The 4th International Mine Action Conference, themed “Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe Settlements,” has hosted a panel discussion titled “Technology & Innovation for Safer and More Effective Humanitarian Demining”, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event. The discussions were moderated by Nigel Ellway, Parliamentary special adviser on the Impact of Explosive Weapons, UK Parliament. Speaking at the panel, Head of Department, Turkish Mine Action Center of the Ministry of National Defense of Türkiye, Fatih Yel, noted that the safety of a road, school, hospital, energy facility, water pipeline, or housing project depends on the reliable investigation, clearance, quality control, and commissioning of the area where it is located.
"Mine clearance is the first step towards safe settlement. Here, we must also take into account the fundamental difference between military mine clearance measures and humanitarian mine clearance. In military operations, the main goal is often to quickly open a certain corridor to ensure the movement of troops.
In humanitarian mine clearance activities, the main goal is to ensure a high level of clearance of the area," he said. Programme Manager, Standards and Operations, Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, Stanislav Damjanovic, stressed that innovation in mine action is one of the means to achieve better results and productivity. Data management and digital tools undoubtedly offer great opportunities for mine action.
Innovation can also involve new approaches and collaborative partnerships. We think this is a very good example, and we hope that similar initiatives will be replicated by other partners,” he said. The panel also exchanged views on strengthening national mine action capacity through training, institutional development, and international exchange of experience, and the application of advanced technologies to increase the safety and effectiveness of humanitarian mine action operations.
The discussions emphasized the importance of technological innovations not only increasing the efficiency of operations, but also the safety of mine workers, as well as the formation of a balanced and coordinated approach between technology, safety, and humanitarian objectives. The 4th International Mine Action Conference, jointly organized by the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) and the UN Office in Azerbaijan, began in Baku on September 2. The conference will conclude today.
At the end, it's planned to adopt a conference statement. Source: https://www.trend.az/azerbaijan/4220335.html © 2026 Trend News Agency.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
