Commissioner Mijatović: Human rights protection of all persons affected by Karabakh conflict is key to success in peace talks

Presenting the annual report for 2023 before PACE, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović called for determined and collective efforts to regain lost ground and advance human rights.

The Commissioner’s report highlighted the human rights situation in conflict zones, including the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Commissioner called on the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities to ensure focus on human rights protection in their peace talks and establish strong human rights safeguards for all persons affected by the conflict.

“Human rights violations have also marked the latest, and hopefully the last, chapter of the long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in and around the Karabakh region in 2023.

Just a few days ago, I published observations following a visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region. It was the first time in decades that a human rights mission of this kind was able to visit the Karabakh region. I stressed that effective human rights protection of all persons affected by the conflict over the Karabakh region is key to the success of the peace process,” the Commissioner said in her speech.