The project titled "Mine-Free World Initiative - As the 18th Goal of the UN Sustainable Development Goals," implemented by the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) with the support of the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan is being successfully executed as part of a large grant competition.
As part of the project, IEPF President and Project Manager Umud Mirzayev traveled to Geneva on September 8-12 to organize and prepare for the main event planned to be held at the UN Geneva Office. The primary purpose of the trip was to expand relations for organizing a parallel session and to engage partners in the event. The first meeting was held with Ms. Lidiya Grigorieva, Head of the Cabinet of the Director-General of the UN Geneva Office. The discussion covered Azerbaijan’s 18th SDG initiative, the ongoing project, and Azerbaijan's preparations for COP29. Another important meeting took place with Melanie Regimbal, Head of the Geneva Service of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, who expressed her support for the work being done and her interest in participating in the final event. There were also interesting discussions around COP29 with Vondwosen Asnake Kibret, Coordinator for Policy and Partnerships at the European Office of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Subsequently, meetings were held with representatives of leading organizations in the mine action program, including Ms. Angele Disantis, Deputy Chief of Operations at the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD), Kasia Derlicka, Deputy Director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines – Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC), and Juan Carlos, Director of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Implementation Support Unit. The main discussion points in these meetings were Azerbaijan's mine problem, the 18th SDG initiative, and the organization of the final event for the project supported by the Agency.
In the final days of the trip, discussions were held at the Geneva headquarters of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning "International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)" with its Executive Director, Melissa Parke, a prominent figure in the fields of human rights and international law. Ms. Parke expressed her readiness to be one of the keynote speakers at the parallel session planned for the end of October this year on the 18th SDG and even indicated a willingness to sign a memorandum to further develop cooperation at that time.
The main event of the project – the parallel session – is planned to take place during the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Social Forum from October 31 to November 1. This session will play a crucial role in more effectively communicating the project’s impact and essence, attracting the attention of the international community and influential organizations, and fostering interest in the importance of the initiative.
It should be noted that the main goal of the project is to support the identification of the mine problem as an initiative under the UN’s 18th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), particularly at a time when environmental issues are of great importance in the international COP29 event to be held in Azerbaijan. This project aims to highlight the unique challenges posed by mines to human health and the environment and the barriers they create to global peace and development.
