Professor Mendes' Report on the Legal Consequences of the Blockade of Artsakh

Professor Juan Mendes presented a report on the legal consequences of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh to the UN, which has also been published on the official website of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN.

It was noted that on August 23, a discussion was organized by the Permanent Mission of Armenia at the UN headquarters, during which the former Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, Professor of Human Rights at American University in Washington, Juan Mendes, shared his expert opinion on the ongoing blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and the possible applications of the UN’s prevention toolkit.

Representatives from UN Security Council member states and several other diplomats participated in the discussion. In his opening remarks, the Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN, Mher Margaryan, presented the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, noting that the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen. Referring to the urgent meeting of the UN Security Council convened at Armenia's request on August 16, the Permanent Representative emphasized that the UN cannot allow another crime to occur and that clear actions must be taken to prevent it.

Professor Mendes specifically highlighted that in the context of the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the refusal to comply with the International Court of Justice’s binding ruling is a sign that the early warning mechanisms aimed at genocide prevention need to be activated.

According to Professor Mendes’ expert opinion, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh provides sufficient grounds for the international community to implement early warning mechanisms and the principle of responsibility to protect.

During the discussion that followed the presentation of the report, Professor Mendes answered several questions raised by the attending delegations.