GENEVA, OCTOBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenia Resolution on the Protection of cultural heritage as an important component of the promotion and protection of cultural rights was unanimously adopted on the initiative and with the authorship of Armenia at the sixth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva on September 28. It is mentioned in the resolution that the protection and encouragement of cultural rights, as well as the cultural diversity among peoples and civilizations are components of tolerance, respect, dialogue, and cooperation. The destruction of cultural heritage is described as an infringement of cultural rights in the resolution. It is also stressed that the delibarate destruction of cultural heritage can be regarded as encouragement and instigation of national, racial, and religious hatred. Expressing a great concern with the fact that cases of delibarate destruction of cultural heritage are still continuing in different places of the world, the responsibility of countries for a delibarate destruction, as well as for not preventing, not stopping and leaving those guilty unpunished is also mentioned in the resolution. According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the Press and Information Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Armenia submitted materials concerning the destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage of the Armenian medieval cemetry in Jugha and in Nakhijevan, in general, to the members of the UN Human Rights Council. On the initiative of Armenia, a decision on the Prevention of genocide has also been adopted by the UN Human Rights Council at the session. It is the continuation of the former initiatives of Armenia in the Human Rights Council in the direction of preventing genocides and aims at developing the system of issues on creating harmony between activities and cooperation among mechanisms envolved in them, as well as in early prevention problems within the frameworks of the UN main body engaged in the protection of human rights. The resolution expresses one of the main supremacies of the foreign policy of Armenia, as well as the moral duty of the Armenian people in front of the humanity within the frameworks of the international cooperation directed at the encouragement and protection of human rights. 62 states are the co-authors of the decision, which once again speaks about the fact that the initiative enjoys wide assistance and is in political demand. The UN Human Rights Council adopted Armenia, Belgium, Mexico, Senegal Resolution on Regional arrangements for promotion and protection of human rights on the initiative of the above-mentioned four countries representing the region on the same day. The resolution envisages to take practical steps in the direction of establishing cooperation between regional institutions and exchange of experience. Reference: The UN Human Rights Council was created in 2006, substituding for the former Commission on Human Rights. It is the main body envolved in the protection and encouragement of human rights in the UN system, and has 47 UN member countries. Armenia was a member of the UN Commission on Human Rights between 2002 and 2006 and, currently, it has a status of an observer in the Human Rights Council.

---