Civilnet
Vartan Oskanian, who served as Armenia’s foreign minister from 1998-2008, presented his thoughts on the right of return and self-determination for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh:
—The violence and deprivation of aid in Nagorno-Karabakh during the majority of 2023 forced nearly all Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to flee under the threat of ethnic cleansing or genocide.
—While the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh at the moment is not conducive to safe return, international law provides that the Nagorno-Karabakh people who have fled their homes have a right to return to their territory of origin.
—In addition to the right of voluntary return, under the principle of self-determination, all peoples with a coherent identity and connection to a defined territory are entitled to collectively determine their political destiny in a democratic fashion and to be free from systematic persecution.
—Given the distinct nature of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh and their right of return to their territory of origin, they possess the right of internal self-determination. Upon return to Nagorno Karabakh, under the principle of self determination, they ought to be able, as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights stipulates, to “freely [...] determine, without external interference, their political status and to pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”
—The “loss” of Nagorno-Karabakh is by no means a forgone conclusion. The Nagorno-Karabakh parliament, temporarily anchored in Armenia, remains the legitimate popularly elected body to preserve and express the voice of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and guarantee the continuation of democratic and political representation of their rights and interests.
—The Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament shall call on the Government of Armenia to take the lead in pursuing their right of return and self-determination in talks with Azerbaijan.
—In parallel, the Parliament may choose to establish an international committee endowed with a mandate to conduct negotiations, engage in advocacy and lobbying with the aim of pursuing the right of return of the Nagorno-Karabakh people to their homeland as well as for self-determination, representing the Nagorno-Karabakh in international conferences and attaining representative status in international bodies.
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