Azerbaijan raises missing persons issue at UN Security Council debate

Azerbaijan has delivered a statement at the United Nations concerning people who went missing during the First Garabagh War.

Report informs that the statement was delivered by Nahida Baghirova, counselor of Azerbaijan's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, at the open debate on "Women, Peace and Security in the next quarter-century: Fulfilling the promise through implementation."

"Regrettably, armed conflicts continue to have a disproportionate impact on women and children around the world. Widespread violations persist against a backdrop of non-compliance with international obligations, coupled with the lack of accountability for breaches of international humanitarian law and international human rights law," she said.

Baghirova recalled that the humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts require timely and adequate international support to address the needs and challenges faced by affected populations, including women and girls, as recognized in Security Council resolution 2474 (2019).

"Despite the end of the decades-long conflict and the progress achieved in advancing the peace agenda in our region, the fate and whereabouts of thousands of Azerbaijanis who went missing in connection with the former armed conflict continue to be a pressing humanitarian concern.

"Clarifying the fate of missing persons and advancing related international efforts in this regard remain matters of utmost importance to Azerbaijan.

"In the post-conflict period, Azerbaijan has undertaken large-scale rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts to enable internally displaced persons to exercise their right to a safe, voluntary and dignified return to their places of origin. Through the Great Return Program, specific measures have been introduced to empower women and girls and to ensure their meaningful participation in the recovery process.

"These efforts, however, continue to be severely hampered by the persistent threat posed by landmines and other explosive remnants of war. Since November 2020, 443 people, including women and children, have fallen victim to mine incidents and the numbers keep rising. This grave situation underscores the urgent need for adequate international assistance to strengthen national humanitarian demining capacities and support demining efforts.

"Notwithstanding these difficulties, approximately 96,000 people have already returned and are now living and working in newly rebuilt cities, towns and villages, as a result of the measures undertaken by the Government."

During the Security Council open debate on “Women, peace and security in the next quarter-century: fulfilling the promise through implementation,” held on 27 October 2026, #Azerbaijan underscored the importance of continuing to advance the empowerment of women and girls in post-conflict settings. In this context, Azerbaijan also stressed the need to clarify the fate of missing persons and strengthen international support for humanitarian demining to ensure safe and dignified returns. #WPS #WomenPeaceSecurity

— Azerbaijan UN 🇦🇿 (@AzmissionUN) October 29, 2026