Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova delivered a speech on July 9 at the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s webinar on “Protection of the Natural Environment in Armed Conflicts”
In her speech, Sahiba Gafarova stated that the protection of the environment during armed conflicts is a critical issue not only from an ecological perspective, but also from humanitarian, legal, and security standpoints. She noted that armed conflicts cause human tragedies as well as long-term damage to ecosystems, biodiversity, water resources, and agricultural lands, undermining sustainable development and negatively affecting future generations.
Emphasizing that international humanitarian law provides an important legal framework for environmental protection during conflicts, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis noted that its effectiveness depends on implementation at the national level. In this regard, parliaments play a vital role in reflecting the principles of international humanitarian law in national legislation, strengthening oversight of its implementation, improving legal liability mechanisms for environmental damage, and supporting post-conflict environmental restoration.
The Speaker touched upon the destructive consequences of armed conflicts on the environment based on Azerbaijan’s experience, stating that during the 30-year occupation, forests were destroyed, lands were degraded, water resources were polluted, biodiversity was annihilated, and natural resources were illegally exploited. More than one million mines planted in the territories continue to pose a serious threat to both people and nature, slowing down environmental restoration and the safe return of internally displaced persons.
Sahiba Gafarova noted that Azerbaijan is carrying out humanitarian demining, ecosystem restoration, tree planting, and green energy projects in the liberated territories. The Milli Majlis is continuously improving legislation to strengthen the national legal framework. In this context, the article “Ecocide” was added to the Criminal Code in 2024, defining ecocide as a crime against peace and humanity, and the laws “On the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction” and “On Demining Operations” were adopted.
Touching upon the Final Document of the Parliamentary Meeting jointly organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Milli Majlis within the framework of COP29, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis stated that the document calls on parliaments to prevent the environmental impacts of conflicts, raise awareness about the ecological damage caused by mines, and strengthen legislative initiatives against ecocide. She emphasized that this approach reflects Azerbaijan’s position as the host country of COP29.
Concluding her speech, Sahiba Gafarova called for continued joint efforts to strengthen the implementation of international humanitarian law and ensure a safer and more sustainable future for generations to come.
