MONTREAL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE BACKGROUND GUIDE
United Nations Security Council 1
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Dear Delegates,
My name is Alex and I will be your chair for the 2020 MUNC UNSC Crisis Simulation. A little about me before we start: In 2017, I started my Model UN career as a wee delegate attending my first conference: MUNC’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). For the first day or two, I was extremely quiet; I did not raise my placard to speak and definitely did not believe in my abilities as a delegate. However, as time went on and I realised the chairs do not bite as hard as I perceived them to, I began to participate with more regularity. I spoke frequently, passed notes, and spoke as much as I could.
For many, this will be your first dabble into the world of Model UN. Let this be a forum to express your interest in world affairs and to showcase your bright ideas for the future. Please do not be intimidated by the others in the room and give it your all! I and the rest of my team will do the best we can to make you feel as comfortable as possible, even if it may only be from behind our screens.
The United Nations Security Council is by far the most powerful branch of the United Nations. Use this to your advantage to solve the crisis playing out throughout the weekend. The conflict we have in store for you is one rarely spoken about today, yet still continues on in 2020. You will now have the opportunity to go back in time and try to reach a peaceful and effective solution for both sides. Nationalism, perceptions, and imagined divisions between fellow human beings has caused war for centuries, and your role on the UNSC should hopefully be one that aims to reverse this trend. This is quite a sensitive topic to this day, and I trust you will all handle these matters with the upmost seriousness and rigour. Along with my Assistant Chair Kessy Simbi, Crisis Director and Staff Paul Firobond, Zach Fortier and Jose Moro Gutierrez, best of luck to you all in your preparation, I am looking forward to our virtual meet-up in November! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or difficulties you may be facing leading up to the conference.
All the Best,
Alex Rona Chair, United Nations Security Council
2
COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
Notice: The following UNSC simulation begins on November 21st, 1991, and as such, this guide will not include any information pertaining to events or actions taken past the aforementioned date.
About the United Nations
Founded in 1945, The United Nations and its 193 member states have worked extremely hard to bring peace, dignity and equality for a healthy planet1. Their founding document, entitled the United Nations Charter, is a navigation guide for all member states.2 For the past 70 years, the United Nations has promoted sustainable development, the protection of human rights, international peace and security, as well as providing humanitarian aid3. The members of this organization work together in the resolution of international conflicts harmoniously and diplomatically. The United Nations is an organization that is working toward creating and promoting the future its founding member have been striving for4.
UNSC Membership
In order to create a better world, the UN has separate bodies working on specific topics. The one which is important to this committee is the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The Security Council conducted its first conference at Church Hall in Westminster, England, on the 17th of January 19465. Now located at the UN Headquarters in New York, the security council works mainly on ensuring international peace and security6. The UNSC is composed of 10 elected members that serve 2-year terms, as well as 5 permanent members: The United States, China, France, The Russian Federation and The United Kingdom. Along with being permanent members, they hold veto power which allows them to refuse any decisions made by the council’s majority7. The 10 elected members are chosen on a geographical basis: five for African and Asian states, one for the Eastern European States, two for Latin American and the Caribbean States, and two for Western European and other nations.8 The presidency alternates between each member every month.
1 “About the UN.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 2, 2020. https://www.un.org/en/about-un/. 2 “Charter of the United Nations.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 2, 2020. https://www.un.org/en/charter-united-nations/index.html. 3 “What We Do.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 2, 2020. https://www.un.org/en/sections/what-we- do/index.html. 4 “About the UN.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 2, 2020. https://www.un.org/en/about-un/. 5 “What Is the Security Council? Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/what-security-council. 6 What Is the Security Council? Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/what-security-council. 7 “Security Council Members Security Council,” United Nations (United Nations), accessed July 5, 2020, https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/security-council-members. 8 “FAQ Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/faq. 3
UNSC Governance
The meetings of the council are conducted at the president’s request at any time he deems it necessary, however the gap between meetings cannot exceed fourteen days9. According to Rule 40 of the provisional rules of proceeding, voting is done in compliance with the appropriate articles of the Charter and the Statute of the International Court of Justice10. Formal Security Council discussions involve both open and closed meetings. Closed meetings are not available to the public, and no verbatim record of statements are kept, but instead, a Communiqué is issued by the Security Council in accordance with Rule 55 of its provisional rules of procedure11. The UNSC has subsidiary bodies which support the Security Council in more intricate topics. An example of this is the 1540 Committee on the threats arising from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or the counter-terrorism committee12. The Security Council and its subsidiary organs are funded by the general budget of the United Nations to which each member state contributes depending on the donor country’s income.13
Mandate
The Security Council has four main goals. These are: to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, to cooperate in solving international problems in promoting respect for human rights, and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. While upholding their 4 main purposes, the UNSC has for mandate the resolution of conflicts. When a dispute that disturbs the peace and security arises, the first response of the council is to help the parties reach an agreement. In the case that the conflict grows in animosity, the council has the mandate to end conflict by sending ceasefire directives or dispatching their peacekeeping force. The council is also able to enforce measures such as economic sanctions, arms embargoes, travel bans or military actions. The security council unlike the other bodies of the United Nations has the power to pass binding resolutions that must be followed by the member states14.
Conclusion
The United Security Council has the role of concentrating attention on those responsible for the policies or activities rejected by the international community while mitigating the effect of the actions taken on other areas of the population and economy.15
9“FAQ Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/faq. 10 “Provisional Rules of Procedure Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/rop/chapter-7 11 “Provisional Rules of Procedure Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/rop/chapter-9. 12 “Security Council Affairs Division Security Council,” United Nations (United Nations), accessed July 5, 2020, https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/structure. 13 John McArthur and Krista Rasmussen, “Who Actually Funds the UN and Other Multilaterals?,” Brookings (The Brookings Institution, January 12, 2018), https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/01/09/who- actually-funds-the-un-and-other-multilaterals/. 14 What Is the Security Council? Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/what-security-council. 15 What Is the Security Council? Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/what-security-council. 4
Bibliography
“About the UN.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 2, 2020. https://www.un.org/en/about-un/.
“Charter of the United Nations.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 2, 2020. https://www.un.org/en/charter-united-nations/index.html.
“FAQ Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/faq.
“Provisional Rules of Procedure Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/rop/chapter-7.
“Provisional Rules of Procedure Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/rop/chapter-9.
“Security Council Affairs Division Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/structure.
“Security Council Members Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/security-council-members.
“What Is the Security Council? Security Council.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/what-security-council.
“What We Do.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed July 2, 2020. https://www.un.org/en/sections/what-we-do/index.html.
McArthur, John, and Krista Rasmussen. “Who Actually Funds the UN and Other Multilaterals?” Brookings. The Brookings Institution, January 12, 2018. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/01/09/who-actually-funds-the- un-and-other-multilaterals/.
5
NAGORNO-KARABAKH WAR (1988-1994)
Introduction of Territory and Etymology
Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region of the caucuses which is currently disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Its vast mountains and rivers make it a natural place for various agricultural activities such as cattle and sheep raising.16 Although inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people, Nagorno-Karabakh’s terrain can be described as rugged and somewhat remote, and approximately half of its territory spanning 4,400km2 is 950m2 above sea level.17 In the region lie two predominant ethnic groups: the Armenians and the Azeris (or Azerbaijanis). While the Armenians in the region almost exclusively follow the Christian Orthodox faith, the Azeris, similar to their Turkish cousins, almost exclusively follow the Muslim religion.18 Most of these Muslims adhere to the Shia school.19
The literal translation of Nagorno-Karabakh from Russian comes out to the mountainous black garden, and the region’s etymology comes from its existence under Russian and then Soviet rule.20 Although it is internationally recognized under the Russian name, Armenians refer to the region as Artsakh in their native language.21 It is notable to mention that the region is rich in oil reserves.22
Ancient Territorial History of Nagorno-Karabakh
Deep disagreements about who first inhabited the region of Nagorno-Karabakh is one of the principal reasons for the conflict this committee is planning to deal with. At the crux of this, historians from both sides will either put forth that it was indigenous Armenians or Caucasian Albanians who were the first settlers.23 There are also those who debate whether the historical Caucasian Albanian population is one which is culturally and genetically tied to Armenians, or rather the ancestors of modern-day Azeris who have since succumbed to Turkic influence and language.24
The history of the Nagorno-Karabakh region stems back to prehistoric times. Located in the Caucasus region between the Araxes and Kura rivers, the region was then populated by Caucasian tribesmen who spoke a Lezgic language,25 as well as the early Transcaucasian Kura-Araxic peoples.26
16 Josh Wilson, and David Parker. “Nagorno-Karabakh.” GeoHistory, May 8, 2020. https://geohistory.today 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. 19 Ibid. 20 Krüger, H. (2010). The territorial Status of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, 1-92. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-14393-9_1 21 Ibid. 22 Ibid. 23 Raisziade, A. "Azerbaijan’s Prospects In Nagorno-Karabakh." World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues 15, no. 2 (2011): 140-64. Accessed August 29, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48505076. 24 Avodyan, L. "Nagorno Karabakh: An Historical Perspective." International Journal on Group Rights 3, no. 2 (1995): 161-67. Accessed August 29, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24674479. 25 Josh Wilson, and David Parker. “Nagorno-Karabakh.” GeoHistory, May 8, 2020. https://geohistory.today 26 Ibid. 6
As years passed, the region fell in the hands of many empires—notably the Persian empire under Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC.27 The Armenian province of Artsakh was established in 189 BC, and given that the borders of this region coincide with the Nagorno-Karabakh region it is assumed that the creation of the province corresponds to when it first fell into Armenian hands.28
In 387 AD, the Kingdom of Armenia was split between the Romans and Persians, and the region was allocated to the state of Albania. There is not much of a cultural difference between what is referred to as the "Caucasian Albanian" and the first peoples of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.29 It is also noteworthy to clarify that the Albanian peoples spoken about in this text should not be confused with the present-day Albanian country and people.30 In 461 AD, Albania was overruled by the Sassanid Empire, otherwise known as the Neo-Persian Empire.31
The presence of the Persians did not inhibit the Armenians in the region to celebrate their culture and leave behind artifacts of such, notably multiple monasteries and script dating back from the 4th & 5th Century AD.32
The following centuries led to a series of invasions of the Caucasus region by the Arabic empires. For instance, the Turkish empire's reign in the mid 16th century explains why modern Azerbaijanis speak a western Turkish language. This reign is what distinguished the Armenian population from Azerbaijan's population. In 1724, the Persian empire was fragmented between the Russian and Ottoman empires.33 The Nagorno-Karabakh region was awarded to the Ottoman Empire. The Persian Empire took back the region 12 years later with the help of Armenians.34 However, after a power struggle, the Persians lost it to the Turkic Karabakh Khanate.35 Armenians fled the region, and this allowed for Turkish people to immigrate in.36
Czarist Russian Rule
From 1805 to 1823, the region of Nagorno-Karabakh was conquered by the Russian empire. Under the Russian empire, the Armenians who were of the Christian religion were favoured over the
27 Ibid. 28 Raisziade, A. "Azerbaijan’s Prospects In Nagorno-Karabakh." World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues 15, no. 2 (2011): 140-64. Accessed August 29, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48505076. 29 Ibid. 30 Broers, Laurence. Armenia and Azerbaijan: Anatomy of a Rivalry. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2019. Accessed August 30, 2020. doi:10.3366/j.ctvrs91nw. 31 Ibid. 32 "History And Architecture - Amaras Monastery, Nagorno Karabakh Republic". 2020. Amaras.Org. Accessed August 29. http://www.amaras.org/history-and-architecture/. 33 Raisziade, A. "Azerbaijan’s Prospects In Nagorno-Karabakh." World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues 15, no. 2 (2011): 140-64. Accessed August 29, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48505076. 34 Dash, P. L. (1989). Nationalities Problem in USSR: Discord over Nagorno-Karabakh. Economic and Political Weekly, 24, 2nd ser., 72-74. doi:https://www.jstor.com/stable/4394241 35 Rasizade, A. "Azerbaijan’s Prospects In Nagorno-Karabakh." World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues 15, no. 2 (2011): 140-64. Accessed August 29, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48505076. 36 Josh Wilson, and David Parker. “Nagorno-Karabakh.” GeoHistory, May 8, 2020. https://geohistory.today/nagorno-karabakh/ 7
Azerbaijanis.37 This allowed the Armenian population to grow and escalated the tension between the two groups.
With hostilities growing within the Russian empire leading to the Russian revolution, the two ethnic groups' violence also grew.38 In 1918, a year after the collapse of the Russian empire, Azerbaijan declared the Karabakh region theirs, and in retaliation to this, the Armenians created the Armenian National Council of Karabakh. Meanwhile, a short-lived assembly of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan called Transcaucasia saw the end of their democratic Federative Republic39. As one can see, the historical context of Nagorno-Karabakh is filled with multiple empires reigning over the territory. This complicated history explains the rising tensions we've seen since the Soviet occupation.
Nagorno-Karabakh Under Soviet Governance
Nagorno-Karabakh has always been a contested region between Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Soviets. The establishment of Soviet rule in Transcaucasia is followed by the development of a new political structure. In August 1920, troops were briefly stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh under an agreement between Soviet Russia and the Armenian Republic.40 Immediately after the establishment of the Soviet regime in Armenia, on November 30th, 1920, the Azerbaijan Revcom made a declaration acknowledging the territories for which Azerbaijan had claimed: Nagorno- Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhiev, as inseparable parts of Armenia.41 The formal declaration of the union of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia had therefore taken place. This meant the start of the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. It was the last legitimate act on the Nagorno- Karabakh regime in the light of international law.42
On July 4th, 1921, the Caucasian Bureau of the Communist Party of Russia convened a plenary session in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, during which it was reconfirmed that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of the Armenian SSR.43 However, under the dictates of Moscow and Stalin's direct intervention, the decision of the previous day was challenged on the night of 5 July and a coerced decision was taken to integrate Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan and to create an independent oblast on its territory.44 Throughout the Soviet era, the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians have never adopted this decision, and for decades they have been struggling to reunite with the ancestral homeland.
37 Rasizade, A. "Azerbaijan’s Prospects In Nagorno-Karabakh." World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues 15, no. 2 (2011): 140-64. Accessed August 29, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48505076. 38 Josh Wilson, and David Parker. “Nagorno-Karabakh.” GeoHistory, May 8, 2020. https://geohistory.today/nagorno-karabakh/. 39 “Karabakh: 1918-1921.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Artsakh. NKR. Accessed August 18, 2018. http://www.nkr.am/en/azerbaijan-karabakh-conflict-history. 40 Ibid. 41 Ibid. 42 Saideman, Stephen M., and R. William Ayres. "Reunification at Any Price: Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh." In For Kin or Country: Xenophobia, Nationalism, and War, 78-104. NEW YORK: Columbia University Press, 2008. Accessed August 29, 2020. doi:10.7312/said14478.8. 43 Ibid. 44 Ibid. 8
Throughout the duration of the existence of the Autonomous Oblast of Nagorno-Karabakh within the Azerbaijan SSR, the leadership of that republic has repeatedly and consistently violated the rights and interests of the Armenian population. This has caused the forced displacement of many ethnic Armenians from the region.45 As a result, while in 1923 Armenians accounted for 94.4% of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to 1989 statistics the number of Armenians has decreased to 76.9%.46 The discriminatory policies of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians have been expressed in attempts to artificially suspend the social and economic growth of the region, convert it into a raw material appendage, actively interfere in the demographic cycle aimed at ethnic cleansing, destruction and misappropriation of Armenian monuments and cultural values. 47
The Gorbachev Effect
As Mikhail Gorbachev took the reins of the Soviet Union in 1985, newly-established liberties and more lax policy enabled Azeri and Armenian forces to revisit the status of Nagorno-Karabakh within the USSR. The recently found ability to moderately criticize the central government was used by both groups to lobby for the region’s integration into their respective territories.48
On the Armenian side of affairs, demonstrations were held and opposition to Azerbaijani control of the region intensified. The protestors claimed that there was no Armenian language schooling, no Armenian television station and that Azeris were forcibly moved into the territory to dilute ethnic Armenian control and status.49 As protests intensified, counter-protests from the Azeris commenced in the country’s capital Baku.50 In January 1988, a Karabakh Armenian petition, containing 75,000 signatures, was delivered to politburo member Alexander Yakovlev. The petition called for the redistribution of the Nagorno-Karabakh region into the Armenian SSR. However, Yakovlev was clear on his government’s position: “The USSR Supreme Soviet, which has been addressed by both the republican assemblies, cannot and must not order the transfer without the consent of Azerbaijan as under the Soviet constitution each republic is sovereign.”51
The First Demonstrations of Violence
The Armenian petition, combined with the local parliament of Karabakh asking the Supreme Court of the USSR to revisit where the region belongs, sparked the first bits of violence. Under the justification of restoring and keeping order in the territory, a large number of Azeris entered the
45 Dash, P. L. (1989). Nationalities Problem in USSR: Discord over Nagorno-Karabakh. Economic and Political Weekly, 24, 2nd ser., 72-74. doi:https://www.jstor.com/stable/4394241 46 Ibid. 47 “Karabakh: 1918-1921.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Artsakh. NKR. Accessed August 18, 2018. http://www.nkr.am/en/azerbaijan-karabakh-conflict-history. 48 Broers, Laurence. Armenia and Azerbaijan: Anatomy of a Rivalry. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2019. Accessed August 30, 2020. doi:10.3366/j.ctvrs91nw. 49 Dash, P. L. (1989). Nationalities Problem in USSR: Discord over Nagorno-Karabakh. Economic and Political Weekly, 24, 2nd ser., 72-74. doi:https://www.jstor.com/stable/4394241 50 Broers, Laurence. Armenia and Azerbaijan: Anatomy of a Rivalry. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2019. Accessed August 30, 2020. doi:10.3366/j.ctvrs91nw. 51 Dash, P. L. (1989). Nationalities Problem in USSR: Discord over Nagorno-Karabakh. Economic and Political Weekly, 24, 2nd ser., 72-74. doi:https://www.jstor.com/stable/4394241 9 region to counterprotest and engage in conflict.52 On February 23rd, 1988, a group of Azeris who came to protest travelled north from Agdam, an Azeri town, to Askeran, An Armenian town, causing destruction and violence in all Armenian towns passed along their journey.53 A similar attack followed in the Azerbaijani coastal city of Sumgait.54
As attacks wagered on from both sides, refugees caught in the crossfire fled for their lives. Tens of thousands of Armenians and Azerbaijanis were forced to flee their homes and relocate in their respective nations.55
In January 1990, the Armenian residents of Baku, totalling approximately 30,000, were forcibly displaced. 127 people lost their lives and 700 civilians were injured.56 Conversely, however, those Azeris in Baku fighting for independence from the USSR were targeted by Gorbachev and Soviet troops. An estimated 147 people died while 800 were injured.57
Escalating Levels of Violence
As more and more Azeris and Armenians lost their lives, even more were continuously being displaced. As the two ethnicities have lived amongst each other for hundreds of years, many Armenian and Azerbaijani exclaves58 popped up as villages became more and more separated from their fellow countrymen. This caused even more displacement and the battle for small bits of land, and the burning of villages, crops, looting and pillaging of stores, and civil unrest unfolded.59
Operation Ring was another important landmark of the conflict. Orchestrated by the Soviets and Azerbaijanis, its aim was to disarm Armenian guerrillas stationed in towns throughout the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Towns were emptied forcibly and thousands of Armenians were displaced.60 Independence from the USSR and up to November 21st, 1991
As more and more towns were being targeted and captured, Azerbaijan and Armenia both captured independence from the ailing and failing USSR in 1991. However, the leaders in place on both sides stirred up its populous with national rhetoric and hard-line stances on one another.
52 Broers, Laurence. Armenia and Azerbaijan: Anatomy of a Rivalry. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2019. Accessed August 30, 2020. doi:10.3366/j.ctvrs91nw. 53 Geukjian, O. (2016). Ethnicity, Nationalism and Conflict in the South Caucasus. Geopolitical Review. doi:10.4324/9781315580531 54 Broers, Laurence. Armenia and Azerbaijan: Anatomy of a Rivalry. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2019. Accessed August 30, 2020. doi:10.3366/j.ctvrs91nw. 55 Ibid. 56 Geukjian, O. (2016). Ethnicity, Nationalism and Conflict in the South Caucasus. Geopolitical Review. doi:10.4324/9781315580531 57 Krüger, H. (2010). The territorial Status of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, 1-92. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-14393-9_1 58 Geukjian, O. (2016). Ethnicity, Nationalism and Conflict in the South Caucasus. Geopolitical Review. doi:10.4324/9781315580531 59 AVDOYAN, L. "Nagorno Karabakh: An Historical Perspective." Internatinal Journal on Group Rights 3, no. 2 (1995): 161-67. Accessed August 29, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24674479. 60 Ibid. 10
You will have to deal with the unfolding conflict, accusations of war crimes, international recognition, and much more. Good luck delegates!
UNSC Member Stances
United States of America: The United States does not recognize Artsakh as an independent nation and does not accept its leadership. The United States supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and maintains that the potential status of Nagorno-Karabakh is a matter of negotiation between the parties concerned.61
France: France does not endorse the self-proclaimed Artsakh republic. It has no relationship with those identified by its members. As co-chairman of the Minsk Community, France is working for a positive and sustainable solution.62
United Kingdom: The United Kingdom does not support the self-proclaimed sovereign state of Artsakh. The United Kingdom believes that it can contribute to an economic expansion between Azerbaijan and The United Kingdom in the non-energy sector.63
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: The USSR has meddled in the conflict for years. While their own empire seems to start its slow demise, they implement the “Divide and conquer rule”. By this logic, they drew borders in 1921 where the NKR was allocated to Azerbaijan SS. In 1923 they created the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan’s border whilst the region had a population of 94% Armenians. The USSR has for its best interest to keep the parties fighting each other so they don’t turn the violence against them.64
China: The Chinese Government recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Parties and wishes that Armenia and Azerbaijan will quickly find a just and fair solution to the Nagorno- Karabakh problem through peaceful talks, which is agreeable to both sides.65
Republic of Ivory Coast: The republic of Ivory Coast is very much invested in the ongoing issue. They wish for a peaceful settlement of the issue. However, they have an interest in Azerbaijan's oil-rich territory which could very much influence their position. 66
61 “Nagorno-Karabakh.” U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State. Accessed August 21, 2020. https://2001-2009.state.gov/p/eur/rt/snec/c7560.htm. 62 Mkrtchyan, Marianna. “Aris: France Does Not Recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.” Arminfo.info, November 17, 2018. https://arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=36750. 63 Gadimova, Nazrin. “UK Doesn't Recognize Separatist Regime of Nagorno-Karabakh: Minister.” AzerNews.az, February 15, 2016. https://www.azernews.az/nation/92900.html. 64 Nagorno-Karabakh: Europe’S Post-Soviet ‘Frozen War’ | Nowthis World. 2020. Video. Youtube: Now This World. 65 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, December 24, 2013. https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/gjhdq_665435/dqzzywt_665451/2633_665453/2639_665461/t15582.shtml.
66 E. Mehdiyev, Trend. 2020. "Ambassador: Ivory Coast Interested In Azerbaijan's Oil And Gas Experience". Trend.Az. https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/politics/2095531.html. 11
Republic of Zaire: The republic of Zaire wishes a permanent and immediate resolution of the matter in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Republic of Yemen: The republic of Yemen sympathizes with all parties. They wish for a rapid and inclusive solution to the conflict.
Republic of Cuba: The republic of Cuba recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Cuba and Azerbaijan have a well-established relationship when it comes to economic ties and they wish to further their allyship.67
Romania: Romania supports a negotiated resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in full accordance with the values and norms of international and humanitarian law.68
Republic of Cabo Verde: The republic of Cabo Verde wishes for a safe and immediate settlement of the matter.
Kingdom of Morocco: The kingdom of Morocco and Azerbaijan have always had “brotherly ties”. That is why they support Azerbaijan’s stance on Nagorno-Karabakh.69
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela: The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Azerbaijan have longstanding years of cooperation and allyship. That is why they recognize Nagorno-Karabakh under Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.70
Hungary: Hungary solely and strongly believes that the Nagorno-Karabakh within its borders belongs to Azerbaijan. 71
Japan: Japan is deeply concerned about the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Japanese government endorses all efforts made by OSCE Minsk Group and wishes for a final resolution to bring peace and stability to the Nagorno-Karabakh region.72
67 Hasanova, G., 2020. Azerbaijan, Cuba Discuss Perspectives Of Cooperation [PHOTO]. [online] AzerNews.az. Available at:
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Questions to Consider
• How will the UNSC facilitate peace talks between the nations involved? • What is the forcible future for the nations involved if the conflict comes to an end? • What positions foreign nations play in the region. How can their power be reduced or increased to foster peace? • What reparations should be made for civilians who have been displaced in the region? • How much does historical lineage matter in the conflict? • What significant role can a seemingly small country have in a crisis when a member of the UNSC?
13
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