Heidi Kuhn walks Karabakh’s minefields, urging global action at COP29 to clear landmines, restore agriculture, and ensure safe, fertile lands for a sustainable future.
Heidi Kuhn, World Food Prize Laureate and Founder of Roots of Peace, joined Umud Mirzayev, President of the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF), in walking Karabakh’s minefields to spotlight the urgent need for landmine eradication.
Their initiative, "MINES TO VINES," envisions transforming dangerous, mined land into fertile vineyards, restoring Karabakh's agricultural legacy.
While global leaders meet at COP29 in Baku, just three hours from Karabakh’s minefields, the region remains burdened with 1.5 million hidden landmines, endangering lives and the environment. Since 2020, 382 Azerbaijanis have fallen victim to these deadly remnants of war.
"The COP29 theme, In Solidarity for a Green World, cannot be achieved without safe, arable land," said Kuhn.
"Landmines and conflict prevent sustainable farming, threatening efforts to feed a growing global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050."
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is presenting its experience in smart and sustainable urban development through concrete projects across the urban value chain, officials said at a session held during the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.
A new United Nations report unveiled at the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku warns that the global housing crisis is worsening rapidly, with nearly 40% of the world’s population living in inadequate, unsafe or unaffordable housing.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had paused a planned attack on Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington. He said there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.
Samsung Electronics and its South Korean union have narrowed some differences, a mediator in their talks said on Tuesday, as pressure mounts from the government and business groups to avert an imminent and damaging lengthy strike.
More than 100 people were killed in a violent storm that battered India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, with rain and hail, the state Disaster Management and Relief office said on Thursday.
Climate change has driven a record surge in wildfires across Africa, Asia and other regions this year, with scientists warning that conditions are likely to worsen further as the northern hemisphere enters summer and El Niño weather patterns intensify.
Destruction of the world's tropical forests eased in 2025 from a record high, a report showed on Wednesday, underscoring how decisive policy can help keep trees standing despite pressures from a warmer climate and expanding agricultural frontiers.
Kazakhstan has ratified a regional green energy agreement with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, signalling Central Asia’s ambition to become a key supplier of renewable energy to international markets.
China’s growing use of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles took centre stage at the Beijing Auto Show 2026, which opened on 24 April, highlighting the country’s expanding clean transport ambitions.
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