YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS: Armenak Abrahamyan, chairman of the Congress of the Armenians of the Western Armenia, and other 5 members of the Congress partook in the UN third session on the rights of indigenous peoples. The session was held June 12-14 in Geneva.

Artak Movsisyan, associate professor of YSU Chair of the Armenian History, was involved in the delegation of the congress as an expert-historian. He said in an interview to Armenpress that the delegation presented a package of documents on the ‘Origin of the Armenian Nation’, ‘Destruction of the Historical Monuments of the Western Armenia and Confiscation of Estate’, ‘The Armenian Genocide: Documents and Agreements’, ‘The Genetic Resources of the Western Armenia’.

Armenak Abrahamyan, chairman of the Congress of the Armenians of the Western Armenia, addressed a speech on the first day of the session and touched upon the issue of the relations between states and indigenous peoples. He also mentioned about the facts of destruction of the Armenian historical monuments in the Western Armenia and Nakhichevan. On the second day of the session the Armenian delegation met with James Annaya, UN special reporter on the rights of the indigenous peoples, and represented the Armenian issues. On the same day the delegation had the opportunity to present the Armenian national music and dance to the 300 delegates of the session.

The delegation partook in all the works of the session and presented 2 suggestions. The first suggestion, made by Artak Movsisyan, implies establishment of UN committee of independent experts for the discussion of the issues of forcibly displaced indigenous peoples. According to the suggestion, the committee will become a medium between the indigenous peoples and the states, which occupied their territory. The second suggestion, presented by Armenak Abrahamyan, touches upon the issues of the return of forcibly displaced indigenous peoples.