UNOY Peacebuilders Call for Immediate Ceasefire and Meaningful Dialogue to De-escalate Violence in South Caucasus
UNOY Peacebuilders are deeply concerned about the current military escalation in the South Caucasus region around the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The new wave of violence began early morning on September 27, with shelling surrounding towns and villages, putting the lives of civilian populations at risk, as well as taking the lives of military personnel from both Armenian and Azerbaijani sides. The current situation is critical and it is likely to continue escalating, potentially undermining the regional security – at the expense of peacebuilding efforts.
The Nagorno-Kharabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It dates back to the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the Karabakh Armenians demanded that Karabakh be transferred from Soviet Azerbaijan to Soviet Armenia. The conflict escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s. Since 1992, Nagorno Karabakh has proclaimed its independence and is currently an unrecognized republic, with a ceasefire treaty signed in 1994. The main mediator of the conflict is the OSCE Minsk group, including co-chairs from France, Russia, and the USA. The negotiations are still ongoing.
We share the grievances of civilian populations, who are in its majority committed to peace, and we express our concern about the safety and security of the people living in the region. We urge the respective societies to rethink peace, regarding it as a basic human right and an indispensable element of life. We call on these societies and members of the international community to refuse violence and save human lives.
On behalf of the youth-led peacebuilding organizations and young peacebuilders around the world committed to peaceful co-existence and mutual dialogue, we call upon all parties involved to take urgent and effective measures to end the military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh and resume talks on a peaceful solution, which are beneficial to all sides of the conflict. We believe that dialogue is the only way forward.
Finally, we call upon the international community to join in efforts to:
- Encourage conflict sides to develop non-violent ways to protect civilians on all sides and establish a platform for meaningful, inclusive and constructive dialogue;
- Support local actors in their efforts to provide victims, especially young women and men with humanitarian assistance, including shelter and psychosocial support, and to amplify their voices;
- Support the insertion of the investigative and risk reduction mechanisms to report further ceasefire violations.
Our global community of young peacebuilders stands in solidarity with those affected by such senseless violence and we demand accountability from the conflict sides.