Baku (PEN) : President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivered an address at the International Conference themed “Mitigating Environmental Impact of Landmines: Resource Mobilization for Safe and Green Future,” Azernews reports. The President’s address emphasized the critical issue of landmines and their long-term detrimental effects on human safety, environmental health, and socioeconomic development.
President welcomed the participants on the occasion of the opening of the International Conference themed ‘Mitigating Environmental Impact of Landmines: Resource Mobilization for Safe and Green Future’.
President Aliyev underscored that landmines and unexploded ordnance pose severe threats to human security, hinder socioeconomic development, and cause significant environmental damage. He highlighted that the environmental consequences of mine explosions, including plastic waste and hazardous chemical reactions, exacerbate soil erosion and environmental degradation.
Azerbaijan, heavily affected by a 30-year conflict and occupation, remains one of the most mine-polluted countries globally. Initial estimates indicate that approximately 12 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory is contaminated with around 1.5 million mines and numerous unexploded ordnances.
Since the 2020 war, 361 Azerbaijani citizens, mostly civilians, have fallen victim to mine explosions, resulting in 68 deaths and 293 severe injuries. President Aliyev emphasized that the increasing number of mine victims is due to Armenia’s refusal to provide accurate maps of the mines planted across Azerbaijan’s territory and the planting of new mines from 2020 to 2023.
Humanitarian demining is a top priority for Azerbaijan. The Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA) has cleared approximately 140,000 hectares of land, removing nearly 120,000 mines and unexploded ordnances. However, significant challenges remain due to the vast extent of mined areas.
Azerbaijan has been proactive in drawing international attention to the mine problem. President Aliyev highlighted the country’s initiatives, including declaring humanitarian demining as the 18th National Sustainable Development Goal and advocating for its recognition as a UN Global SDG. Azerbaijan has also proposed establishing a Special Contact Group on Humanitarian Demining within the Non-Aligned Movement and collaborated with the UN to establish a “Center of Excellence” for mine action education.
President Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to addressing the mine issue and its environmental impact. He expressed hope that the conference would contribute to solving mine-related problems and facilitate the exchange of advanced expertise in mine action.
