Report submitted to UN on Armenia’s border processes and peasant rights

The Center for International and Comparative Law and the Tatoyan Foundation have jointly submitted a report to the UN Working Group on the Rights of Peasants, warning about the negative impact of the border delimitation and demarcation processes between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the rights of local farmers. The report highlights that these processes pose serious threats to the residents of border villages. Based on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas, the report stresses that incorrect changes to borders around the world undermine fundamental rights of farmers. It notes that similar consequences have been observed in other regions, including between Armenia and Azerbaijan, India and Pakistan, Morocco and Algeria, India and China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, as well as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The report provides a detailed account of the potential consequences of the border processes between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It points out that the recently agreed border sections directly affect the livelihoods and safety of residents in Tavush region’s Baghanis, Voskepar, Kirants and Berkaber villages. Farmers and others working in rural areas are entitled to rights such as life, liberty, security, access to land, an adequate standard of living, safe, peaceful and dignified living conditions, and the ability to develop their cultures. In addition to the villages of Tavush, the report also addresses the rights of residents in Armenia’s sovereign territories, including the Syunik (Kapan, Goris and Tegh communities), Gegharkunik (Vardenis and Martuni communities) and Vayots Dzor (Jermuk community) regions. It notes that Azerbaijani occupation has significantly violated the people's rights to land and security. Many villages along the proposed new border would end up dangerously close to Azerbaijani forces, posing a direct threat to the safety of ethnic Armenians. The report further emphasizes that improper border delimitation and demarcation agreements could result in the loss of farmers' livelihoods by depriving them of their agricultural lands and income. Using the examples of Aygehovit, Azatamut and Kirants villages in Tavush, the report illustrates how border changes can undermine residents' ability to sustain themselves and may lead to forced displacement. In Syunik’s Nerkin Hand village, the occupation of 2,700 hectares of land and the rendering unusable of another 1,140 hectares by Azerbaijani forces have already had a serious impact on local livelihoods. The report also separately addresses the issue of access to vital resources like water. It highlights concerns in Voskepar, where key sources of drinking and irrigation water have come under Azerbaijani control, raising serious alarm among local farmers. Concluding the report, the International and Comparative Law Center and the Tatoyan Foundation call on the UN Working Group on the Rights of Peasants to develop clear, consistent guidelines and standards for border delimitation and demarcation processes between states. "The existence of such guidelines would promote transparency, fairness and compliance with international law norms, protecting the rights and dignity of farmers and residents of rural and border areas," the report states. To view the report, click on the following link: https://iclaw.am/publications/18/details

Report submitted to UN on Armenia’s border processes and peasant rights

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