Landmines, remnants of war, and explosive devices continue to pose a deadly danger to civilians, military personnel, peacekeepers, and humanitarian workers in many countries in conflict and post-conflict situations. Azerbaijan is one such country, with more than 13% of its territory affected by these hazards, and the number of casualties is growing, Ambassador Tofig Musayev, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN, said at the Secretary-General's Campaign on Humanitarian Disarmament and Mine Action event during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, SİA informs.
The diplomat noted that large-scale mine contamination poses a serious obstacle to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this regard, Azerbaijan has designated humanitarian demining as its 18th National SDG, he said.
Since 2022, Azerbaijan, together with the UN, has organized three international mine conferences, which have resulted in concrete actions and the adoption of documents on topics such as humanitarian demining, sustainable development, and the impact of mine contamination on the environment.
The ambassador recalled that in December 2023, Azerbaijan secured the adoption of a resolution on the "Impact of Mines on Cultural Heritage" under the 1954 Hague Convention.
UN General Assembly Resolution 79/173 was first adopted at the initiative of Azerbaijan. It notes that mines and explosive remnants create obstacles to the search for missing persons and the recovery of their remains.
The diplomat also touched on the gender aspect of mine action. He noted that the first women's demining teams in Azerbaijan were created as part of a joint project between the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the European Union.
In closing, the ambassador called on the international community to demonstrate greater solidarity and support against the landmine threat.
"The scale of the mine threat worldwide requires strengthened international cooperation and greater financial and technical support. Coordinated and adequate humanitarian demining efforts are crucial," Musayev emphasized.
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