Karabakh organizations were denied representation at the UN conference.

Organizations of Karabakh Armenians did not receive pavilions at the UN conference on biodiversity in Yerevan. Analysts link the refusal to the policies of the Armenian authorities, while the Ministry of Environment explains it by the program's non-compliance with the event's theme.

As reported by “Caucasian Knot”, on October 18, Karabakh politicians and activists expressed outrage that UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who came to COP17, did not speak about the rights of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Two organizations from Nagorno-Karabakh submitted official applications for pavilion placement in the Green Zone of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), but were denied. This was reported by the head of the public organization “Union of Artsakh”, human rights defender Artak Beglaryan.

The Ministry of Environment of Armenia stated that the application from representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh was rejected because their program did not align with the ecological focus of the event.

A member of the public council and the initiative “No Nature Protection Without Human Rights” Alvard Zakaryan reported that representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh were denied participation in COP17, “both in providing an exhibition pavilion and in the opportunity to present the topic of the indigenous population of Artsakh for discussion.”

No explanations were given, according to her. “We did not receive specific explanations as to why we were denied; we were simply refused without a clear justification,” Zakaryan said. She believes that the refusal is linked to the Armenian authorities' desire “to prevent public discussion of the Artsakh issue” and to present the situation as if representatives of the indigenous population of Artsakh do not exist.

“The unjustified refusal to representatives of Artsakh to participate in COP17 is undoubtedly discrimination,” Zakaryan stated at the initiative's rally in Yerevan on October 20.

Beglaryan could not name the reasons for the refusal. “The reasons for such a decision should be explained by the conference organizers; they are unknown to us. But it is clear to me that everything stems from the position of the Armenian authorities regarding the Artsakh issue. It is enough to recall Nikol Pashinyan's recent message on the eve of COP17, which again shows the desire to close the Artsakh topic. It is obvious that the Armenian authorities do not want to raise this issue within such a large international event or allow others to do so,” he noted.

The ombudsman for cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh, Caucasian expert Ovik Avanesov believes that the refusal to provide pavilions to organizations representing the indigenous people of Artsakh contradicts the goals and main agenda of the conference. “The host country should use international platforms of such level to present the problems it faces; however, the refusal to Artsakh organizations to place pavilions in the Green Zone of the conference dedicated to the rights of indigenous peoples raises questions about the compliance of this decision with the stated principles of COP17,” he stated.

According to Avanesov, the forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh, the destruction of the natural environment and cultural heritage, as well as large-scale fires threatening settlements and more than 100 cultural heritage sites, “require international attention.” Ignoring the connection between the preservation of the ecosystem and the presence of the indigenous population in their historical homeland, in his opinion, indicates double standards: Armenians from Artsakh “are deprived of the opportunity to fully present their problems on an international platform.”

Avanesov added that at COP17 they planned to present the history and cultural heritage of Artsakh and raise the issue of the rights violations of “150,000 Armenians from Artsakh who were forcibly displaced from their homeland.”

Employee of “Radio (Caucasian Knot can provide the name of the organization upon request)” 1 reported that among the pavilions of indigenous peoples of the world and local communities working at the conference, there is no pavilion for Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and no reminders of its indigenous population, culture, and traditions.

On October 20, the initiative “No Nature Protection Without Human Rights” held a rally in Yerevan calling to protect the rights of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. Participants personally delivered letters of appeal to the diplomatic missions of several countries and to the European Union representation accredited in Armenia.

Zakaryan reported that the letters were sent by email the day before, and on October 20 they were delivered in person. The rally was small, she explained, to avoid harassment from law enforcement agencies.

“The letter includes calls to protect the rights of the Artsakh people, including the right to return, as well as to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the region,” Zakaryan said. She added that the authors urge diplomats to use international platforms, including COP17, “to promote and protect the right of the indigenous population of Artsakh to return.”

A brief version of the letter was provided by the participants of the rally. They call to raise the issue of the forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh in the context of the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework for Biodiversity, ensure the protection of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Karabakh, and conduct an independent international assessment of its condition, as well as support the right of Karabakh Armenians to safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return to the region with guarantees of protection of rights to security, property, livelihoods, cultural identity, and community life.

The letter contains a call to demand independent international monitoring of forests, water resources, and ecosystems of Artsakh, to publish an assessment of the environmental damage caused by military actions, to support an independent investigation into allegations of genocide and other serious violations of international law, as well as causing environmental damage, including the possible use of white phosphorus munitions or other incendiary means. In addition, they demand to ensure the full participation of Armenians from Artsakh and their representing civil society organizations in international discussions concerning their historical homeland.

The authors of the letter ask diplomats to use relations with Azerbaijan and participation in international structures to promote these goals and to convey the appeal to the governments of their countries and representatives participating in COP17. “The preservation of biodiversity cannot be considered separately from the rights of people whose cultural identity and way of life have been shaped over generations in interaction with their historical homeland and its nature,” the letter states.

As reported by “Caucasian Knot”, on October 15, a rally took place in front of the Armenian government building as part of the same initiative. Participants demanded to stop the operation of the Amulsar mine for an assessment of environmental risks and spoke about the right of Karabakh refugees to return and preserve cultural heritage.