Elnur Mammadov, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, visited Geneva on February 23–25 to participate in the high-level segment of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council.

During the visit, the Deputy Minister delivered a speech and held several bilateral meetings.

Addressing the session, he discussed the current state of the post-conflict normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, including issues arising from the Washington agreement and the role of the Zangezur Corridor in regional development.

He highlighted Azerbaijan’s “Great Return” program, which focuses on clarifying the fate of missing persons, combating landmine threats, and ensuring the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons. Mammadov emphasized that large-scale landmine contamination continues to seriously impede the fulfillment of human rights and stressed the importance of strengthening international cooperation in this area.

The Deputy Minister also recalled the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s opinion (A/HRC/WGAD/2024/46), published on March 13, 2025, which rejected Armenian claims in the case of Ruben Vardanyan, confirming that Azerbaijan’s legal procedures comply with international standards.

Mammadov further highlighted Azerbaijan’s growing role as a platform for international dialogue, citing recent events such as COP29, which advanced climate action. He noted that Baku will host the 82nd session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), and the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue this year.