(MENAFN- AzerNews) Representatives of Azerbaijan's civil society organisations have
made an appeal to the international organisation regarding the call
to use the potential of humanitarian demining in the peace building
process, Azernews reports.
The appeal reads:
We, the representatives of civil society of Azerbaijan, appeal
to UN Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres, to the President of
the UN General Assembly Mr.Csaba Kőrösi, to the President of the UN
Human Rights Council Mr. Václav Bálek, to the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights Mr. Volker Türk, to the Director of the UN Mine
Safety Service Mrs. Ilen Kokhni, to the leaders of the European
Union, Council of Europe institutions and the member countries of
these institutions, and the leadership of the United Kingdom,
urging each of them to give strong support to quickly eliminate the
threat of landmines created by Armenia in the territory of the
Republic of Azerbaijan.
Today, more than 60 countries of the world are facing the threat
of landmines. Azerbaijan occupies one of the first places among the
countries most contaminated by landmines and unexploded military
ammunition. According to preliminary information, during the
occupation of Armenia, more than 1 million landmines were planted
on the lands of Azerbaijan.
We feel the real danger caused by landmines and unexploded
military ammunition in our daily activities. In 2020, after 44 days
of war, 303 people were victims of landmines in the liberated
territories. Of which 55 were killed, others were injured in
various degrees. Among the injured, nine people are children and
young people, and two people are women. Since 1991, the total
number of victims of mines buried by Armenia is approaching 3400
people.
The government of Azerbaijan uses all its resources to carry out
demining operations in the territories freed from occupation. About
1 million IDPs are looking forward to their safe return to their
native lands. Those areas must be cleared of mines quickly for
their return, and for this, there is a great need for international
donors to mine clearance work and strong support for mine
victims.
Despite the use of modern techniques in demining work, the
massive contamination of areas with mines, the diversity of the
geography of planted landmines, and the fact that Armenia has not
provided accurate maps until now create immense difficulties in
identifying and clearing mines.
Based on our research, we can note that approximately 71 percent
of landmine incidents occurred outside the areas that used to be
the Contact Line. This is another proof that they are directed
against peaceful people. Landmine incidents were also recorded in
destroyed settlements, cemeteries, springs, road crossings, forest
massifs and village paths.
The refusal of Armenian side to provide the real landmine maps,
and the way of deceiving the world community in this regard, and
creating an imitation of providing mine maps, does not serve to
eliminate the humanitarian disaster. This is also a neglect of the
establishment of peace and harmony, sustainable development between
the two countries in the future.
The fact that Armenia continues to plant landmines in
Azerbaijan's territories even after the 44-day war, and the
discovery of mines produced in 2021 in various areas in the past is
the next series of crimes against humanity.
Demining is also one of the key conditions for achieving the
UN's Sustainable Development Goals. It is for this reason that
Azerbaijan formulated the Sustainable Development Goal for
self-cleaning and set it as a national goal. In order to achieve
the Sustainable Development Goals on a global scale, to establish
an international partnership in the fight against mines and
unexploded ordnance, mobilize resources, and pay special attention
to mine-affected countries, Azerbaijan has proposed a new and
special 18th Sustainable Development Goal on humanitarian demining.
We believe that this can direct the attention of the world
community to the global mine threat.
We, as civil society organizations, urge you to closely support
the elimination of the landmine problem in Azerbaijan, put pressure
on Armenia, and demonstrate a fair position in the elimination of
the mine threat.
We believe in the great potential of humanitarian demining in
the peace building process.
We count on your valuable partnership and goodwill in combating
the mine threat, and we count on your support in eliminating the
threats posed by mines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatures:
1. Hafiz Safikhanov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Campaign Against
Landmines Public Union
2. Azerbaijan Mine Victims Association Ray Gasimov (Ray
Karimoglu)
3. Chairman of the Union of Disabled Organizations, Davud
Rahimli
4. Chairman of the "Eurasia" Platform for Migration Initiatives
Public Union Azer Allahverenov
5. Zaur İbrahimli, Chairman of "Prioritet" Social Economic
Research Center Public Union
6. Chairman of the International Eurasia Press Fund Umud
Mirzayev
7. Chairman of "Chirag" Humanitarian and Development Public
Union Nadir Jafarov