The National Assembly of Artsakh appeals to the OSCE participating States in defense of displaced persons, stating:
“On behalf of the 150,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh – men, women and children forcibly displaced from their ancestral homeland – we appeal to you with deep alarm and concern over the recent unilateral demand by Armenia and Azerbaijan to terminate the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group.
For decades, the Minsk Group has been the only platform with an international mandate for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Dissolving this mechanism without consulting the elected representatives of the people for whom it was created means ignoring our voice and abandoning our role in this process.
We respectfully call on all OSCE participating States to use their powers, including the right of veto if necessary, to prevent the dissolution of the Minsk Group until credible guarantees for the safe and dignified return of the displaced Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh are provided.
This right is enshrined in Article 13(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 12(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and confirmed by the International Court of Justice’s decision of 17 November 2023.
Any alternative settlement must ensure the following fundamental principles:
• Ensuring the right of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to return in safety and dignity.
• Re-establishing channels of dialogue and negotiation such as those provided by the Minsk Group.
• Full participation of our representatives in any discussions that determine our future.
The conflict cannot be considered resolved as long as an entire people remains deprived of its inalienable rights.
The dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group is contrary to both the mandate of the Minsk Group, adopted on 23 March 1995, and the OSCE Budapest Summit Document of 1994.
Our displacement was neither voluntary nor accidental: it was the result of a siege, famine and military attack – actions that have not yet received due attention from the international community.
Despite these hardships, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement that ensures security, self-determination and coexistence. Eliminating the last vestiges of international engagement without a credible and comprehensive alternative will deepen injustice and make peace even more elusive.
Any decision to legitimize the consequences of the ethnic cleansing carried out by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh and to consider the conflict thus resolved will leave an indelible and bloody mark on the history, credibility and integrity of the OSCE.
We call on you to act in accordance with the OSCE’s fundamental principles and commitments under international law.
We remain committed to constructively engaging with the OSCE and participating States to find a just and lasting solution and ensure the safe, peaceful and dignified return of our people to their homeland.
Our future and our survival depend on your actions. today.
Ashot Danielyan,
Speaker of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh,
On behalf of all factions and deputies of the National Assembly.”