Major takeaways from President Ilham Aliyev’s address to NAM summit-level Meeting

Fuad Muxtar-Aqbabali / 2 March 2023

Baku’s eye-catching, ultra-modern Heydar Aliyev Centre hosted the summit-level meeting of NAM Contact Group in response to Covid-19 on post-pandemic global recovery under the chairmanship of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev with representatives from about 70 NAM member nations & international organizations in attendance.Presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, and Libya; Vice-Presidents of Cuba, Gabon, and Tanzania; Prime Ministers of Algeria and Kenya, including high-ranking representatives of various countries took part in the event.

The conduct of the high-level event in Baku and full-scale measures are afresh demonstrations of Azerbaijan’s pivotal contribution and determination to elevate NAM’s standing and impact on global developments. Azerbaijan’s hosting of this important summit where global issues are discussed is a manifestation of the importance the country attaches to multilateralism and global solidarity.

As NAM chair, Azerbaijan aims to defend justice & international law

“As a chair of NAM, our aim is to defend justice and international law,” President Ilham Aliyev told the Summit-level Meeting of the NAM Contact Group in response to COVID-19 on post-pandemic global recovery in Baku.

“Right after the beginning of the pandemic, it was NAM that took the initiative to mobilize global efforts to counter Covid-19,” the president underscored.

Azerbaijan strongly supports institutional development of Non-Aligned Movement

Emphasizing that Azerbaijan initiated the establishment of the NAM Parliamentary Network and the NAM Youth Organization, the president said that the “goal is to create institutional sustainability and to leave a successful legacy to the members who will take over the chairmanship after Azerbaijan”.

Convening UNGA Special Session gained huge support

“I suggested convening the UN General Assembly Special Session at the leaders’ level at the NAM Online Summit in May 2020. This proposal gained huge support among the UN member states,” the Azerbaijani leader told the summit.

Criticism of selective approaches to decisions of leading international organizations

“The decisions of the leading international organizations are not either implemented or the selective approach and double standards are being applied,” Ilham Aliyev said in criticism of similar approaches.

More cases of violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity and intervention in the internal affairs of states are observed, the president underlined.

Leadership in mobilizing global efforts to fight the pandemic demonstrates NAM’s influence

“NAM’s leadership in mobilizing global efforts to fight the pandemic once more demonstrated the Movement’s influence and responsibility,” said the president, adding that “Azerbaijan provided coronavirus-related financial and humanitarian support to more than 80 countries, most of those from our NAM family either through bilateral channels or World Health Organization”.

East-West standoff

Now the world is witnessing the most serious East-West confrontation since the end of the Cold War, the president said and warned against bowing to similar frightening tendencies.

“The new world order is in the process of reshaping. Now the world is witnessing the most serious East-West confrontation since the end of the Cold War, with repercussions for the remaining part of the world,” Aliyev said, voicing his profound concern.

The president urged NAM to actively participate in reshaping the new world order

“As the second largest international institution after the UN, NAM should play a more visible and efficient role in the international arena and actively participate in reshaping the new world order,” Ilham Aliyev said.

Call on France to apologize for colonial past & bloody colonial crimes

“Unfortunately, nowadays, we observe a rising tendency towards neo-colonialism,” the president remarked.

“NAM, which came into existence due to the historical decolonization process, should unify its efforts toward completely eliminating this shameful page of mankind,” the president said, calling on France to apologize for its colonial past and bloody colonial crimes and acts of genocide.

“NAM always strongly supported the unquestionable sovereignty of the Union of Comoros over the island of Mayotte, which continues to be under the colonial rule of France. As reflected in fundamental NAM documents, we call on the French government to respect the rights of the New Caledonian people and other peoples in French overseas communities and territories.”

“The French-administered territories outside Europe are nasty remains of the French colonial empire. We also call on France to apologize and admit its responsibility for its colonial past and bloody colonial crimes and acts of genocide against NAM member countries in Africa, South-East Asia, and other places,” Aliyev said.

UNSC reminiscent of past & does not reflect current reality

“Another important issue, which has been discussed worldwide for many years, is the UN system’s reforms. UN Security Council is reminiscent of the past and does not reflect the current reality,” Ilham Aliyev said and called for the expansion of the UNSC composition.

“The composition of the Security Council should be expanded to make it more representative and more geographically fair,” the president said, describing the UNSC as inefficient today.

“The UN Security Council is inefficient today,” said the president and pointing out that some Security Council resolutions had been implemented within days, adding: “However, in the case of Azerbaijan, Armenia ignored the four Security Council’s resolutions demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of its armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan for almost 30 years.”

In 2020, Azerbaijan itself restored its territorial integrity and historical justice by military-political means and enforced the implementation of the Security Council resolutions, the president said.

“Probably, it was the first case in the world since the establishment of the UN,” the Azerbaijani president added.

Courtesy : https://www.azernews.az/nation/207001.html