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Elnur Enveroglu

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The annual United Nations General Assembly summit in New York has always been an opportunity for nations to gather, take stock of global affairs, and attempt to chart a course for the future. Yet year after year, one cannot escape the uncomfortable truth that the UN, both through its General Assembly and its Security Council, has consistently fallen short in playing an assertive role in conflict resolution. It has too often functioned as a platform of symbolic resolutions rather than a mechanism of genuine enforcement. This failure is nowhere more apparent than in the case of Azerbaijan, which for three decades lived under the occupation of its internationally recognised territories by Armenia despite the existence of four binding UN Security Council resolutions that demanded the immediate, unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces. Those resolutions were ignored for nearly thirty years, and Azerbaijan’s people were forced to endure displacement, destruction, and cultural erasure. It was not the UN, but Azerbaijan’s own resolve that ultimately restored sovereignty.

The lesson drawn from that painful experience resonates today as the General Assembly prepares to convene with a heavy agenda dominated by conflicts that continue to devastate the international order. Foremost among them is the tragedy of Palestine, where the human cost is beyond words. Thousands of Gazans continue to suffer in conditions of famine and indiscriminate killing, while the world’s most powerful institutions seem paralysed. The inability of the UN Security Council to forge a consensus has left the General Assembly to act with largely symbolic proposals, and even then, divisions are stark. The degradation of human life, the destruction of basic dignity, and the mass killings seen in Gaza demand urgent, practical measures rather than rhetorical declarations.

In parallel, the war between Russia and Ukraine persists as another chapter in humanity’s grim record of unresolved disputes. Tens of thousands of lives have already been lost, and Europe has been destabilised in ways that will be felt for decades. Here too, the Security Council has proven paralysed, and the General Assembly has failed to exert meaningful influence beyond political statements. This sense of impotence is what increasingly undermines the credibility of the UN as a whole. For all its symbolism, the institution is struggling to translate ideals into actions.

Against this global backdrop, Azerbaijan enters the summit with its own perspective shaped by history and experience. President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in New York carries several dimensions. Azerbaijan, above all, is willing to highlight its peace agenda in the South Caucasus, specifically the ongoing negotiations with Armenia. Since the end of the 2020 Second Garabakh War and the subsequent 2023 anti-terror measures that fully restored Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, Baku has consistently argued for a comprehensive peace treaty based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty. The process has not been straightforward, and Armenia’s hesitations, alongside external meddling, have complicated progress. Yet the Azerbaijani position remains clear: a sustainable peace is within reach if both sides commit to it. The General Assembly provides a platform to reiterate that message to the wider international community.

This peace agenda is closely tied to the issue of regional connectivity. The Zangazur Corridor, or a link connecting the separated lands of one country known by its recent title TRIPP, i.e., literally connecting Azerbaijan’s mainland with its Nakhchivan exclave and further into Türkiye, is not merely a matter of bilateral concern but part of a larger reconfiguration of Eurasian transport architecture. Linked with the Middle Corridor that spans from East Asia to Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus, it promises to be a transformative artery for trade and energy flows. Azerbaijan’s emphasis on corridors and transport links is not simply about logistics, but it is about weaving peace into the very fabric of economic interdependence. By promoting infrastructure that ties nations together, Baku underscores that cooperation, not confrontation, is the path to prosperity.

President Aliyev has long made the connection between peace and development explicit. Back in 2020, at the 75th anniversary of the UN General Assembly, he said: “Without peace, there is no sustainable development, likely no peace without sustainable development.” That vision remains as relevant today as it was then. For Azerbaijan, sustainable development is not an abstract slogan; it is the lived experience of rebuilding liberated territories, resettling displaced families, and investing in green energy and smart cities as foundations for future stability. It is also a principle that Azerbaijan seeks to universalise by reminding the global community that peace and development are inseparable.

The Azerbaijani side’s expectations at this year’s assembly also reflect its international responsibilities. From 2019 to 2023, Azerbaijan chaired the Non-Aligned Movement, a group of 120 countries that form the largest bloc within the UN system. During those four years, Baku steered the Movement through some of the most turbulent times of the modern era, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Azerbaijan convened extraordinary NAM summits, provided humanitarian assistance, and campaigned for equitable access to vaccines, demonstrating a genuine commitment to the principles of solidarity and justice. That experience elevated Azerbaijan’s profile as a bridge between the Global South and Global North, a role it continues to embrace.

Beyond the speeches at the UN podium, there is also the equally important realm of bilateral diplomacy. President Aliyev’s New York programme includes meetings with leading US business executives and officials. Among them are the CEO of Brookfield Asset Management, the CEO of Neuberger Berman, and the Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone—three of the world’s most influential investment houses. These engagements reflect Azerbaijan’s determination to position itself not only as a regional political actor but also as an attractive global investment partner. With its strategic geography, growing renewable energy sector, and dynamic role in transport and logistics, Azerbaijan offers opportunities that align with the long-term vision of major international investors. Such meetings are not ceremonial but part of a broader effort to build relationships that sustain the country’s economic transformation.

The symbolism of Azerbaijan’s presence in New York, therefore, extends beyond its own national interests. It speaks to a larger point: that middle powers and emerging actors must assume greater agency in shaping world affairs, especially when traditional institutions falter. The UN’s credibility may be eroding, but the voices of states with lived experience of conflict, displacement, and reconstruction still matter. Azerbaijan, having overcome occupation through resilience and having pursued reconciliation with a forward-looking agenda, brings a moral authority to the table. Its message, anchored in the inseparability of peace and sustainable development, may not instantly transform the General Assembly’s capacity for action, but it enriches the dialogue at a moment when the world urgently needs fresh perspectives.

The tragedy, however, is that while Azerbaijan sets forth such constructive visions, the broader UN system risks becoming an echo chamber. The Palestine crisis deepens by the day, the Ukraine conflict grinds on, and new risks simmer elsewhere. Symbolic resolutions may continue to accumulate, but unless the UN can rediscover its assertive function, its authority will wither further. The Azerbaijani President’s message will likely remind delegates that the credibility of the organisation rests not on words but on the capacity to act. Azerbaijan knows this truth better than most, having waited in vain for decades for the UN to enforce its own resolutions. It succeeded by its own means, but not every nation has the same capacity. That is why the General Assembly summit must be more than another cycle of statements.

As world leaders gather once again in New York, it is tempting to fall into the rhythm of speeches and communiqués. Yet history will judge this assembly not by what is said but by what is done—or not done. The conflicts in Palestine and Ukraine demand real action, not rhetorical solidarity. The peace process in the South Caucasus requires consistent encouragement, not neglect. And the vision of sustainable development tied to peace must be advanced with urgency, not deferred. For Azerbaijan, the summit is both a platform and a test: a chance to share its hard-earned lessons, but also a reminder of the limits of international institutions. For the UN itself, the summit is another opportunity to prove that it can be more than symbolic. Whether it seizes that opportunity remains uncertain.