BAKU, Azerbaijan–The United Nations General Assembly on Friday passed a resolution that reaffirmed peoples’ rights to self-determination and called on countries to address violations of the universal right, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry reported on Dec. 21 according to News.am.
The resolution, adopted during the General Assembly’s 64th session, was co-sponsored by more than 50 UN member states, including Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The right to self determination is among the founding principles of the United Nations, with many of its countries having been founded on that principle.
The Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman, Elkhan Polukhov, sought to reassure reporters at a press conference in Baku that the resolution was in Azerbaijan’s interests. He said the resolution, adopted without a vote, “does not say anything about the right of peoples to self-determination at the cost of the territory of an independent state.”
“On the contrary, it declares firm opposition to acts of foreign military intervention, aggression, and occupation, since these have resulted in the suppression of the right of peoples to self-determination and other human rights,” Polukhov said.
He added that the document also “deplores the plight of millions of refugees and displaced persons and reaffirms their right to return to their homes voluntarily in safety and honor.”
“Azerbaijan recognizes people’s right to self-determination. But it must be realized within the framework of the territorial integrity of the states,” he said.
This is beautiful. When was the last time in the history of earth that the principle of self-determination was implemented without being “at the cost of the territory of an independent state”
The last time I checked , we haven’t addedany new territory on earth. Of course, we could have a lot of fun with”the territory of an independent state”. What were the 13 colonies in 1776? I guess their
exercising the principle of self-determinationwasat the expenseof Great Britain…. which I think was an independent state. Of course the fact that Karabagh was illegally ceded to Azerbaijan by the
notorious Stalin and followed Soviet due process to void that injustice …. is kind of important to this discussion…. and Azerbaijan continues to forget that piece of the story.
This whole thing is another Armenian experience that has nothing to do with right or wrong…….there was no issue of right or wrong at Avarayr. Did we deserve to be deported and murdered. How about the correctness of having a home of 3,oo years stolen.
This is about standing up with passion and political maturity and know when not to blink.
That’s why the peopleof Karabagh are my heroes.They didn’t blink. They kept there eyes on the goal.
They are the brothers and sisters of those at Avarayr and Saradarabat. Our negotiators must use different methods with the same spirit. I was at a lecture recently and a young professional from Armenia in the audience got up to speak. He wanted to comment on the panel’s comments onthe various motivations Armenian had to fightfor Karabagh. He got up to say that the primary reason the Armenians fought was to PREVENT A SECOND GENOCIDE!!!!! Pretty Clear!!!!