ARMENIA
(.IIECK AGAINST DELIVERY) November 0g,2007

UNGA62/THIRD COMMITTEE Agenda item 71: Right of peoples self-determination to Statement H.E. Mr. Armen Martirosyan, by Permanent Representative
Mr. Chairman, The Armenian delegationalways usesthis annualopportunityto take the floor of the Third Committeeto elaborateon a hotly debateditem on the GeneralAssembly agenda, that is at the sametime, considered sacredright - the right of peoplesto self-determination. a Immediatelyafter World War II, the UN Charter- a documentplaced at the foundationof our organizatron,identified the main principles for a just intemational order, and among them is self-determination. This unambiguousstanceof the internationalcommunity on the equality of the principles of self-determination, territorial integrity and otherswas once more confirmed even during the Cold War when the Helsinki Final Act was adoptedin 1975. Mr. Chairman, People exercise their right to self-determination at various levels. The ultimate manifestationof a peoples' right to self-determination the right to declare- or, reject is secessionand full independence. Every member in this comes from a country that has exercised that right at sometime in its history. In the modem era, it appearsthere are two kinds of self-determination movements.There are those who opt for this right and are allowed to work through the entire processof selfdetermination in a civilized, tolerant environment, where at the end of the process a majority either choosesor dismissesthe option of going it alone. Examples of this exist throughoutEurope and in North America - from Scotlandand Belgium to Quebec.In other words, there is a consciousacknowledgement that the human rights of the collective must jpst as the human rights of any individual citizenmust be. And they are. be respected Then, there are examplesof other self-determination strugglesthat becomesomethingelse because there is no respectfor the human rights of the group involved. Indeed,it can even be said that in our part of the world, the internationalcommunity is extremely solicitousof the rights of each individual citizen, making certain that our new societiesrecognize and respecttheserights. But sometimes, of fear of a greaterconflict, a conflict of a different out nature,the rights of the group are pushedunder the carpet,with the hope that perhapsthey might just go away and that territorial and sovereignty issueswill not arise.

The very notion of sovereigntyhas historically emergedfrom the responsibility of states towards own citizens. Therefore, governmentsthat discriminate against and persecute certain groupsof their population cannot claim the right to govern those people.It is naive to believe that the people, who defend their very lives againstan abusivegoverrrment, will somehowbe convinced to consentto remain under the rule of that same governmentthat considersdemocracy,protection of human rights and rule of law a favour rather than duty and genuinecommitment. Mr. Chairman, Armenia strongly believesthat the free expression the peoples' will is the most effective of and democraticmeansto provide that people an opportunityto make their own choice and to decideon their future. Further,life in the Balkansand in the Caucasus and elsewhere has proven that any other kind of solution offers neither stability nor securityfor anyonein the neighborhood. Thank vou. Mr. Chairman.