On February 24, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan addressed the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, emphasizing Armenia’s ongoing efforts to tackle unresolved challenges.

Mirzoyan noted that many of the issues he highlighted a year ago remain unresolved, particularly threats to Armenia’s territorial integrity from its eastern neighbor despite mutual recognition under the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. He expressed concern over the treatment of 23 Armenians facing "sham trials" in Azerbaijan, which he said disregard international human rights standards.

He also recalled the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ previous missions to assess the situation of over 115,000 ethnic Armenians, expressing hope that these findings would aid reconciliation. Armenia has proposed several initiatives to Azerbaijan, including a peace treaty, transport infrastructure openings, and mutual arms control mechanisms, demonstrating its commitment to institutionalized peace and regional stability.

Mirzoyan stressed the urgent need to reinforce the UN's human rights pillar amid global conflicts, displacement, and rights violations. He criticized the international community’s failure to prevent crimes and ensure accountability, arguing that such failures undermine the core values of the UN human rights system.

He also highlighted Armenia’s progress in democracy, judicial independence, and anti-corruption efforts, noting the establishment of a national mechanism to strengthen human rights accountability and the upcoming submission of Armenia’s fourth Universal Periodic Review.

Looking ahead, Mirzoyan announced that Armenia would host the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 17) next year. He emphasized Armenia’s commitment to ensuring an inclusive conference, involving civil society, academia, indigenous peoples, local communities, and other stakeholders to contribute to global sustainable development and environmental inclusiveness.