On March 21, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan participated and delivered remarks at the special discussions of the 3rd World Forum on Human Rights held in Buenos Aires from 20-24 of March, 2023, dedicated to the issues of human rights and the future of democracy.
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia touched upon the national, regional and global issues of democracy, stressing the importance of their interaction. Vahe Gevorgyan introduced the processes of promoting and developing human rights and democratic institutions following the Velvet Revolution in Armenia, which to this day shape the priorities of the Government's agenda.
The active work of Armenia in regional formats, aimed at maintaining common standards of human rights and democracy, was highlighted. The interconnectedness of issues on peace, security and human rights was underscored.
Touching upon the challenges facing the region, Vahe Gevorgyan noted that the right to peace and the right to life are both individual and collective rights. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan challenges the human rights-based approaches, claiming that "might is right", therefore, the starting point in international relations is not human rights, but the force. The Deputy Minister presented catastrophic humanitarian consequences of such conduct, particularly reflected in the Nagorno Karabakh war in 2020, as well as during the latest aggression against the territory of Armenia. The ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh were also touched upon. In this context, the imperative of unconditional and speedy implementation of the decision of the International Court of Justice by Azerbaijan was emphasized.
The Deputy Foreign Minister reiterated Armenia's readiness to work with like-minded countries on the prevention agenda. It was emphasized that the prevention of genocides is one of the most important priorities of Armenia in the international agenda, aimed at ensuring remembrance and peaceful and dignified coexistence of the peoples of the region.
