Caucasus
General Situation
The South Caucasus has experienced several waves of conflict since the late 1980s. Armed conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia erupted shortly after Georgia regained its independence. Azerbaijan and Armenia have struggled over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Successive ceasefire agreements failed to provide a lasting solution. Armed confrontations of varying levels of intensity continued to erupt sporadically, culminating with the August 2008 full-scale war and the involvement of Russian forces. As a result, the region is contaminated by anti-personnel (AP) mines and other explosive remnants of war and continues to experience shootings and sporadic armed clashes.
Geneva Call has been working in the South Caucasus since 2006 to engage internationally non - or partially recognized authorities in the region in a ban on AP mines.
In addition, Geneva Call is also undertaking preliminary field assessments and consultations in the region with a view to expanding its advocacy work to the protection of women and children in armed conflict. |
