Azerbaijan to hold municipal elections on October 6, 2006

NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTED RESOLUTION ON "THE SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN" GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADDS ITEM ON 'GUAM' CONFLICTS ON ITS AGENDA ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN EXCHANGE ACCUSATIONS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH DURING UN DEBATE AZERBAIJAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER ADDRESSES GENERAL ASSEMBLY MOODY'S RATING ENCOURAGING FOR INVESTMENT more UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VISITS AZERBAIJAN UKRAINE SEEKING CASPIAN OIL TRANSIT PRESIDENT SUPPORTS OIL COOPERATION WITH AZERBAIJAN 11 SEPTEMBER COMMEMORATION VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 11 EVENTS COMMEMORATED IN BAKU UN AMBASSADOR: IN ORDER TO FIGHT TERRORISM COOPERATION BETWEEN STATES MUST BE STRENGTHENED PARLIAMENT STARTS AUTUMN SESSION IN THE RENOVATED PREMISES more CUBA INVITES AZERBAIJAN TO APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN NON ALIGNED MOVEMENT more AZERBAIJAN KEEN ON TOURISM INVESTMENT FROM ISLAMIC STATES more MINES STILL GLOBALLY HOT ISSUE more UN NEWS UNFPA - AZERBAIJAN AND WESTERN UNIVERSITY GENDER RESEARCH CENTER ORGANIZE SUMMER SCHOOL ON GENDER AZERBAIJAN LEARNS FROM SWEDISH CUSTOMS EXPERIENCE ECONOMY 99TH IN DOING BUSINESS REPORT CASPIAN ENERGY CENTRE RE-LAUNCHED AZERBAIJAN RANKS 64TH IN GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS FIRST AZERI-LANGUAGE PAPER LAUNCHED IN LONDON more   Download UNDP   Screen Saver   UNDP Azerbaijan Website:   www.un-az.org/undp/   Contact Information   Address:   3, UN 50th Anniversary str.   AZ 1001 Baku, Azerbaijan   Telephone:   (+99412) 4989888   Fax:   (+99412) 4983235   (+99412) 4922491   E-mail:   undpbulletin@un-az.org     To unsubscribe please click here MINES STILL GLOBALLY HOT ISSUE Azernews, September 20, 2006 sadas dasd People around the world are still suffering from mine explosions, as the number of victims has reached 500,000, an international group has said. The eighth report of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, a network of more than 1,400 NGOs working in 90 countries, found mine-related problems in 78 countries. The problems of victims have been solved only in 10 countries so far. In other countries, those affected are unable to get the needed medical aid and their social and economic problems remain unresolved, the Landmine Impact Survey said. 151 countries are full-fledged members of the Ottawa Convention on the prohibition and destruction of antipersonnel mines, their production and proliferation. The reserves in non-member states exceed 160 million mines, including 110m in China, 26.5m in Russia, 10.4m in the United States, 6m in Pakistan, etc. 740 sq. km of land has been cleared from mines in the past year, a record high in the past 26 years. 7,328 landmine victims were registered in 58 countries over the past year, or 11% above the previous assessment. 21% of the mine victims are children. 81% of the victims are civilians. About 15,000-20,000 people fall victim of landmines around the world every year. Azeris still under threat Landmines and unexplod-ed ordinance (UXOs) remain in 18 of 65 districts in Azerbaijan, according to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. The survey indicated that in 2003, more than half of the affected communities were located in Fizuli district in the west near Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh, and Aghstafa district in the northwest, where a Soviet army base was formerly located. In 2005, 59 landmine/UXO casualties were recorded from 16 incidents, including 10 killed and 49 injured. Thirty casualties were children, including two killed. Four casualties (one killed and three injured) were military personnel and 55 were civilians (nine killed and 46 injured). In 2006, three people have been killed in mine explosions, while 20 injured. Clearance operations in some areas of the Aghstafa District are underway under an agreement reached with NATO. The activities are being carried out through the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA). According to estimations, some 40,000 UXOs remain in Saloghlu village of the district. About 1,100 of them will be neutralized every day within the mentioned project. In 2005, Azerbaijan stated that it believes that the complete prohibition and destruction of antipersonnel mines is the principal humanitarian goal. However, while being occupied by Armenian forces and having a threat of reactivating of hostilities, Azerbaijan was not able to join the Convention at that stage. Azerbaijan hopes that in the near future, when its conflict with Armenia is resolved and the Azeri territories liberated, it will be able to become a full member of the Ottawa Convention and to contribute to resolving the mine problem globally. Landmine Monitor web site Report on Azerbaijan   October 2006, Issue No. 42 Previous Issues UNDP Azerbaijan Website Bulletin Home Page Country Information  Quick facts  Map of Azerbaijan  Azerbaijan Living Conditions Report 2006  Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic  National Anthem  Embassies in Azerbaijan ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL STARTS IN BAKU AssA-Irada, September 4, 2006 The eighth annual East-West International Film Festival started in Baku on Monday. Movies shot in the CIS and Baltic states as well as other countries in 2005-2006 and films that won different international contests were shown free of charge in cinemas of the capital and the Ibrus Theater during the six-day event, the Union of Cinematographers said. Three Azerbaijani documentaries and several feature films were shown during the festival. Cinematographers from more than 10 countries have arrived in Baku to attend the event at the Heydar Aliyev Palace. The Azerbaijani film "Good bye, southern city" directed by Oleg Safaraliyev was screened on the first day of the event. The closing ceremony of the festival took place at the Azerbaijan Cinema on Saturday. If you have any suggestions for how we can improve the Bulletin, please send us an e-mail. Your input would be greatly appreciated.