An international conference, "Cultural and Ethnic Diversity: Lessons of History, Contemporary Challenges," was held in Shusha, Azerbaijan.
The conference included discussions on the preservation of cultural and ethnic diversity, the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, the consequences of colonialism, historical memory, and the development of international cooperation.
Following the event, the participants adopted a joint declaration calling for an end to the forced recruitment of non-Russian peoples in Russia to participate in military operations in Ukraine.
The declaration mentions Circassians, Lezgins, Avars, Tatars, Kumyks, Chechens, Sakha (Yakuts), Buryats, and other ethnic minorities. The authors of the document declared that sending members of these ethnic groups to war through pressure, persecution, blackmail, or threats of imprisonment is unacceptable.
The adopted declaration also calls for compliance with international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and UNESCO's principles for the protection of cultural diversity. According to the document's authors, these mechanisms should ensure the protection of peoples who have experienced genocide, deportations, massacres, expulsion from their historical lands, and the loss of part of their cultural heritage.
Furthermore, the forum participants called on Russia to recognize the genocide of the Circassians and other peoples, provide access to historical archives, refrain from glorifying individuals they believe were involved in the massacres, and take measures to combat chauvinism, xenophobia, and attacks against non-Russian peoples.
A separate section of the declaration is dedicated to Azerbaijan. The signatories highly praised the Azerbaijani model of protecting ethnic and cultural diversity and developing interreligious and intercultural dialogue. They also stated that Azerbaijan's restoration of historical justice in Shusha could serve as an example for peoples who have experienced a colonial past.
