Armenia’s permanent representative to the United Nations expressed the country’s interest in elaborating effective conflict prevention mechanisms in a speech at an open debate held by the Security Council, Tert.am said.

“Armenia is profoundly interested in establishing effective conflict prevention mechanisms, on the international and regional levels,” Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said, stressing the importance of applying such mechanisms also to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The diplomat noted that the war against the Karabakh, which Azerbaijan launched in violation of the UN Chanter, was against the country’s Armenian population’s right to self-determination.

“The world witnessed, over the past weeks, repeated violations of ceasefire and the escalated provocations across the Line of Contact between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which caused many human losses, with innocent civilians targeted,” Mnatsakanyan said.

He further called attention to the massive killings of the Yezidis in northern Iraq, noting that thousands (including Yezidis, Assyrians and Armenians) had to flee their homes in the wake of the violent clashes provoked by extremist groups. The diplomat informed the participants of the Armenian authorities’ decision to deliver aid to the Iraqi Yezidis through the United Nations.

“We are witnessing a devastating situation that has to be settled through coordinated efforts towards preventing mass atrocities. The international community has to take prompt action in direct collaboration with the UN agencies. In that respect, the role of the UN advisor on Genocide is inestimable. Armenia calls upon the Security Council to urgently react to the Yezidi population’s plight,” said the ambassador.

The meeting, entitled Conflict Prevention: Maintenance of International Peace and Security, was attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and representatives from around sixty countries.