Switzerland is deeply concerned about the military operation unleashed by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh a few days ago. This development aggravates the situation of the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is already in a very difficult humanitarian situation. Swiss representative Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl said this during the emergency session of the UN Security Council.
"Switzerland takes note of the reports about the cease-fire adopted yesterday and calls for a long-term cessation of hostilities, the use of force to resolve conflicts is unacceptable," she said.
Pascale Baeriswyl emphasized that although the hostilities seem to have stopped, the situation is still fragile. At the same time, it is not clear how the obligations will be fulfilled, therefore the obligations under international law must be emphasized regularly, international humanitarian law and human rights norms, in particular, the rights of minorities must be respected without preconditions.
"We are sorry for the news about civilian casualties. The protection of the civilian population, the wounded and hospitals are of primary importance. We reiterate that humanitarian actors, including the ICRC, must be able to continue the impartial and active performance of their missions. It is necessary not to obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population in need and to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population in need quickly and without hindrance,” she said.
Despite receiving good news about humanitarian convoys, access must be maintained at all times. We call on the parties to continue fulfilling the obligations assumed by the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, as well as the decisions of the International Court of Justice.
In the last few days, many of us at the United Nations have reaffirmed commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, but we must not only talk about that commitment, but also try to achieve unity on concrete steps to uphold the norms of international law and resolve disputes peacefully. Stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be the result of continuous dialogue around the negotiation table. Peace must be ensured on the basis of respecting the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and protection of the rights of minorities. Everyone, including influential actors in the region, has an obligation to uphold the norms of international humanitarian law and promote political solutions. Switzerland is determined to achieve this goal and is ready to support the parties if they wish," she stressed.
Pascale Baeriswyl recalled the call of the UN Secretary General "let's not give up diplomacy in this important period” and emphasized that it is very important for Azerbaijan and Armenia to resume the peace process.
