International Law and the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Abstract

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict raises a number of international legal questions, centering on the legality of Nagorno Karabakh’s secession and the Armenian presence in the territory. Central to the analysis is the right to self-determination, and how it relates to secession, versus the principle of territorial integrity. A review of both applicable Soviet and international law concludes that the legal basis for the secession of the territory is weak. The Armenian military and political presence implies that the region hardly exercises independent control over its territory, and subsequent cases of secession, such as Kosovo, have little bearing on the case. However, the policies of Western powers show surprisingly little consistency across the unresolved conflicts in Eurasia.