Azerbaijan – International court of justice order relating to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh (18 november 2023)

France has learned of the International Court of Justice’s order of 17 November 2023 relating to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Court – to which the matter was referred on the basis of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination – requested that, pending a final decision, Azerbaijan should ensure that all persons who left Nagorno-Karabakh after 19 September 2023 and who wish to return there are able to do so in a safe, unimpeded and expeditious manner. It also asked Azerbaijan to ensure that all people in Nagorno-Karabakh are free from the use of force or intimidation that may cause them to flee.

The order reinforces the position held consistently by France, which takes this opportunity to reiterate its unfailing support for the International Court of Justice and the binding nature of its decisions, including when it indicates provisional measures.