Azerbaijan

Allow me first of all to sincerely congratulate Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab on his unanimous election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session and to express confidence that under his skilful leadership the Assembly will cope successfully with the complex issues before it. I would like also to commend the President of the previous session of the General Assembly, Mr. Didier Opertti, on his remarkable commitment to the success of the session. I wish also to congratulate and to welcome the new Members of our Organization — the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga. Speaking from this lofty rostrum, representatives of the States Members of the United Nations are trying to communicate to their colleagues and the international community the most pressing problems that their countries face. The truth, which is not always pleasant, is expressed here with hope for justice, understanding and support. States, including the Republic of Azerbaijan, that have regained their freedom and now face threats to their independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, count on the support of the international community. They are also deeply concerned about the current difficulties of the Organization. Member States look to the United Nations with trust and hope. This places on the Organization an important responsibility for finding a way out of the current complex situation. In this connection, the Republic of Azerbaijan actively supports the United Nations reform process, which our times demand. We believe that a transformed Organization, adapted to modern realities, will be in a position to cope with an increasing number of challenges and risks to international peace and security. Threats to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the Member States of the United Nations have become appallingly routine. States often face aggression, military occupation, “ethnic cleansing”, separatism and terrorism. A conflict that is not dealt with in a timely and resolute manner is later transformed into a humanitarian disaster that brings about a very sensitive reaction on the part of the international community. Given the resolute action by the international community in the Balkans, the situation with regard to the unresolved or frozen conflicts in other regions seems especially tragic. We consider it unacceptable to set priorities in this respect, and wish to draw the attention of the international community to the intolerable fact that 15 one fifth of the territory of a sovereign Member State of the United Nations — the Republic of Azerbaijan — has continued to be under foreign occupation for more than six years and that, as a result of “ethnic cleansing”, one out of seven of its citizens is a refugee or displaced person in his own country. The clear trend towards putting up with the behaviour of the aggressor and sometimes even conniving at his attempts to legalize the situation in the conflict zone, as well as the eagerness of some mediators to reach an easy settlement on the basis that the “ethnic cleansing” of the Azerbaijani population and the occupation of its territories is a fait accompli, will only lead to continued tension and further delay the prospects for a settlement of the conflict and the restoration of durable peace and stability in the region, based on the norms and principles of international law. The only valid premise for a lasting settlement of conflicts is a timely display of determination and solidarity by the international community, first and foremost by the United Nations, which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, for the protection and observation of the norms and principles of international law and for making every effort to secure the implementation of decisions taken. Like other countries facing aggression and militant separatism, Azerbaijan rejects settlement models that infringe on its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the unity of its State and run counter to its national interests. An example is the concept of the common State, which was proposed as a model for settlement in the context of certain conflicts, but failed to find the support of the countries concerned. That concept is pernicious, because it attempts to distort the notion of statehood and State sovereignty; in fact, it is an attempt to provide a legal framework for the ideology of militant separatism. It goes without saying that an important factor in any settlement is the readiness of the parties involved to find a compromise. At the same time, by definition, compromise implies reciprocity and clear limits. Seeking a realistic formula for a compromise based on adherence to the norms and principles of international law, taking into account national and State interests, the President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, has maintained direct contact and held talks with the President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian. It is Azerbaijan’s hope that this approach can open new possibilities to steer the settlement process out of the deadlock that we have witnessed during the past year. It is now possible to speak about the achievement of a positive climate, which should be complemented with more active work by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, which is responsible for the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, so that the negotiation process can be resumed in the near future. We regard it as absolutely unjustified that some members of the Minsk Group use the fact that there are direct contacts between Azerbaijan and Armenia as an excuse for their stepping aside from the process and for their inactivity. In this connection, we call upon the Co-Chairmen of the Minsk Group to make every effort necessary to bring about in the near future a revised proposal for the settlement of the conflict that would represent an acceptable combination of elements. It will be necessary effectively to use the time remaining before the OSCE summit in Istanbul in order to come closer to achieving concrete results. It is extremely important that the consistency and determination of the international community be maintained in advocating its declared positions on the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We believe, in particular, that the sequence of steps provided for in the Security Council resolutions on the conflict continues to be optimal. Azerbaijan reaffirms its commitment to a peaceful settlement and unconditional implementation of the ceasefire until a political agreement on the cessation of the conflict is concluded. Guided by a spirit of goodwill and a sincere desire to reach progress in the settlement process, on 18 September 1999, during the visit of Knut Vollebaek, the Chairman-in-office of the OSCE, the President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, announced the unilateral release of all Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan. We expect an adequate reaction from the Armenian side in the near future. Azerbaijan supports the reform process in the Organization, based on the proposals of the Secretary-General and the decisions of the General Assembly. Reform of the Security Council continues to be the priority problem. Azerbaijan fully agrees with the approach reflected in resolution 53/30, in accordance with which any decisions on this issue would require the positive vote of a minimum of two thirds of the Member States. We still believe that the representation of the States of Asia, Africa and Latin America in all membership categories of the Security Council should reflect modern 16 political realities. Azerbaijan reconfirms its support for the election of Germany and Japan as permanent members of the Security Council. We continue to believe that, together with that, objective reality calls for the allocation of one additional non-permanent seat to the Eastern European Group. With regard to the reform and strengthening of the effectiveness of the work of the Security Council, I cannot fail to draw the attention of the Assembly to the fact that the four resolutions adopted by the Security Council on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993), have still not been implemented. We believe that the lack of an adequate reaction to the violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter and the non-compliance with decisions adopted within the United Nations is seriously undermining the image of the world Organization. Azerbaijan welcomes the increased attention of the Security Council to acute humanitarian problems in conflict situations, and supports the inclusion in the mandate of peacekeeping forces of concrete and adequate provisions for the demilitarization of conflict zones and the disarmament of combatants, as well as of special provisions on the protection of and support for the civilian population, including women and children. Illegal arms transfers to conflict zones make the prospects for settlement more remote and aggravate humanitarian disasters. Recently this has become a pressing problem which requires special attention and specific joint action by the international community. In this context, breaches of the relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions, especially by some of the Council’s own members, are unacceptable. Azerbaijan supports convening an international conference on the illicit arms trade in all its aspects not later than 2001. We attach great importance to the timely convening of a fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, which could determine the future course of action in the field of disarmament, arms control and related international security matters. Azerbaijan stands by the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, and welcomes its entry into force; we welcome also the outcome of the First Meeting of States Parties, held in Maputo. A national agency in this sphere has been created in Azerbaijan; it has begun its activities and has started to establish cooperation with its international counterparts. Azerbaijan’s formal accession to the Convention is directly dependent on the issue of the continuing occupation of its territory by Armenia. Azerbaijan has a highly positive view of the establishment of the International Criminal Court, and supports the work of the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court on a number of provisions of its Statute. We regard as very important the work being done by the Commission to define the crime of aggression, and believe that the definition should be clear and viable, and that it should make provision for a norm establishing personal criminal responsibility. As a victim of aggression, Azerbaijan maintains that the Court should become an effective organ for the prosecution of those who commit crimes against humanity. My country is interested in taking an active part in combatting international terrorism, organized crime and illegal drug trafficking. The fight against these evils can be effective only if it is based on joint efforts by all countries, at both the regional and the global levels. We support the idea of convening in 2000 an anti-terrorist conference or a special session of the General Assembly on this issue, and the elaboration of a declaration of principles on the interaction of States in combatting terrorism. We hope that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be able to mobilize additional resources to continue the joint project on drug-abuse control of the UNDP, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and the Government of Azerbaijan. Another emerging topical area of activities is the provision of humanitarian relief assistance in emergency situations and periods of natural disasters, such as those that we have witnessed in recent months. In this connection, Azerbaijan calls for increased assistance to the victims of the tragic earthquake in brotherly Turkey, which claimed thousands of human lives. Despite the objective difficulties caused by the armed conflict and the transitional period, Azerbaijan believes that there is no alternative to its chosen course of reform aimed at building a democratic society with a market economy. As a State located at a key point between Europe and Asia, Azerbaijan is keenly interested in securing access to trans-European and trans-Asian communication networks; this would facilitate the development of industrial and trade links among participating countries, improved access to markets, 17 increased integration links, and closer cooperation among the economies of European and Asian countries. Unfortunately, the process of the profound transformation of the national economy is facing the serious consequences of the presence in the country of 1 million refugees and internally displaced persons. Coping with this emergency situation has been a primary concern of the Azerbaijan State for many years. Given the limited financial resources of our State, humanitarian assistance from the United Nations and other international organizations is a necessary element not only of the physical, but also of the moral survival of people who have lost their homes. We would like to express our most sincere gratitude to the United Nations, to the relevant United Nations agencies and to donor countries providing humanitarian assistance to Azerbaijan, and we call upon them not to reduce the volume of that assistance. Allow me to touch briefly upon the role that the United Nations and its agencies are playing in Azerbaijan. At the last session, I spoke about the constructive work being done with respect to the social and economic development of our country by the United Nations Development Programme. The UNDP is actively assisting the Government of Azerbaijan and bilateral and multilateral humanitarian organizations in addressing development issues. At the same time, my Government is deeply concerned at the fact that UNDP is entering the new millennium with an extremely decreased financial base. We all need a UNDP able to cope with the development problems that we are not in a position to solve alone. All participants in this process — donors and recipients of assistance — should provide sincere and solid support to the development activities of the United Nations. In this context, I would like to call upon all concerned to improve significantly the very difficult current financial situation of the Organization. With reference to relations between my country and the United Nations in general, I would like again to draw attention to the fact that Azerbaijan is still not represented in the United Nations Secretariat. The world is tired of crises and wars. Mankind deserves a peaceful, prosperous and happy new millennium. Our Organization is designed to play a leading role in overcoming obstacles to global peace and progress. It must be in a position to implement that noble mission. This is not an abstract desire, but a realistic task based on an assessment of the situation and an awareness of both needs and possibilities.