On October 9, Ambassador Christian Ter-Stepanyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to UNESCO, gave a speech at the first plenary session of the 217th session of the Executive Board of the organization. In his remarks, Ambassador Ter-Stepanyan referred to the forced mass displacement of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh due to the ethnic cleansing policy implemented by Azerbaijan. It was noted that more than 100,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh were forced to leave their homeland and found refuge in the Republic of Armenia.

The ambassador drew the attention of the attendees to the steps taken by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces immediately after the September 19 military attack and the departure of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly emphasizing the destruction of the cross placed near Stepanakert and the attempts to appropriate and distort the identity of Gandzasar, one of the most famous medieval Armenian monasteries. Ambassador Ter-Stepanyan emphasized that the mentioned steps demonstrate Azerbaijan's intention to destroy any Armenian trace in Nagorno-Karabakh, which RA has repeatedly warned about since November 2020.

In this context, the ambassador specifically emphasized the urgency of sending the fact-finding mission of UNESCO to Nagorno-Karabakh, noting that implementing such a mission is among the programs the Director General considers. The mission of UNESCO in Armenia to assess the necessary conditions for the continuity of education of 30,000 children was highly appreciated. Concluding his speech, the Permanent Representative of Armenia to UNESCO emphasized the importance of proper assessment and involvement of the international community in the current situation.