The UN Security Council Resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh

Abstract

Preserving peace and security around the world is one of the top priorities of the United Nations (UN), in general, and the Security Council of the UN, in particular. In order to accomplish this priority the UN either directly intervenes in the conflicts or adopts resolutions or recommendations regarding the ongoing conflicts. In this respect, in 1993, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions – namely, 822, 853, 874, 884 – at the result of the occupation of Azerbaijani regions, which were outside of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, by Armenian forces. The resolutions condemned the occupation of regions of Azerbaijan and demanded respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Furthermore, by these resolutions, the Security Council demanded the immediate cessation of hostilities and hostile acts that endangered peace and security in the region, and the immediate, full and unconditional withdrawal of all occupying forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan. However, the UN Security Council resolutions as well as all other regional and international initiatives for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were rendered inoperable by further occupation of Azerbaijani territories by the Armenian side. In this regard, the aim of this study is to investigate the resolutions of the UN Security Council concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, analyze whether or not these resolutions had binding effects over the conflicting parties in general, and find out what were the positions and arguments of the parties regarding these resolutions.