Western Azerbaijan Community

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs attempted to speculate once more on the question of cultural monument preservation.

"Instead of talking about sending a UNESCO mission to the territory of Azerbaijan, the Armenian side should receive such a mission on its territory." The community has frequently requested that UNESCO send a delegation to Armenia to monitor the condition of Azerbaijani monuments.

"According to the information we have, UNESCO has sent the Armenian government a relevant message in response to our appeal." This mission, however, is still not being carried out because Armenia has not granted its consent."

It was noted that Armenia's actions are a violation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), the World Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in Times of Military Conflict, the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Armenia's refusal to accept the UNESCO mission, its refusal to engage in a dialog with the cultural heritage preservation community, and its continued demonstrative destruction of Azerbaijan's cultural heritage, including the Tapabashi quarter in Yerevan, is also a flagrant violation of the International Court of Justice's decision of December 7, 2021. In its decision, the International Court of Justice requires Armenia to "immediately cease the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage sites and samples of ethnic and cultural property, as well as the policy of destruction of Azerbaijani cultural property."

The Western Azerbaijan Community demands from the Armenian government to immediately stop the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage, including the historical quarter of Tapabashi in Yerevan, and to restore the destroyed monuments of Azerbaijani culture. To ensure the veracity and authenticity of the monuments during restoration, the Western Azerbaijani Community should be closely involved in this process

The Armenian government should start a dialog with the Western Azerbaijan Community on this issue and accept the relevant UNESCO mission.