Geneva:A number of issues highlighted by Azerbaijani NGOs in an alternative report submitted to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances have been incorporated into the Committee’s recommendations regarding Armenia.
According to Azeri-Press news agency, the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) provided this alternative report, which has influenced the Committee’s observations. IEPF President Umud Mirzayev noted that there was significant overlap between the Committee’s concluding document and the issues raised by Azerbaijani civil society representatives. The IEPF’s submissions are registered in the UN treaty body database under specific codes.
Mirzayev emphasized that the goal was not just to publish the report on the UN platform but to bring attention to the long-standing issue of missing Azerbaijanis, particularly children, and ensure Armenia faces specific inquiries. The report focused on Azerbaijani citizens taken during the First Karabakh War, including 71 children whose fate remains unknown.
The Committee’s document addressed enforced disappearances in the context of the Karabakh conflict, urging thorough investigations. It also called for ongoing searches for missing persons, regular updates to families, and accountability for alleged perpetrators, regardless of nationality.
Mirzayev also underscored recommendations on mass graves, identification of remains, and enhanced cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Committee suggested mechanisms for anonymously providing burial site information and boosting collaboration in locating and identifying human remains.
He highlighted the outcome as a result of longstanding cooperation between Azerbaijani civil society and state institutions, affirming continued efforts to address the fate of missing Azerbaijanis, particularly those who were children at the time of their disappearance. Mirzayev stressed the importance of implementing these recommendations beyond paper.