Watch the report on Baku Int'l Virtual Humanitarian Law Moot on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts

 

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“ In November 24, 2020, the “Legal Analysis and Research” Public Union 

conducted the Baku International Virtual Humanitarian Law Conference via Zoom 

online platform. The conference is conducted in cooperation with the State 

Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan and supported 

by The Council on State Support to NGOs under the Auspices of the President 

of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The key issue of the conference was the protection of civilians in armed 

conflicts.

Sessions on humanitarian law and human rights aspects of the protection of 

children and women in armed conflict as well as the role of non-state actors, 

such as NGOs in designing the future steps of actions for work with civilians 

affected with the consequences of the war were discussed.

In international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians is not the same as 

the protection of combatants. This difference is particularly relevant in the 

conduct of hostilities: there is a fundamental distinction between civilians 

and combatants, and between military objectives and civilian objects. 

Combatants may be attacked until they surrender or are otherwise hors de 

combat, while civilians may not be targeted, unless and for such time as they

 directly participate in hostilities, and they are protected by the principles of 

proportionality and precaution against the incidental effects of attacks against 

military objectives and combatants.

The report “Civilians are under attack” prepared by the Legal Analysis and 

Research Public Union is presented at the conference by the moderator:

Civilians are under attack 44 days war

94 civilians have been killed, 414 injured and more than 4000 houses and other 

civilian facilities were seriously damaged as a result of Armenia’s heavy artillery

 attacks on Azerbaijan’s densely populated areas during 44 days war.

Amnesty International has verified the use of banned cluster bombs by Armenia,

 following an attack on the city of Barda in Azerbaijan, media reported quoting 

the statement released by Amnesty International. At least 21 people were killed, 

with an estimated 70 more injured in this attack. Amnesty International’s Crisis 

Response experts verified pictures (taken by Vice News reporters in the city) of

 fragments of 9N235 cluster munitions from Russian-made 9M55 Smerch rockets, that appear to have been fired into the city by Armenian forces.

Geneva Convention IV and Protocol II codify the principles according to which the 

civilian population as such, as well as individual civilians, shall not be the object

 of attack. The Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in 

Emergency and Armed Conflict says that, attacks and bombings on the 

civilian population, inflicting incalculable suffering, especially on women 

and children, who are the most vulnerable members of the population, shall be 

prohibited, and such acts shall be condemned.

This conference was conducted online and symbolically dedicated to the UN World 

Children Day. Representatives of the International Organization for Migration, International Red Cross Committee, Raoul Wallenberg Institute 

of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Sweden), Advocates, professors and students from Adakent University, Quantum5 Think Tank (UK), Athelos NGO (Netherlands),

 individual experts from UN CEDAW Committee, AmCham and UNICEF as well as 

national NGOs, representatives of Azerbaijani diaspora in Europe, and legal 

experts took an active part at the conference. It was decided that the conference will be held annually online or offline. The Organizer and Moderator of the Conference, 

Ramil Iskandarli suggested the next offline conference to be held next year in Baku or Shusha, Azerbaijan.

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2,783 soldiers martyred in Nagorno-Karabakh fighting, says Azerbaijan

 

The peace deal sparked celebrations in Azerbaijan but fury in Armenia, where protesters took to the streets to denounce the country’s leadership for losses in the territory, which broke from Azerbaijan’s control during a war in the early 1990s

BAKU, DEC 3 - Azerbaijan said on Thursday that nearly 2,800 of its soldiers were killed in recent fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, the first details it has released of military losses in weeks of clashes with Armenian forces.

The defence ministry in Baku said in a statement that “2,783 servicemen of the Azerbaijani armed forces were killed in the patriotic war”, adding that 100 more soldiers were missing.

Yerevan had earlier announced that 2,317 Armenian troops died during the conflict, which also claimed the lives of at least 93 Azerbaijani and 50 Armenian civilians.

The ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in a war in the early 1990s that left some 30,000 people dead and displaced many Azerbaijanis that used to live there.

Fresh clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out in late September, persisting despite efforts by Russia and the United States to broker ceasefires.

Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a Moscow-brokered peace deal on November 9 after Baku's army overwhelmed separatist forces and threatened to advance on Karabakh's main city Stepanakert.

Under the agreement, Armenia lost control of seven districts that it seized around Karabakh during the 1990s war.

The peace deal sparked celebrations in Azerbaijan but fury in Armenia, where protesters took to the streets to denounce the country’s leadership for losses in the territory, which broke from Azerbaijan’s control during a war in the early 1990s.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had described the agreement as “unspeakably painful for me and for our people”, while Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said it amounted to a “capitulation” by Armenia.

Nearly 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have deployed between the two sides and along the Lachin corridor, a 60-kilometre route through the district that connects Stepanakert to Armenia.

Up to 90,000 people — some 60 per cent of the population — fled the disputed Karabakh region during the fighting.

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CGSS, Embassy of Azerbaijan discuss ways to promote institutional cooperation

It was also decided that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between Nakhchivan University, Azerbaijan and Punjab University, Lahore to promote academic cooperation

ISLAMABAD, DEC 2 – Muhammad Saleem Mazhar, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of Punjab, Lahore & CGSS Management visited the Embassy of Azerbaijan to Pakistan and met with Ali Alizada, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan.

During the meeting, various initiatives were proposed to enhance regional and academic connectivity as well as bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

It was agreed that the Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad will act as a bridge between the student fraternity of Punjab University and institutions in Azerbaijan for close academic linkages. Teacher, student exchange programs, and joint conferences to promote institutional cooperation were also discussed.

It was also decided that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between Nakhchivan University, Azerbaijan and Punjab University, Lahore to promote academic cooperation.

Ali Alizada, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan appreciated the role of CGSS in promoting Pakistan-Azerbaijan cooperation in the Education sector. He also agreed to link various universities in Azerbaijan with Punjab University, Lahore for initiating joint ventures.

The meeting was also attended by, Fouzia Ali, Assistant Professor, Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, Lahore Lt Col Khalid Taimur Akram (Retd), Executive Director, CGSS.

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Successful foreign policy of Azerbaijan analyzed during Online Int’l moot

 

ISLAMABAD, NOV 26 - The Online International Conference on “Azerbaijan-Armenia Armed Conflict: Causes and Implications for the Regional Dynamics of South Caucasus” was jointly organized by the Center of Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS) Islamabad, and ADA University, Baku, Azerbaijan.

The aim of the conference was to analyze the implications on the security and stability of the Caucasus region, the successful foreign policy of Azerbaijan and the Nagorno Karabakh region, and other significant aspects of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

The conference was commenced by the opening remarks of Brig Akhtar Nawaz Janjua (Retd), Senior Member Advisory Board CGSS. He stated that there are many important lessons that we can learn from this war, where there is a will there is a way and our brothers in Azerbaijan have shown commendable strength and courage in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.The truth has prevailed and Azerbaijan stands victorious.

Mr. Fariz Ismail zade, Executive Vice-Rector, ADA University, Baku, Azerbaijan stated that since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, things took an uncertain turn. He mentioned that Azerbaijan was supported by many countries in the international community. He further mentioned that when the Soviet Union was weakening, Armenians started to occupy this land. On March 2nd, 1992, when Azerbaijan was accepted in the UN, Nagorno-Karabakh was accepted as a part of Azerbaijan and the international community accepted it without any objection. Armenia, in the meanwhile, occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region which created a refugee crisis.

Mr. Fariz Ismail zade further discussed, there were areas very difficult to liberate but the professional behavior shown by the Azerbaijan army played an important role. Azerbaijan’s army successfully liberated important areas.

Major General Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat HI(M), (Retd), Senior Member Advisory Board, CGSS mentioned that the conflict is almost 100 years old. The UN resolutions after this demanded de-escalation and return of refugees and return of land to Azerbaijan, but none of this happened. Minsk group was formed and diplomatic efforts were done but to no avail.

He further explained that on 27th September 2020, both countries alleged each other for escalation. War continued and Azerbaijan reoccupied areas up to Shusha and would have occupied the capital in the coming days had there been no ceasefire agreement. He further highlighted that Azerbaijan has strived towards a long-lasting solution for peace in the region. But the problem remains and it will be most suitable if it is solved in the next 10 years.

Colonel Mehman Novruzov, Defence Attache of the Embassy of Azerbaijan to Pakistan mentioned that according to Armenia, Azerbaijan will not be able to breach their defense lines which were heavily fortified with minefields. The new Armenian government tried to apply a hard-line military narrative for occupying new territories at the expense of Azerbaijan. In pursuance of this motive, Armenian military aggression against Azerbaijani civilians continued.

Hence, the counteroffensive peace operation by Azerbaijani political leadership was given a go-ahead.He discussed the warfare strategies, operational and tactical preparedness of Azerbaijan and shared a comprehensive presentation describing the timeline of the conflict. He shared informative videos of the armed conflict and stated that about 400 Azerbaijan personnel fought successfully against 4000 heavily armed Armenian forces equipped with heavy artillery and tanks. Discussing the battle of Shusha he stated that this will be remembered in modern warfare history.

Mr. Samir Guliyev, Deputy head of the Mission, Embassy of Azerbaijan to Pakistan Azerbaijan’s main aim was to establish peace and cooperative relations with its neighboring as well as other neighboring countries for a win-win situation. Coming to this conflict, Mr. Samir mentioned that Azerbaijani was always supported by provisions and directions of international law which were constantly ignored by Armenia. Many countries accepted Azerbaijan’s point of view with due course of time because of its basis on international conflict.

Mr. Samir Guliyev further stated that Pakistan’s and Turkey’s cooperation is an example of the international support received by Azerbaijan. He also highlighted the cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Prof. Dr. Azar Babayev from ADA University, Baku, Azerbaijan mentioned that Azerbaijan’s Armed Conflict is a very important question to ask from the international and analytical perspective because of the misunderstanding and misinterpretation of this conflict on the international level. According to the international legal system, Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan and under the perspective of international law, it is an occupied territory. The international legal system plays a very important part in it. Four resolutions were adopted by UNSC regarding this conflict in the 1990s. As there are no Security Council resolutions regarding other conflicts, the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict can be singled out because of these international resolutions. He also emphasized that Azerbaijan is the clear winner of this armed conflict. It was not only a war of military but also a war of political and academic level that Azerbaijan has won.

Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, Member Board of Experts, CGSS & Regional Geopolitical Analyst stated that dreams have come true and the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh has become a reality. Armenia was forced to sign a peace treaty with Russia and Azerbaijan for solving this issue. An illegal occupier, Armenia, has disturbed the geography of this region for a long time. On 27th September 2020, Azerbaijan responded after persistent Armenian shelling on Azerbaijani territory and presented an outstanding example of courage and bravery.

He also highlighted that fascist Armenia indiscriminately attacked the infrastructure and civilian population of Azerbaijan On the other Azerbaijan did not kill a single Armenian civilian, school, or hospital and answered the enemy on the battlefield. Describing the impressive leadership qualities, he stated that President Ilham Aliyev increased Azerbaijan’s ties with Turkey and increased its strategic relations with Pakistan that diplomatically helped Azerbaijan against Armenia.

The conference was concluded with the closing remarks of Mr. Fariz Ismail zade, Executive Vice-Rector, ADA University, Baku, Azerbaijan. He expressed his gratitude to panelists from Azerbaijan and Pakistan and specifically thanked CGSS for their support to Azerbaijan and raising awareness regarding the Azerbaijan-Armenia armed conflict.

The conference was moderated by Ms. Palwasha Nawaz, Project Executive, CGSS, and was attended by 100 participants from Pakistan and Azerbaijan. The conference was also viewed live on Facebook.

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Azerbaijan president ready to establish normal relations with Armenia’s ‘sensible forces’

 

He recalled that Armenia is currently going through a domestic crisis “which is natural because a military defeat, let alone such a humiliating one”

BAKU – Baku is ready to establish normal relations with “sensible forces” in Armenia if they come to power, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said in an address to the nation following the restoration of Baku’s control over the Adgam region.

“Armenia is currently going through a domestic crisis, which is natural because a military defeat, let alone such a humiliating one, may lead to protests in any country. If sensible forces come to power in Armenia after the crisis is over, we will be ready to establish normal relations with them,” Aliyev pointed out. According to him, it will be possible if Armenia “makes the right choice and improves relations with its neighbors.”

“As the country’s President and Commander-in-Chief, I am interested in making sure that animosity ends in our home region of South Caucasus and normal business relations are established,” the Azerbaijani president noted. “I said during the war that we have no issues with the Armenian people. We did not carry out an ethnic cleansing against them like they did against us. We did not destroy their historic sites, we protect them,” Aliyev stressed.

Renewed clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict over the disputed territory, primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994, tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control of them.

On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh starting from November 10. The Russian leader said that Azerbaijan and Armenia would maintain the positions that they had held and Russian peacekeepers would be deployed to the region.

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