Towards a secure future: community voices in the border areas of Armenia and Azerbaijan

The report consists of two analyses – from both the Armenian and the Azerbaijani sides – and looks at local perceptions of conflict and insecurity of people living on either side of the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border. The study aims to contribute to the awareness, both within the region and abroad, of the security concerns of these communities and propose local community suggestions on how to improve their own situation.

The analysis is based on a qualitative data collected through a series of individual and group interviews held in October–December 2014 in a number of locations close to the international border between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In Azerbaijan, these comprised ten vulnerable rural communities in the Gazakh, Tovuz and Agstafa districts. In Armenia, research focused on nine communities in the Tavush region. In both countries, researchers spoke to a broad representation of households using similar methodology and focusing on local assessments of three major topics:

1. impact of the conflict on everyday life of the communities,

2. how these impacts are currently being managed by various governmental, non-governmental and international institutions,

3. how the management of impacts can be improved.

Download the report Towards a secure future.

Download the accompanying policy briefing After the 2014 escalation.

This research was carried out within the framework of the Swiss-funded project ‘Promoting community-focused responses to insecurity and conflict in border areas of Armenia and Azerbaijan’.

“Although government officials visited all the villages this year, there still are few avenues for maintaining regular communication regarding economic and social challenges and their solutions.”

Saferworld