In November of 2024, The United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan. This is the same country responsible for committing ethnic cleansing against the indigenous Armenians of Artsakh.
The meeting is intended to accelerate action related to tackling the climate crisis. World leaders from governments, businesses and civil society will adjourn to advance solutions to climate change.
Azerbaijan claims its commitment to developing renewable energy potential and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2050. This is the same country that used cluster munitions, drones, artillery rockets and white phosphorus bombs that scorched forests and burned soldiers and civilians, tactics which amount to war crimes.
The deforestation in Artsakh can be attributed to the activities conducted by Azerbaijan during the war. The use of white phosphorus against Armenians in 2020 led to the deforestation of Armenian forests. Greenery in Armenian forests in Artsakh is gone for good.
How is a country responsible for such climate wrecking war tactics eligible to host one of the most important meetings in the world? Azerbaijan conducted the intentional deportation and ethnic cleansing of indigenous Armenians of Artsakh. Azerbaijan’s war on the Armenian people mirrors the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The world turned a blind eye to the forced migration of indigenous people from their homes and a proximity of another genocide.
Azerbaijan’s government under Aliyev’s leadership has been accused of cracking down on media and civil society activism. Azerbaijani authorities detained a human rights defender and climate advocate, Anar Mammadli, accusing him for criticism of the government and activism.
Azerbaijan is a country with restricted media and civic freedoms. Not only did the country displace more than 100,000 indigenous Armenians from Artsakh, but they jailed their own journalists.
Alongside thousands of Armenian students nationwide, we express disappointment over universities’ choices to send delegations to the COP29 this November. The overseeing national chapter of Armenian Students Associations expresses the hypocrisy with having the conference in Azerbaijan and sending students to attend. Armenian students call out Villanova University, Queen’s University, University of Washington and Northwestern University for their decision to send student delegates.
As students and educated members of society we understand the necessity of facing the climate crisis and implementing sustainable development. The environment in Artsakh is destroyed after the climate wrecking war tactics enacted by the Azerbaijani military.
We strongly advise universities and students to learn about Azerbaijan’s atrocities against Armenians and their human rights violations.
If universities are planning to send student representatives to the COP29, we urge them to pledge opposition to Azerbaijan’s arbitrary holding of Armenian POWs, Armenian political prisoners, and imprisoned Azerbaijani journalists.
As Armenian students and Villanova students, we strongly condemn any violations of human rights and the environment.
