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Akbar Novruz

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Azerbaijan’s experience in integrating mine action with post-conflict reconstruction and population return could provide a model for other countries facing large-scale mine contamination, Erfan Ali, Director of the Regional Office for East Europe and Central Asia at UN-Habitat, told AzerNEWS.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 4th International Mine Action Conference in Baku, Ali said Azerbaijan’s nearly three decades of experience in demining, combined with its development and reconstruction efforts, offers lessons that could be shared with other post-conflict contexts.

“Definitely. The experience that we saw here in Azerbaijan, after almost 28-29 years of experience in demining and integrating these efforts, also in a very important development vision for the recovery and reconstruction, this gives a very important example to be shared with other contexts,” he said.

According to the UN-Habitat official, Azerbaijan has introduced advanced technologies and approaches into its demining activities while also developing policies aimed at integrating mine action into broader development efforts.

Ali particularly highlighted Azerbaijan’s initiative to establish a National Sustainable Development Goal No. 18 dedicated to mine action, describing it as a “unique effort” that treats mine action as an accelerator for achieving the other 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the UN 2030 Agenda.

“This is indeed very informative, very important and could lead the efforts in other contexts related to post-conflict and post-war, where we have large contamination of mines like in Ukraine or in Syria or in Lebanon or elsewhere,” Ali said.

However, he stressed that the scale of the challenge in Azerbaijan remains considerable.

“I should here be very honest with you. The volume of the contamination is massive in Azerbaijan, the mine contamination. So the efforts are extremely important and extremely advanced and nationally led,” he said.

Ali noted that Azerbaijan is leading most demining efforts in the contaminated areas, while large areas still require clearance. At the same time, regional development visions for Garabagh and East Zangezur are being implemented alongside reconstruction and return efforts.

“The UN is aligned around this objective to support the efforts, support the national efforts,” he said.

He added that further progress would require stronger international engagement and partnerships to accelerate clearance and facilitate the “safe and dignified return” of displaced people to their places of origin.

Ali said this would require cooperation not only at the level of mine-action policy and legislation, but also in financing and investment.

“The role also of development banks, investors, private sector would be also very important to join the government, to join also the UN in facilitating and advancing the safe and dignified return of the population to these areas,” he said.