Armenian ecologists urged  global eco-community to condemn the use of  phosphorus weapons in  forests of Artsakh

ArmInfo.About 50 environmental organizations of Armenia sent letters to international  organizations, telling about what is happening in Artsakh.

Thus, in the statement received by ArmInfo, it is noted, in part: "Dear  Partner, As you may be aware, on September 27th, 2020, full-blown war  exploded between Armenia & Azerbaijan over Naghorno-Karabakh  (Artsakh) with four ceasefire regimes negotiated under the umbrella  of Minsk OSCE Group, violated during October, 2020.

During this large-scale war, the most intensive since the 1994  ceasefire agreement in the Southern Caucasus region, a number of war  crimes were mounted & documented, among them beheadings of Armenian  soldiers, killing of civilians in a city square wrapped in Armenian  flags, deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructures - residential  buildings, churches, food markets, schools and maternity hospitals.

On October 30, 2020, the environmental community of Armenia,  including local, regional & international environmental  organizations, conservation pioneers, scientists and non-governmental  organizations, was shocked to witness another disastrous war crime  against natural ecosystems & crucial livelihoods of Artsakh.

As per credible reports & collected data, comprised by Human's Right  Defender of Armenia, Azerbaijani military forces have used white  phosphorus munitions containing elements of chemical weapons in the  primary forests of Artsakh, which is a gross violation of  International Humanitarian Law, principles of Customary Law, Geneva  Convention, Chemical Weapons Convention, Convention on the  Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental  Modification Technique, as well as the provisions of the relevant UN  conventions and documents. As video evidence shows, these weapons are  being used in an attempt to burn down forests where-civilians are  taking shelter from Azerbaijan's attacks.  

The ongoing large-scale war seriously threatens the biodiversity of  the region, which has been recognized as one of the world's  biodiversity hotspots. This region is well-known for its high rate of  endemism and for being home to more than 6000 plant species, 153  species of mammals, 400 species of birds and other living organisms.  Hundreds of plant and animal species found in Artsakh are listed both  in the local Red Book and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  having a protection status at a global level.  Among them are the  critically endangered Persian (Caucasian) Leopard, known to migrate  through Mrav ridge of Armenia & Artsakh towards the Iranian border,  as well as to Azerbaijan and vice versa, which is a rare species with  declining numbers protected at a regional & global level.   Furthermore, Armenia & Artsakh are known for their primary forests,  which are amongst the most biodiverse forests in the region. Not only  do these forests play a major role in preserving favorable  environmental conditions for sustainable development, but local  people are heavily dependent on these forests for their livelihoods.  Traditional forest-related knowledge accumulated over thousands of  years is deeply linked with the cultures of indigenous people living  in Artsakh.

The usage of white phosphorus munitions by Azerbaijani forces in  those forests will not only destroy valuable ecosystems & habitats  and put threatened species at the risk of extinction, but will  contaminate rivers & underground waters for years, thus turning into  a major threat of regional scale for all the people and wildlife  living in the region.  We are therefore calling out to the global  conservation community for support to help stop the usage of white  phosphorus munitions before they cause an environmental disaster and  regional ecocide.

The usage of white phosphorus munitions contradicts to all the  provisions of all environmentalconventions including the Bern  Convention, Nagoya protocol to Helsinki & Rotterdam conventions,  verified by the Governments of both Armenia & Azerbaijan Although 98%  of the global population live under the protection of the Chemical  Weapons Convention, this is, as we understand, unfortunately not  applicable towards Armenia & ethnic Armenians living in Artsakh.   Ongoing developments continue to threaten any form of life in the  region and thus we're addressing you, as a leading environmental  organization in the field, to:   - Write to appropriate contacts & conservation partners in your network to express your concern of the possible environmental destruction in  Artsakh and the region 

-Raise wareness within your networks/social channels and:   -Condemn the actions of any military force that uses white phosphorus munitions in forests & habitats destroying crucial ecosystems and  therefore forbidden under international law.  

-Call for responsibility to protect valuable ecosystems, species  populations & genetic resources fromecocide in Artsakh.  

-Call for moral responsibility in a time of war and exclude war crimes both against humans and nature.  

Please kindly inform us, the undersigned, about actions undertaken by your  organization advocating for sustainable development & environmental  resilience, and further steps aimed at eliminating the risk of the  ecocide in Artsakh region, which is a crucial habitat to threatened  species & populations not recognizing political borders and/or  regional disputes," the statement reads.