BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 16. Within the framework of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which is currently taking place in Azerbaijan, a side event on “Clearing a Path: Mine Action for Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development” was held, Trend reports via ANAMA.
Meanwhile, it was noted that the event was held under the joint organization of ANAMA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The aim of the event is to draw attention to the demining problem faced by our country, emphasize the impact of mine hazards on natural resources, study environmentally friendly demining methods, and promote sustainable approaches in the field of humanitarian demining.
Delivering an opening speech at the event, the Chairman of the Board of ANAMA, Vugar Suleymanov, noted the devastating environmental impact of some 1.5 million pre-buried mines in the liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He noted that as a result of the explosion of these dangerous installations, the heavy metals and other toxins contained in them have a negative impact on the soil and air. This chemical pollution causes long-term damage to the environment.
Demining is not only a safety issue but also key to climate resilience and sustainable development.
Addressing the parallel event, UN Under-Secretary-General, Deputy Administrator of the UN Development Program, and Director of the UN Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS, Ivana Živković, noted that in many countries of the world, mines and other explosive remnants of war pose a serious threat not only to human life and health but also to soil and natural resources, including biodiversity.
The side event featured panel discussions on research on the impact of mines on ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources, low-impact demining efforts, and the use of innovative technologies in this area.
The holding of this side event at COP29 highlighted not only the humanitarian but also the environmental significance of mine clearance operations and brought to the fore new approaches to integrating environmental sustainability and mine safety.
Discussions co-organized by ANAMA and UNDP further demonstrated the importance of mining for the conservation of natural resources and the restoration of biodiversity. This measure, which echoed the main themes of COP29, was an important step in ensuring a safer and more sustainable environment for the future.
To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will run until November 22, opened at the Baku Olympic Stadium on November 11. It is the largest event organized by Azerbaijan to date, and the first time in the region that it is being held in Azerbaijan.
Within COP29, the highest level event - the summit of world leaders on climate action – was held on November 12–13.
The main expectation from COP29 is to agree on a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. The COP29 chairmanship has launched 14 initiatives that include linkages between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals, including green energy corridors, green energy storage, harmony for climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction in organic waste, action on green digital technologies, and other topics.
In addition to being a top priority that creates the conditions for action, creating climate finance will also help fulfill the 1.5°C pledge by bringing everyone together.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Rio Earth Summit in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference in the climate system. The acronym COP (Conference of Parties) stands for “Conference of Parties” and is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
A total of 198 countries are parties to the Convention. Unless otherwise decided by the parties, COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.
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