Ceasefire agreements in international law

Although the use of force is prohibited nowadays, armed conflicts still exist. The biggest victims of armed conflicts are defenceless civilians. International humanitarian law regulates the protection of civilians and persons outside the conflict. In order to ensure that the regions damaged by armed conflicts and the people living in these regions are not helplessly exposed to conflicts, there are arranged ceasefire agreements. Ceasefire agreements are concluded between both state and non-state actors in conflict zones to end armed conflicts. Through a ceasefire, the actors agree to cease hostilities, lay down their arms, withdraw their troops from the conflict zone, and exchange prisoners and other detainees. Ceasefire agreements regulate not only the violent consequences of ceasefires, but also many other areas, including monitoring mechanisms, the economy and security. Ceasefire agreements are the transition from war to peace, but they are not a guarantee of peace, but rather an opportunity to reinforce and enhance the prohibition of the use of force. Ceasefire agreements therefore do not terminate the legal state of war, as they merely suspend hostilities. Ceasefire agreements therefore do not bring the legal state of war to an end, as they merely suspend hostilities. International peace and security can only be restored through a ceasefire agreement. A ceasefire also minimises the large number of human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law that occur in armed conflicts. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the legal framework, development and implementation of ceasefire agreements in international law. Furthermore, by analysing the highly complex structures, the legal and practical aspects of ceasefire agreements, it also sheds light on the debates about their contribution to conflict resolution and peacekeeping. The difficulties in the implementation of ceasefire agreements and their effects that go far beyond the temporary cessation of hostilities will be shown by the ceasefire agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia on 9 November 2020, which ended the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. KEYWORDS: Armed Conflict, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ceasefire, Negotiations.