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NGOs urge the UN not to move the UNDP Regional Office to Istanbul

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  • NGOs urge the UN not to move the UNDP Regional Office to Istanbul

    Armenian NGOs urge the UN not to move the UNDP Regional Office to Istanbul

    http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/01/19/armenian-ngos-urge-the-un-not-to-move-the-undp-regional-office-to-istanbul/
    15:44 19.01.2013


    The representatives of the civil society of Armenia have addressed a
    letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with regard to the possible
    transfer of the UNDP European Regional Office from Bratislava,
    Slovakia, to Istanbul, Turkey.

    The letter runs as follows:

    `We consider inappropriate, unethical and inexpedient to ensure the
    regional office of such an important organization as is the United
    Nations Development Program to a country that:

    - has committed genocide - the genocide against Armenians
    living on their own historic motherlands, and parts of the Ottoman
    Empire, that started in Istanbul on April 24, 1915. Turkey committed
    also massacres of other national minorities, including Greeks and
    Assyrians. All of these crimes are until today blatantly denied by the
    Turkish authorities, despite the fact that the Armenian Genocide of
    1915 has been recognized and condemned by a number of UN member
    states;

    - for over 20 years has been keeping Armenia's land borders
    under a blockade that has tremendous negative impact on the Armenian
    economy, thus cutting Armenia's, as a landlocked country, closest
    access to the sea;

    - regardless of all the protests has preserved Article 301 of
    the Criminal Code, which restricts the freedom of speech and the
    rights of national minorities, Moreover, intolerance towards national
    minorities is officially stimulated and leads to intermittent inside
    conflicts and assassinations of representatives of national
    minorities, including the murder of prominent public figures, such as
    the well-known reporter of Armenian origin Hrant Dink;

    - has no diplomatic relations with countries in the region,
    including countries that are in the UNDP Bratislava Regional center
    jurisdiction. This fact will be a major hindrance to the participation
    of Armenia, including the non-governmental organizations' delegations
    in the activities of the UNDP.

    - and finally, is located in a less stable region, given the
    armed conflict in Turkey's neighboring countries and the continuing
    problems of Turkey with the states of the region, as well.

    It is quite obvious that in the event of the transfer of UNDP Regional
    Center to Turkey, its efficiency and its cooperation and its
    cooperation with the countries of the regional will immensely
    decrease.

    We realize that the financial support to UNDP by Turkey is
    significant, however, UN has always demonstrated its adherence to
    priorities of justice and fairness and human rights above all other
    priorities including the financial ones.

    We hope that the United Nations will stay committed to its principles
    and will take into account the aforementioned obstacles and risks in
    regards to the possible transfer of UNDP Regional center to Turkey.'

    The letter was signed by a number of NGOs that actively cooperate with
    the UN structures.

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