The People of Artsakh Continue to Bear the Consequences of Aggression, Says Armenia's Permanent Representative to the UN

On January 21, a plenary session of the UN General Assembly took place, during which Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented the report on the organization's activities in 2021. During the meeting, Armenia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Mher Margaryan, addressed the organization's activities and priorities.

Mher Margaryan specifically noted that the challenges facing multilateralism demonstrate the necessity for an increased role of the UN in the protection of international law and its fundamental values. Emerging new trends include the distortion and manipulation of international law, attempts to isolate communities affected by wars, and the application of force based on identity-related crimes and the suppression of the right to self-determination.

It was highlighted that despite the Secretary-General's call for a global ceasefire, this initiative has not materialized, and "in our region, in the fall of 2020, we witnessed brutal aggression against Artsakh, which has led to numerous deaths, the complete destruction of settlements, the devastation of vital infrastructure, and a major humanitarian crisis."

It was emphasized that the people of Artsakh continue to bear the consequences of this aggression, and the obstruction and politicization of humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh hinder the UN's ability to provide comprehensive humanitarian assistance to the affected population.

Mher Margaryan also addressed the role of the UN in coordinating and leading global efforts to overcome the health, socio-economic, humanitarian, and other impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the context of achieving sustainable development goals, he underscored the need for greater attention to the needs of landlocked countries.

The Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN also supported the Secretary-General's efforts to advance a reform agenda aimed at enhancing the resilience, coherence, and effectiveness of the UN system.