To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure Azerbaijan’s compliance with international law on prevention of atrocity crimes.
Answered on
19 October 2023
This answer is a correction from the original answer.
The UK believes that those who commit atrocities in armed conflicts need to be held accountable. We call on states and non-state actors engaged in armed conflict to respect international humanitarian law, and to act in accordance with their obligations under it. In the case of Azerbaijani military action in Nagorno-Karabakh in September, the UK was vocal in calling for an end to the conflict, the protection of civilians and for immediate humanitarian access. The UN and other international actors have subsequently been granted access to the region.
Original answer
The UK believes that those who commit atrocities, both during armed conflict and in peacetime, must be held accountable, and calls on all states and non-state actors engaged in armed conflict to respect and comply with international humanitarian law. Where credible allegations of atrocities are made, we urge Azerbaijan's Government to comply with its international obligations.