Baku: Mine clearance in Azerbaijan is no longer carried out merely as general land clearance, but is planned in accordance with the intended future use of the territories, Head of the UN-Habitat Office in Azerbaijan Anna Soave said during a panel session held as part of the 4th International Conference on Mine Action titled 'Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe Settlements' in Baku, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the UN-Habitat official said that clearing areas of mine threats for housing and infrastructure, roads, energy infrastructure, public services, agriculture, and industrial zones in Azerbaijan is an example of this approach. She highlighted that within the framework of the Great Return Program and the regional master planning process, mine clearance is only the first stage in the reconstruction of cities, towns, and villages. This approach transforms cleared land into an area suitable and attractive for investment, determining the sustainability of the entire recovery process.

The UN-Habitat official also emphasized the importance of the governance model applied in Karabakh and East Zangezur. She elaborated on how the centralized coordination mechanism allows for the coordination of mine clearance, reconstruction, and the return of the population within the same governance framework.

Anna Soave further emphasized that categorizing the liberated lands according to their development functions is considered a best practice. She noted that the objective has been set at the highest level and is already being implemented on the ground, with institutional mechanisms also in place in the territories.