Senator Portantino Participates in Human Rights Conference in Armenia, Voices Strong Opposition to Azerbaijan as COP29 Host
Yerevan, Armenia – Last week, Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) participated as a panelist during the Third Annual Conference of Human Rights and Accountability at the Madenataran in Yerevan. The conference was hosted by the Center for Truth and Justice and co-sponsored by the Constitutional Court of Armenia. The panel, titled Azerbaijan and COP29, focused on the upcoming climate conference and Azerbaijan’s dismal environmental track record and human rights abuses. As the only US elected official to visit Artsakh after the 44-day war, Senator Portantino was asked to share his views on Artsakh and joined a distinguished panel of speakers to voice opposition to Azerbaijan hosting COP29.
“Azerbaijan has no business hosting a climate conference – or any international conference organized under any United Nations framework,” stated Senator Portantino. “After carrying out serious war crimes and genocide in Artsakh, and violating international laws, dictator Aliyev must be held accountable by the international community. I was honored to serve on this panel and as someone who has personally witnessed the devastation of the 44-day war firsthand, it is unacceptable to allow a genocidal government to host COP29 as a way to burnish its image. We must continue to voice our opposition loudly and clearly.”
In addition to Senator Portantino, the panel included Hrair Balian, Practitioner of Conflict Resolution Focusing on the South Caucasus, Ukraine and Levant, as well as Michael Rubin, Director of Policy Analysis at the Middle East Forum and a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Deputy Mayor of Paris Anouch Toranian. Political analyst Eric Hacopian moderated the panel.
COP29 is the 29th annual Conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It is a part of a series of global climate negotiations aimed at addressing climate change by bringing together world leaders, climate experts, and activists to discuss progress, challenges, and future strategies to combat global warming.
This week marks one year since Azerbaijan’s brutal attack on Artsakh, which, after a ten-month blockade, led to the expulsion of over 120,000 ethnic Armenians. The Aliyev regime still detains Armenian prisoners, including former officials. Recent reports also confirm the ongoing destruction of Armenian cultural sites in Artsakh.
Earlier this year, Senator Portantino led efforts in the State Senate to urge the Biden administration to increase its support for the forcibly displaced indigenous Armenians of Artsakh and to demand the immediate release Armenian POWs, civilians, and government leaders illegally held captive by Azerbaijan. In the letter to President Biden, members of the Senate pledged support for the people of Artsakh and stressed the importance and urgency of holding Azerbaijan accountable for their genocidal actions.
Senator Portantino chairs the State Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia, and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art, and Cultural Exchange, which was first established in 2017 at his request. Senator Portantino was invited to go to Artsakh after the 44-day war by the Human Rights Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan.
California has the largest population of Armenian Americans in the United States, with the 25th Senate District having the largest concentration. In 2014, the California State Legislature adopted AJR 32, which recognized the Republic of Artsakh as a free and independent nation.
