Article 51 of the un charter and the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Abstract

This article analyzes the question of the use of force in international conflicts in the context of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. In the introduction, it briefly considers the US-Afghanistan, US-Iraq, Israel-Lebanon and Freedom Flotilla conflicts in light of the applicability of Article 51. The main focus of the paper is the conflict between two South Caucasian countries - Armenia and Azerbaijan - over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The article illustrates the reasons for the conflict and the peace efforts that were pursued in the framework of the OSCE Minsk process for its resolution. The paper claims that Article 51 can be legally invoked in the case of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict by Azerbaijan if all peace proposals from mediators are not successful and the international organizations implicated do not take effective measures to end the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent districts, which are internationally-recognized territories of Azerbaijan.