Within the framework of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan has
put forward an initiative to create a group of like-minded
mine-affected countries. This was stated today by President Ilham
Aliyev while receiving the Director General of the UN Office in
Geneva Tatiana Valova, Azernews reports.
Director General underscored the successful development of
cooperation between the UN Geneva Office and Azerbaijan.
“Azerbaijan, as the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, has
always attached great importance to the institutionalization of the
organization and multilateralism,” President Ilham Aliyev said in
turn.
At the same time, Azerbaijan initiated a number of steps towards
institutionalization of the Non-Aligned Movement, and in particular
the establishment of the Parliamentary Network and Youth
Organization. Azerbaijan has also initiated the establishment of a
women’s platform within the Non-Aligned Movement.
Noting that Azerbaijan has faced the problem of land
contamination by mines liberated from the Armenian occupation, the
Head of State underscored the importance of anchoring the issue of
demining as a UN Sustainable Development Goal.
Within the framework of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan has
initiated the creation of a group of like-minded mine-affected
countries.
Tatiana Valova, commending Azerbaijan’s support for the
development of the UN initiative on Sustainable Development Goals,
said that President Aliyev’s proposal to create a new Sustainable
Development Goal on mine action is very valuable and important.
Since 2019, Azerbaijan has been the chair of the NAM and has
made a number of initiatives to coordinate cooperation amongst the
member states, strengthen the values of multilateralism and
international cooperation, and revitalize the institution. In 2020,
Azerbaijan held an extraordinary summit of member states virtually
attended by more than forty-five member states and international
organizations. The president of the seventy-fourth session of the
United Nations General Assembly, the chairperson of the African
Union Commission, and the director-general of the World Health
Organization (WHO) were among the leaders who addressed the summit
and endorsed the initiative.
Azerbaijan has also put forward initiatives to prepare the basis
for the eventual institutionalization of the NAM. This includes the
launch of the NAM’s parliamentary network and youth network, as
well as the creation of a NAM support office in New York. During
the Second Karabakh War in late 2020, Azerbaijan demonstrated that
the bloc can be very efficient in quickly consolidating its efforts
and demonstrating solidarity against major challenges one or a
group of fellow members face.
President Ilham Aliyev’s initiative to create a group of
like-minded mine-affected countries is part of Azerbaijan’s efforts
to strengthen the movement, promote closer bonds and cooperation
among the member states, and its efforts for institutionalization.
This initiative was further discussed at the Baku Conference of the
Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network on 30 June 2022. At the
conference, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the importance of
parliaments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and encouraged all stakeholders to lend their full support to the
SDGs in the remaining period until 2030.
Azerbaijan’s efforts to strengthen the NAM and its initiatives
to create a group of like-minded mine-affected countries have the
potential to deliver positive outcomes and demonstrate the
importance of multilateralism in addressing global challenges.
The meeting also discussed the importance of increasing the
number of Azerbaijani nationals working in the UN system in line
with existing quotas.
—
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Credit:Source link
