000). These projects have included events in Azerbaijan, Belgium, Türkiye, Russia, the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, and other countries," Aliyeva explained.

"Films, websites, TV shows, books, and reports have been produced as part of these efforts." Aliyeva also stressed that materials about the genocide and forced deportations of Azerbaijanis from Western Azerbaijan, as well as the destruction of historical and cultural monuments in the region, are being presented to the international community.

She noted that articles on these topics have already been published in the media of the US, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Türkiye, Algeria, Ukraine, the UAE, Kazakhstan, and Kuwait.

Earlier, the Western Azerbaijan Community issued a strong condemnation of the recent statements made by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at the UN Human Rights Council, accusing him of bias and failure to address critical issues surrounding the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In a pointed commentary, the Western Azerbaijan Community expressed disappointment that Türk did not address the grave consequences of Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani lands, which included the destruction of religious and cultural heritage, as well as the ongoing threat posed by landmines.

The community also emphasised the unresolved issue of nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis still missing, urging Türk to call on Armenia to cooperate in determining their fate. The community criticised Türk for failing to call on Armenia to engage in a dialogue with Western Azerbaijanis who are seeking a peaceful return to their ancestral lands. Instead, they argue, Türk’s call for the release of individuals accused of war crimes, including those responsible for the Khojaly genocide, amounts to encouraging impunity.

By Naila Huseynova