Belgian Chamber of Representatives Adopts Resolution of July 17, 2025 on “The Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Need for Peace in the South Caucasus”
On July 17, 2025, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives adopted a resolution entitled “Draft Resolution on the Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Need for Peace in the South Caucasus” (Chambre des représentants de Belgique, Proposition de Résolution relative à la situation au Haut-Karabakh et à la nécessité de la paix dans le Caucase du Sud).
https://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/showpage.cfm?section=flwb&language=fr&cfm=flwbn.cfm?lang=N&dossierID=0589&legislat=56
Taking into account various fundamental international documents – including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, UNESCO's declarations on the intentional destruction of cultural heritage (including the 2003 Declaration concerning the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage), the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court – the resolution adopts several decisions. It confirms that, on September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military attack against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in a mass exodus to Armenia. This attack constitutes a serious violation of the November 9, 2020, trilateral statement.
The resolution strongly condemns Azerbaijan's military offensive against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the prior blockade of the Lachin corridor, stressing that these actions represent serious breaches of international law.
Among other key points, the resolution also addresses Azerbaijan's policy of destroying historical monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh.
https://www.dekamer.be/FLWB/PDF/56/0589/56K0589007.pdf
It notes that alarming reports on the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage since September 19, 2023, have been examined and taken into account, in particular the report published by Freedom House in November 2024, "Why There Are No Armenians Left in Nagorno-Karabakh."
https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2024-06/DDF_FH-REPORT_06.2024.pdf
The resolution calls for respect for the cultural, historical, and religious heritage of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, in accordance with UNESCO norms and Azerbaijan's international obligations. It also calls for granting access to a UNESCO mission (whose deployment has been pending since December 2020) to enter Nagorno-Karabakh and carry out documentation and inventory of the condition of heritage sites (Article 5. 6. 5, https://www.dekamer.be/FLWB/PDF/56/0589/56K0589007.pdf).
The resolution condemns the statements made by representatives of the so-called "Western Azerbaijan" community, which threaten the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia by referring to Armenia as "Western Azerbaijan."
Accordingly, the resolution states that Belgium must support international efforts to launch an investigation into international crimes committed by Azerbaijan (Article 5.1, https://www.dekamer.be/FLWB/PDF/56/0589/56K0589007.pdf).
The resolution further calls on:
a) Azerbaijan to respect its international obligations and comply with the binding decisions of the International Court of Justice (Article 5.6.1);
b) Azerbaijan to respect the rights of those ethnic Armenians who wish to return to Nagorno-Karabakh, to allow the presence of international observers, and to ensure the rapid, safe, and unhindered return of the Armenian population in accordance with the ICJ decision of November 17, 2023 (Article 5.6.2);
c) Azerbaijan to refrain from destabilizing rhetoric directed against Armenians that could incite discrimination or threaten the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia (Article 5.6.3);
d) Azerbaijan to launch a rapid, open, and comprehensive dialogue with the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to guarantee their security, as well as their cultural, social, and religious rights (Article 5.6.4).
https://www.dekamer.be/FLWB/PDF/56/0589/56K0589007.pdf
The resolution also calls, at the European level, for a response in the form of targeted sanctions against individuals and organizations responsible for violations of the November 9, 2020 ceasefire, for the destruction of cultural and religious heritage, and for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as against those who threaten Armenia's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity (Article 5.7.1). It further urges the EU to reconsider its relations with Azerbaijan if the latter fails to take constructive, credible steps toward achieving lasting peace or fails to renounce its threatening rhetoric toward Armenia (Article 5.7.3).