Event on landmine problem of Azerbaijan held within COP28 in UAE

The delegation headed by Vugar Suleymanov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), participated in the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Report informs.

A side event themed "Combating the Threat of Landmines - A Green Future: Reducing the Environmental Impact of Landmines" was held in the pavilion of Azerbaijan at COP-28.

In his speech, Vugar Suleymanov highlighted the scale of the landmine problem faced by Azerbaijan, noting that the clean ecosystem of Karabakh and East Zangazur, known for its richness and beauty during the occupation of the territories, was destroyed by the military forces of Armenia. About 1.5 million landmines were buried, and hence the 9,000 sq. km area is still considered dangerous.

Umayra Taghiyeva, the Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, Samir Poladov, the Deputy Chairman of the Board of ANAMA, Ramil Azizov, the Head of Education, International and Public Relations Department, as well as Steinar Essen, a global mine action and development advisor at UNDP, participated in the discussions.

Linsey Cottrell, Environmental Policy Officer at the Conflict and Environment Observatory, who participated in the event, said that the topic is interesting for the UN agenda and that there are future prospects for partnership with UN agencies in the direction of the impact of landmines on the ecosystem, noting that studies are underway on the effects of toxic substances contained in landmines on the environment.