Concordia Armenian Students’ Union sends appeal to University’s President, urging to reconsider sending delegates to Azerbaijan for the UN Climate Change Conference

(The Link Newspaper) – On Sept. 15, the Concordia Armenian Students’ Union (CASU) sent an appeal to Concordia University’s President and others, urging them to reconsider sending delegates to Baku, Azerbaijan for the 29th session of the United Nations’ (UN) Conference of the Parties (COP29).

The university sent out emails to students and faculty in select departments, offering them the opportunity to sign-up for the in-person or virtual delegation.

Azerbaijan has been accused of ethnic-cleansing by Armenia. The country filed a case with the International Court of Justice in 2021, contending that Azerbaijan has been subjecting Armenians in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh territory to “systemic discrimination, mass killings, torture and other abuse.”

In 2023, multiple international organizations have expressed alarm regarding the humanitarian situation in Azerbaijan following the country’s blockade of the Lachin corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, stopping all humanitarian goods transport.

CASU’s vice-president external, Matthew Doramajian, believes the country is hosting COP29 as a method of greenwashing. “The hope for Azerbaijan is that, by hosting this kind of prestigious event, they can get people to look at their cause with more sympathy and have a better opinion [of] Azerbaijan,” said Doramajian.

The UN has opted to hold the climate conference in Azerbaijan due to the country’s claimed commitment to “developing its renewable energy potential.” According to the International Trade Administration, oil and gas production is the anchor of Azerbaijan economy, with the fossil fuels accounting for around 47.8 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2022.

CASU is not alone in their concerns. Armenian activists and Concordia alumni, Yon Nersessian, in partnership with his sister, Maria Nersessian, created a petition to protest the university’s decision to send delegates to COP29. “This is unacceptable and the fact that university is supposed to represent a lot of Armenian students […] it’s insulting,” said Yon Nersessian.

Maria Nersessian hopes the petition makes Concordia reevaluate their stance. “We want them to withdraw their participation and be aware of what it means to be participating in such an event,” she said.

Doramajian feels similarly, as someone who considers Concordia students and faculty to be part of his community. “We feel that it is our responsibility to educate them where it is necessary for their own safety and for righteousness,” Doramajian said.

Concordia University spokesperson, Vannina Maestracci, said that one or two students and faculty members at the university attend COP each year.

“We believe we are fortunate to have observer status with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which allows faculty and students to attend the primary global forum that addresses climate change,” Maestracci said.

Maestracci added that Concordia is not responsible for choosing the country hosting the climate conference. “Our association is with the [UNFCCC],” said Maestracci. “The UNFCCC chooses the host-country for their annual COP meetings.”