Day: September 27, 2023

UCLA panel on “Atrocities, Genocide and the Duty to Prevent and to Punish Under International Law: The Situation of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh” flyer

LOS ANGELES—The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA Law, in partnership with the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA, presents “Atrocities, Genocide and the Duty to Prevent and to Punish Under International Law: The Situation of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh.” This panel discussion will take place on Tuesday, October 10 at 7 p.m. at the UCLA Mong Learning Center (Engineering VI Building) and via the Zoom Webinar platform.

On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military operation against the already-suffering people of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, who had been under a blockade for nearly 300 days, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries. This tragic situation became an overt initiation of wholesale, violent ethnic cleansing, and while a ceasefire agreement may be in place, threats to the safety and security of the ethnic Armenians in this region continue as the population evacuates their ancestral homeland.

Looking at the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh with respect to the Lachin Corridor blockade as well as the recent active military attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh and the threats to Armenia generally, this panel will explore the following key questions drawing from action taken thus far by states and international actors (or not):

• What conditions trigger the duty to prevent atrocities, including genocide?
• Once triggered, what is the scope of that duty, and what tools, both national and international, can help to identify these obligations as well as lawful steps for addressing a genocidal situation?
• How can accountability for atrocities be achieved in this situation?

This panel will also assess how concurrent litigation before the ICJ intersects with these questions; and further explore the extent to which lack of labeling or action with respect to the risk of genocide is due, in part, to a lack of clarity regarding the duty to prevent and punish genocide under international law.

The panel will be moderated by Professor Hannah Garry, Executive Director, Promise Institute for Human Rights, expert signatory to the submission to the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on Nagorno-Karabakh, and feature Dr. Taner Akçam, Inaugural Director, Armenian Genocide Research Program of The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA; Professor Thomas Becker, Legal & Policy Director, The University Network for Human Rights, Columbia Law School & Wesleyan University, author of briefing “The Tip of the Iceberg” on the Lachin Corridor blockade; Professor Juan Méndez, American University Washington College of Law, first UN Special Advisor on Prevention of Genocide, author of a “Preliminary Opinion” on the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh and the need to prevent atrocity crimes; and Sheila Paylan, International law, human rights and gender expert; Director, Armenian Women’s Bar Association Board of Directors.

Registration for this event is required and free. Please visit the event registration webpage to sign up for in-person or virtual attendance. The panel will conclude with a small reception in the foyer. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Armenian Students’ Association at UCLA, Jewish World Watch, UCLA Initiative to Study Hate, UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy, National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, and University Network for Human Rights.

The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law is the center of human rights education, research and advocacy at UCLA and around the region. 

The Promise Armenian Institute was established at UCLA in late 2019 as a hub for world-class research and teaching on Armenian Studies and for coordinating Interdisciplinary Research and Public Impact Programs across UCLA, and with the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora.  

Kristina Ayanian, Miss Universe Armenia 2022, is stepping into a new platform to advocate for the Armenian cause as the master of ceremonies at the ANCA Eastern Region Annual Awards Program, United for Artsakh, on October 7 at the Royal Sonesta Boston Hotel. 

Ayanian’s connection with the ANCA runs deep. Ayanian, a contributor to the Armenian Weekly, covered the ANCA-ER 13th annual banquet for the Weekly in 2019. Her advocacy efforts for the Armenian community have always stemmed from the ANCA, from using their online advocacy tools to attending their events and now, what she calls an “honor and a dream” – presiding over their annual fundraising event. “I’m filled with an immense sense of pride to honor activists and a team who have worked tirelessly, not just over the past three years since the 2020 war in Artsakh, but their entire lives, advocating and making a difference in the Hai Tahd movement,” Ayanian told the Weekly. 

The fundraising event comes at a fateful moment in Armenian history. On September 19, after over nine months of a devastating blockade, Azerbaijan launched an assault on Artsakh, causing immense damage to civilian towns and infrastructure and forcing the total surrender of the Artsakh Defense Army. Tens of thousands of Armenians have fled Artsakh ahead of its impending cession to Azerbaijan. The ANCA-ER Endowment Fundraising Committee has since adopted the theme United for Artsakh for the annual awards program. 

For Ayanian, the event is an opportunity to gather Armenians, similarly committed to advancing Armenian issues, to have necessary conversations and brainstorm new ways to collaborate. It’s a platform for the ANCA, which she calls the “changemaking bridge” between Armenia, the Diaspora and the United States government, to unify Armenians looking for ways to take action for the homeland to work collectively and effectively. “The event is important now more than ever,” she said. 

Ayanian, who speaks with confidence and eloquence, is driven by a firm mission to give back to her homeland. She participated in the 71st Annual Miss Universe Pageant as Miss Universe Armenia in 2022, where she used her international platform to bring awareness to Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Armenia and Artsakh. She recognized her title as bearing a role and responsibility not only to represent Armenia, but also to send a political message. “This is a global organization where 95 countries have all eyes on you,” she said. Her Miss Universe National Costume showcased the ancient craft of carpet weaving in Armenia and Artsakh. The front of the costume replicated the traditional Artsakh carpet design called “Arevagorg,” and she carried a sign stating, “Armenia for the right to live.” 

Whether it be as Miss Universe Armenia, as an ANCA advocate, or as the co-founder of EyeSupport, which provides humanitarian aid to Armenia and displaced families from Artsakh, Ayanian uses her many endeavors to tell the Armenian story. “Anywhere I go, anyone I meet, my number one talking point is Armenia. Every step I climb, the greater purpose and mission is to elevate the Armenian name and reputation of Armenia globally. I’m not doing it for Kristina. I’m doing it for Armenia,” she said.

Kristina Ayanian in her National Costume at Miss Universe 2022

Presiding over the ANCA-ER awards program is a full-circle moment for Ayanian. Her former principal Houry Boyamian will be honored at the program with the ANCA-ER’s Excellence in Education Award. “When I found out the news, I couldn’t stop smiling,” Ayanian said. She is grateful for the entire St. Stephen’s community, especially her Armenian teachers Digin Artemis, Digin Anahid, Digin Alik and Digin Lilit and Boyamian’s leadership, for raising her as a “hbard hye.” “Digin Boyamian has played such a big part in my life and Armenian identity,” Ayanian said. “She’s done so much to keep our Armenian heritage within the youth.” 

Ayanian recalled how Boyamian would start and end each day with the students at St. Stephen’s Elementary School in Watertown, Massachusetts. She would deliver a speech after the students sang the national anthem at the morning assembly and wait until every student was picked up by their parents after school. 

“She deserves all the praise in the world. She really has built our Armenian community for over 35 years. I’m so happy for her. I can’t wait to hug her,” Ayanian said with a smile in her voice.

Author information

Lillian Avedian

Lillian Avedian is the assistant editor of the Armenian Weekly. She reports on international women’s rights, South Caucasus politics, and diasporic identity. Her writing has also been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Democracy in Exile, and Girls on Key Press. She holds master’s degrees in journalism and Near Eastern studies from New York University.

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