The implications of the 1993 U.N. Security Council action for the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

The article revisits the four resolutions adopted in 1993 by the U.N. Security Council on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It analyses the terminology used in these resolutions viewed within the overall context in which these resolutions were adopted. It is the premise of this article that these resolutions were the result of a complex web of interrelated factors, which had a decisive impact on the Security Council actions in relation to the conflict. These resolutions reflect the delicate balance between the obligation of the U.N. Security Council to abide by the principles and norms of international law enshrined in the U.N. Charter and to address situations threatening international peace and security in an unbiased way, as well as safeguarding the interests of the permanent members of the Council. Although the resolutions fell short of pointing finger, they implicitly pointed to the interstate nature of the conflict, singled out the principles and norms of international law applicable to this conflict, recalled the inadmissibility of violating those norms, and outlined the principles that should provide the overall framework and guidance for the mediation efforts for the conflict settlement pursued in the context of the OSCE Minsk process.