In recent years, the expansion of geographical area of conflict zones around the globe caused the rapid growth in numbers of those who lost their lives or were forced to flee their homes, said Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

The FM made the remarks at a high-level side event on “Strengthening cooperation on migration and refugee movements under the new development agenda”.

Mammadyarov said that in fact, failure to tackle the problem of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is a serious threat not only to countries concerned in South and Central Europe but for the entire region.

“We also have to address carefully the attempts of some political leaders to misuse suffered migrants in their own malicious interests to promote the illegal practice, like those in Armenia who try to resettle Armenian migrants from Syria on the occupied lands of Azerbaijan. This is unacceptable and constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law, in particular the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocols,” noted the minister.

Mammadyarov went on to add that the number of Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs from the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions of Azerbaijan is about one million, noting that given its 9,7 million population, Azerbaijan has one of the largest per capita IDP and refugees burden in the world.

“Despite the enormous efforts made by the Government, the total solution of IDP problems is still very difficult to achieve. About 400,000 IDPs continue to live under difficult conditions in old and unsuitable houses,” said the minister.

“The full restoration of the human rights of IDPs and refugees requires a resolution of the conflict. Azerbaijan’s position in this issue is crystal clear: all the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan under Armenian occupation must be liberated and the right of IDPs to return to their homes and properties must be ensured. In that regard, the Government of Azerbaijan has developed a comprehensive repatriation programme called the “Great Return” to enable the IDPs to realize their rights to return to their homes and to access to their properties as soon as Armenia withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan,” Mammadyarov stressed.

The FM said that ensuring the right to return constitutes a categorical rejection of ethnic cleansing and offers important measures of justice to those displaced from their homes and land, thereby removing a source of possible future tension and conflict.

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