Armenia and Azerbaijan

Background

Tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region escalated into armed conflict in the early 1990s, causing the death and displacement of thousands of civilians. Several thousands of landmine survivors are reported in Armenia and Azerbaijan, including in Nagorno-Karabakh. Even though the two parties signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994, a lasting peaceful solution has yet to be found.

Nagorno-Karabakh and neighbouring territories are heavily contaminated by anti-personnel (AP) mines and other explosive remnants of war. The ceasefire line is mined on both sides. Shootings and sporadic armed clashes contribute to the volatile security situation and economic hardship in the affected regions.

Activities

Geneva Call is engaging the internationally non-recognized authorities in adhering to an AP mine ban and in adopting immediate preventive humanitarian measures to reduce the effects of landmines on the civilian population. This includes lobbying conflict parties and international actors engaged in conflict resolution efforts for the inclusion of the ban on AP mines in peace talks and negotiations. Geneva Call is also supporting local civil society in raising awareness of the AP mine issue and addressing the needs of landmine victims, and is encouraging coordination and cooperation of civil society organizations at the regional level. Geneva Call’s work in Armenia and Azerbaijan, including in Nagorno-Karabakh, is undertaken in partnership with local civil society actors the, the Nagorno-Karabakh Committee of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the Armenian Committee of the ICBL, the , and the Centre for Civilian Initiatives.

 Reports:

Geneva Call, 2007, , Press Release, 18 December.

Geneva Call, 2007, , Kiev, 26-27 November, Workshop Report.