Azerbaijan turned to the Berne Convention for the first time against Armenia
Complaint could set a precedent for biodiversity destruction in war
Azerbaijan He sued Armenia for environmental damage during the war.
According to the Berne Convention complaint could set a precedent for biodiversity destruction in war.
The Guardian writes that Azerbaijan controversial Highland Karabakh turned to international law to take action against Armenia for allegedly destroying its environment and biodiversity during its nearly thirty-year occupation.
The international tribunal will consider evidence of widespread environmental destruction during the conflict between the two nations, including deforestation and pollution. Indeed, if there is damage, Armenia will be required to pay compensation.
It is the first time that any country has resorted to interstate arbitration under the Berne Convention. Azerbaijan if it wins, the case will set a precedent for putting an economic value on biodiversity and environmental destruction.
Mountainous Karabakh conflict of Armenia To Azerbaijan started in 1988 with territorial claims.
In 1990-1994, AzerbaijanArmenia the first lived between Karabakh as a result of the war Armenia It occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 districts adjacent to it.
During the war and the subsequent periods, the Azerbaijani side constantly blamed Armenia for the destruction of cultural monuments.
2020-in Armenia and the cease-fire was broken again on the contact line of the Azerbaijani troops. Thus, during the 44-day Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan regained control over a part of Nagorno-Karabakh and 7 districts.
War 2020of November 10It ended with the agreement on a full ceasefire that entered into force in .
After this war, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of erasing cities, villages, cemeteries.
Armenia is currently accusing Azerbaijan of the same accusation.
The Azerbaijani side says that when the territories were taken back, habitats and species were damaged, natural resources were depleted, and biodiversity was destroyed.
The lawsuit is part of a wider diplomatic conflict between the two nations. Azerbaijan from a geopolitical point of view Europe and Asia, it occupies a key strategic point, and is also a biological crossroads for plant and animal species.
Azerbaijan According to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, mining during the occupation damaged large areas of forests that are a hotspot for biodiversity, home to rare, endangered and endemic species, including the Caucasian leopard, brown bear, gray wolf, desert eagles, as well as larger spotted animals. hit
The ministry announced that more than 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) of protected forests had been damaged.
In the war zone approx 20It is reported that 00 years old trees were cut down. In addition to having an important role in regulating microclimates and protecting biodiversity, these trees have cultural significance.
UNIn the report written by the Environmental Program of Azerbaijan last year for Azerbaijan, it is stated that valuable agricultural lands and water management systems were seriously damaged. Also, coal mining and quarries in Chardagli were operated without proper environmental control. As a result, there was chemical pollution.
Landmines remain a problem and have caused loss of livestock and wildlife, as well as fires.
Heavy metals and residues of explosives pollute soil and water.
However, UNEP also found that Azerbaijan and road construction starting in January 2021 as part of the reconstruction program Forest reduced the cover. And the report said that biodiversity was rebuilt around abandoned settlements that actually benefited during the war.
Azerbaijan claims that Armenia has violated the obligations arising from the Berne Convention to ensure the preservation of all wild flora and fauna, the protection and restoration of habitats, and the protection of specific species, including migratory species.
“During its illegal occupation, Armenia destroyed biodiversity and the environment instead of protecting them,” – Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov, deputy minister of foreign affairs, said his representative in the arbitration.
According to him, Azerbaijan has been trying to resolve the dispute diplomatically for more than 18 months.
“Unfortunately, Armenia stonewalled Azerbaijan’s efforts and eventually ignored them. Therefore, we have no choice but to raise these processes so that Armenia takes responsibility for the damage it irresponsibly causes to the environment.”
The Armenian government has not yet made any statement about this.
In addition to demanding compensation, Azerbaijan wants the tribunal to order Armenia to stop activities that continue to damage the environment.
Analyzes conducted by Azerbaijan in Okchuchay in 2021 showed extremely high concentrations of heavy metals in water and sediment, including cadmium, lead, nickel, iron, molybdenum and zinc.
Azerbaijan says several protected fish and amphibian species are at risk, and claims the problem is related to wastewater from copper and molybdenum mines in Armenia, as well as domestic waste.
The UNEP report noted that the pollution of Okchuchay has been a concern in Armenia for a long time.
It was reported that environmental and civil society organizations of Armenia regularly “raised the alarm about the pollution of the river with heavy metals and other pollutants, and the researches of Armenian scientists revealed that the situation is worsening.