“When I came out of the house, I saw a post placed in my father’s garden, next to which armed men were standing. I got angry and told them to leave the garden my father had created.” As a result of the border delimitation and demarcation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the agreed border sections directly affect the livelihoods and security of the residents of the Tavush region’s villages of Baghanis, Voskepar, Kirants, and Berkaber.
Villagers and people working in rural areas have the right to life, liberty, security, land, an adequate standard of living, to live in a safe, peaceful, and dignified place, and to develop their cultures. In various regions of the world, incorrect changes to borders undermine the fundamental rights of villagers. Improper agreements on border delimitation and demarcation may lead to the loss of villagers’ livelihoods by depriving them of agricultural land and income. In Voskepar, important sources of drinking and irrigation water pass through territories under Azerbaijan’s control, which raises serious concerns among local villagers.
In addition to the villages of Tavush, the border delimitation and demarcation process also affects the normal lives of residents of other sovereign territories of Armenia - Syunik (the communities of Kapan, Goris, and Tegh), Gegharkunik (the communities of Vardenis and Martuni), and Vayots Dzor (the community of Jermuk). The Azerbaijani occupation has significantly violated the people’s right to land and security. Along the proposed border, numerous villages will be located at a dangerously close distance to Azerbaijani forces, which poses a direct threat to the security of ethnic Armenians. In the village of Nerkin Hand in the Syunik region, the occupation of 2,700 hectares of land by the Azerbaijani armed forces, and the rendering unusable of an additional 1,140 hectares, has seriously affected the lives of local residents.
The “Center for International and Comparative Law” and the “Tatoyan Foundation” have jointly submitted a report to the UN Working Group on the Rights of Peasants, sounding the alarm about the negative impact of the border delimitation and demarcation processes between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the rights of villagers. The report emphasizes that this process creates serious threats for residents of border villages. Through the report, the Working Group is urged to develop and establish clear, consistent guidelines and standards regarding border delimitation and demarcation processes between states.