Environmental protection organizations can join forces to promote sustainable development, restoration, and preservation of ecosystems affected by conflicts, Ivana Zivkovic, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS, said, according to Report.
Speaking at an event on addressing mine action for climate resilience and sustainable development, organized by ANAMA and UNDP within COP29, she emphasized that mines and unexploded ordnance pose a danger to both human life and the environment.
Even after conflicts end, their negative impact persists for decades, she said, adding that soil restoration and revival of flora and fauna take time.
She said the aim of the event is to discuss how mine action and nature protection can be combined. New technologies, such as drones and environmentally safe tools, create opportunities for more effective and safer demining, Zivkovic noted.
She also stressed the close cooperation between UNDP and ANAMA over the past 25 years.
Zivkovic noted that these organizations work together to eliminate the threats posed by mines and ordnance. She stressed readiness to expand partnership to achieve the common goal.