Azerbaijan Delays UNESCO Mission to Assess the Condition of Cultural Heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh

UNESCO is awaiting a response from Azerbaijan regarding the dispatch of an independent expert mission to assess the condition of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, but requests directed to the Azerbaijani authorities have yet to yield success, according to a statement released by UNESCO.

UNESCO reminded of the obligation to protect cultural heritage under the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, to which both Armenia and Azerbaijan are parties. “Therefore, the Organization has proposed to conduct an independent expert mission to carry out a preliminary inventory of significant cultural properties as a prerequisite for the effective protection of the region’s heritage,” the statement said.

This proposal has received full support from the co-chairs of the Minsk Group, as well as a principled agreement from representatives of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. During a meeting at UNESCO on December 10 and 11, 2020, members of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict welcomed this initiative and affirmed the necessity of a mission to evaluate the condition of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and its surroundings. The committee requested each party to adhere to the mission's conditions.

Since November 20, UNESCO has submitted proposals and engaged in extensive consultations to implement this mission, which requires the consent of both parties according to the convention. Ernesto Ottone, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO, stated, “We are still waiting only for Azerbaijan’s response so that UNESCO can send a mission to that area. We have approached the Azerbaijani authorities several times so far, but the requests have not been successful. Each passing week complicates the assessment of the condition of cultural heritage, particularly due to the expected weather in the coming weeks. The window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must not close again. Preserving heritage is a crucial condition for establishing lasting peace. Therefore, we expect Baku to respond without delay so that the constructive discussions of recent weeks can translate into action.”