Agreement on Confirmation of Commitment to Ceasefire

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Country/entity: Armenia
Azerbaijan
Nagorno-Karabakh
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Agreement on Confirmation of Commitment to Ceasefire
Date: 27 Jul 1994
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict (1991 - )
The territory of Nagorno-Karabakh has been a long-standing object of dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. During the existence of USSR, the territory was assigned to Azerbaijan, starting in 1921. After decades of disagreements over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and in the wake of Gorbachev’s policies of political openness, the protests by Armenians in the region escalated into violent conflict in 1990, exacerbated by the central government’s inability to control the republics as the USSR itself was on the verge of collapse. The Autonomous Region (Oblast) of Nagorno-Karabakh (NKAO) proclaimed independence from Azerbaijan in 1991, after the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic voted to abolish the Oblast. The territory itself is populated by ethnic Armenians, but surrounded by territories with an Azeri majority. The territory proclaimed independence, with the support of Armenia, and incorporating the areas that surround it, but has never gained international recognition and remains a de jure part of Azerbaijan. The violence intensified , leading to an estimated overall death toll of 30 000 After several attempts at mediation, the opposing sides agreed to a ceasefire in May 1994, but the situation has not been resolved to date and the violence had briefly resumed in the spring of 2016. The initial ceasefire in 1994 was the outcome of the so-called “Minsk process”, overseen by OSCE, with the participation of Russia, France, and the US.
Stage: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Armenia-Azerbaijan-Nagorno Karabakh: Process 1990s
Parties: Mammadrafi Mammadov, Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan

Serzh Sargsyan, Minister of Defence of Armenia

Samvel Babayan, Commander of the Army of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh
Third parties: To Minister of defence of Russian Federation, P.S. Grachov

To The Chariman of the OSCE Minsk conference on Nagorno-Karabakh, Y. Eliyason

To The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, A.V. Kozyrev; V.H. Kazimirov
Description: An agreement in which the parties reaffirm their commitment to continue to meet their obligations under the previous ceasefire agreement, and set out a timeline for completion of a comprehensive political agreement to settle the conflict.

Agreement document: AZ_AM_940726_ConfirmationofCommitmenttoCeasefire.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1:...The fighting parties confirm the following:
...
- Their aim to intensify efforts to complete the comprehensive political agreement within 30 days of August 1994, in which the military-technical issues will be addressed including the cooperation of international security forces and an OSCE observation mission.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
[Summary: Ceasefire commenced on 12/05/1994 under a different agreement and is presumed to be permanent].

Page 1: By positively evaluating in general the observance of the ceasefire from 12 May 1994 in accordance with the agreement created with Russian mediation in the period from 09 to 11 May of this year, and by responding to the call of the official representatives of the president of the Russian Federation and the Chair of the OSCE Minsk Conference dated 23 June of this year.

Page 1:...The fighting parties confirm the following:
- Their firm resolution to continue to fulfil their obligations under the ceasefire and in particular meaning, through the ceasefire, to preserve the conditions for signing a comprehensive political agreement and placement of international observers in the conflict zone.
- Their aim to intensify efforts to complete the comprehensive political agreement within 30 days of August 1994, in which the military-technical issues will be addressed including the cooperation of international security forces and an OSCE observation mission.

Page 1:...The opposing parties agree in the agreed terms to confirm the responsibilities they have taken upon themselves in relation to the ceasefire and to maintain the ceasefire regime until the signing of a comprehensive political agreement which provides for the total cessation of hostilities.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 1:...The fighting parties confirm the following:
- Their firm resolution to continue to fulfil their obligations under the ceasefire and in particular meaning, through the ceasefire, to preserve the conditions for signing a comprehensive political agreement and placement of international observers in the conflict zone.
- Their aim to intensify efforts to complete the comprehensive political agreement within 30 days of August 1994, in which the military-technical issues will be addressed including the cooperation of international security forces and an OSCE observation mission.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Panorama.am News: http://www.panorama.am/

Link to agreement: http://www.panorama.am/en/news/2016/04/27/V-Kazimirov/1570257

To Minister of defence of Russian Federation

P.S. Grachov

To The Chariman of the OSCE Minsk conference on Nagorno-Karabakh

Y. Eliyason

To The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

A.V. Kozyrev

V.H. Kazimirov

By positively evaluating in general the observance of the ceasefire from 12 May 1994 in accordance with the agreement created with Russian mediation in the period from 09 to 11 May of this year, and by responding to the call of the official representatives of the president of the Russian Federation and the Chair of the OSCE Minsk Conference dated 23 June of this year.

The fighting parties confirm the following:

Their firm resolution to continue to fulfil their obligations under the ceasefire and in particular meaning, through the ceasefire, to preserve the conditions for signing a comprehensive political agreement and placement of international observers in the conflict zone.

Their aim to intensify efforts to complete the comprehensive political agreement within 30 days of August 1994, in which the military-technical issues will be addressed including the cooperation of international security forces and an OSCE observation mission.

The opposing parties agree in the agreed terms to confirm the responsibilities they have taken upon themselves in relation to the ceasefire and to maintain the ceasefire regime until the signing of a comprehensive political agreement which provides for the total cessation of hostilities.

Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan

Mammadrafi Mammadov

Minister of Defence of Armenia

Serzh Sargsyan

Commander of the Army of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh

Samvel Babayan

26/7/1994