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AT UN ON "PEACEFUL" USE OF OUTER SPACE, AZERBAIJAN & ARMENIA DUEL ON SEATS
By Matthew Russell Lee
Inner City Press
Nov 2 2012
UNITED NATIONS, November 2 --The "Peaceful" Uses of Outer Space gave
rise at the UN to a fight on Friday morning. Among three new members
proposed for the topic's Committee was Armenia. Azerbaijan challenged
it, first in Vienna then in the General Assembly's Fourth Committee.
The issue was Nagorno Karabakh, which also gave raise to several rights
of reply in the late night sessions of the General Debate in September.
But this was a new foray, seeking to block Armenia from a seat on
a relatively obscure UN committee. As one diplomat asked Inner City
Press rhetorically, is either one in outer space?
There are a lot of push back to and votes against Azerbaijan. Cyprus
on behalf of the European Union said this was an attempt to politicize
membership on the Committee.
The UN is, of course, a political place.
Algeria's Permanent Representative said that his country was willing
to take action against "occupying powers" -- which would also include
Israel -- but on a forum like the Security Council, not on membership
on Committees.
After the final Committee vote, where Mongolia and Turkey joined
Azerbaijan in abstaining, Turkey said that more effort should have
been put into coming to consensus on procedure, so it had abstained.
They were called the last speaker on the item. But the issue is sure
to reappear. Watch this site.
Update: Azerbaijan's representative was later recognized to explain
its vote after the vote, and congratulated the other new members
Jordan and Costa Rica.
Then he proceeded to say Armenia was behind the occupation of 20%
of Azerbaijan, and made eight percent of Azerbaijanis internally
displaced persons. He said Armenia is not a peaceful country, boding
badly for outer space.
Armenia's Permanent Representative finished with a point of order,
calling it a fantasy to link a bilateral issue with outer space.
http://www.innercitypress.com/ga4spacenag110212.html
By Matthew Russell Lee
Inner City Press
Nov 2 2012
UNITED NATIONS, November 2 --The "Peaceful" Uses of Outer Space gave
rise at the UN to a fight on Friday morning. Among three new members
proposed for the topic's Committee was Armenia. Azerbaijan challenged
it, first in Vienna then in the General Assembly's Fourth Committee.
The issue was Nagorno Karabakh, which also gave raise to several rights
of reply in the late night sessions of the General Debate in September.
But this was a new foray, seeking to block Armenia from a seat on
a relatively obscure UN committee. As one diplomat asked Inner City
Press rhetorically, is either one in outer space?
There are a lot of push back to and votes against Azerbaijan. Cyprus
on behalf of the European Union said this was an attempt to politicize
membership on the Committee.
The UN is, of course, a political place.
Algeria's Permanent Representative said that his country was willing
to take action against "occupying powers" -- which would also include
Israel -- but on a forum like the Security Council, not on membership
on Committees.
After the final Committee vote, where Mongolia and Turkey joined
Azerbaijan in abstaining, Turkey said that more effort should have
been put into coming to consensus on procedure, so it had abstained.
They were called the last speaker on the item. But the issue is sure
to reappear. Watch this site.
Update: Azerbaijan's representative was later recognized to explain
its vote after the vote, and congratulated the other new members
Jordan and Costa Rica.
Then he proceeded to say Armenia was behind the occupation of 20%
of Azerbaijan, and made eight percent of Azerbaijanis internally
displaced persons. He said Armenia is not a peaceful country, boding
badly for outer space.
Armenia's Permanent Representative finished with a point of order,
calling it a fantasy to link a bilateral issue with outer space.
http://www.innercitypress.com/ga4spacenag110212.html