On January 18, 2023, Azerbaijan has commenced the first known inter-state arbitration under the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. The historic case aims to hold Armenia accountable for its extensive destruction of Azerbaijan's environment and biodiversity during its nearly thirty years of illegal occupation of internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan.
The arbitration process followed series of consultations initiated by the Republic of Azerbaijan in early 2022 to address its well-substantiated concerns over Armenia's violation of its obligations under the Bern Convention in the then-occupied territories of Karabagh, Azerbaijan.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) noted in 2022 that "specially...
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