FIDH member organisations in Armenia and Turkey issue a joint declaration

armradio.am
09.04.2010 15:39

FIDH’s 37th Congress adopted a resolution, saying it pays tribute to
the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide and salutes the
efforts of its member organisations in Armenia and in Turkey (Civil
Society Institute (CSI, Armenia), Human Rights Association (IHD,
Turkey) and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT, Turkey)) and
brings its full support to the joint Declaration that they have
concluded in the context of the 37th FIDH Congress, including
perspectives for actions identified in the Declaration.

The FIDH member organization in Armenia and Turkey concluded a joint
declaration in the context of the 37th FIDH Congress. The declaration
reads:

`We strongly believe that the protection of human rights throughout
Turkey and the South Caucasus is key in the process of peace-building,
reconciliation and good neighbourly relations between all countries in
the region, in order to ensure the safety, wellbeing and dignity of
people across borders.

We call on both countries and societies in Armenia and Turkey to join
their efforts and to create the necessary environment and processes to
compensate for any negative consequences of human rights abuses
committed in the past, including discrimination on the basis of
ethnicity, religion etc, and to adhere to the standards of human
rights protection as defined by international instruments.

As an essential component to ensure respect for human rights
throughout the region, we call for freedom of expression in all
countries, and for the abolishment of any laws and practices that
prevent free speech, including those imposing constraints on the
Armenian-Turkish dialogue, such as Article 301 of the Criminal Code of
Turkey.

We urge the political parties of the government and of the opposition
in Turkey and Armenia to fulfill their duties to take every necessary
step to normalize relations between the two countries and societies.
This includes the imminent need to implement the bilateral Protocols
on the normalisation of diplomatic relations and the opening of mutual
borders. Progress in this direction and the process of democratic
transformation in Turkey will create a favourable environment for
addressing the painful issue of the Armenian Genocide.

We denounce all forms of hostility fed by militaristic ambitions and
structures among nations in the region.

To ensure sustainable peace between Armenia and Turkey and the
prevention of mutual hostility in the future, we call on the two
governments to ratify and implement the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court.

With the aim of building bridges between the two societies, we call on
both countries to implement inclusive policies and to abolish
exclusive approaches in every sphere of life.

We call on the governments and civil societies of both countries to
promote equal and just treatment in every sphere of life, including
media, education, administration, legal practices, and public life.’