"Upholding the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is of the utmost importance today, as our world faces serious challenges arising from escalating conflicts, deepening inequalities and the impacts of climate change," said Shahriyar Hajiyev, First Secretary of Azerbaijan's Permanent Mission to the UN, Report informs.
He made the remarks in a statement at the Third Committee of the 81th session of the United Nations General Assembly under agenda item 70: Promotion and protection of human rights.
"Securing human rights and freedoms is the highest-priority objective, as determined by the Constitution of Azerbaijan, and continuous legal and institutional reforms are being undertaken to maintain steady progress in the promotion and protection of human rights.
Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms, in particular the Universal Periodic Review, the treaty bodies and the special procedures mandate holders, by regularly submitting national reports on the implementation of international human rights instruments and maintaining dialogue with monitoring mechanisms," the statement reads.
Hajiyev also highlighted that restoring the human rights of Azerbaijanis displaced as a result of the former conflict has always been a priority area for the state.
He said that Azerbaijan's systematic rehabilitation and reconstruction measures under the Great Return Programme have already enabled 96,000 persons to return to and live in the territories liberated from occupation:
"These efforts are seriously hampered by the extensive presence of mines, killing and seriously injuring more than 400 individuals, which requires genuine cooperation in rendering them harmless. At the same time, the issue of over 4,000 persons registered as missing is another remaining humanitarian problem."
The statement also addresses the importance of evaluating the issue of missing persons and the discovered mass graves within the framework of international humanitarian law: "Accountability is undeniable and must be an inevitable consequence of the offences committed. Azerbaijan has taken decisive steps to investigate and prosecute serious offences committed against its civilians and other protected persons during the conflict, in full accordance with its national legislation and international obligations."
The Secretary further stressed: "Sovereign equality, respect for territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of States are fundamental principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. We oppose growing trends of politicization of human rights and double standards, or interference in States' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights on various international platforms."