This is true for the UN development system that is working to support progress towards the 2030 Agenda, and it is true for the Member States that designed and signed up to it. And when we are falling so far behind, with Asia-Pacific collectively heading for a 32-year delay according to the latest estimates from ESCAP, that search for ideas needs to go beyond the most obvious places.Amongst the many efforts to analyze sustainable development progress, bottlenecks, and their solutions, perhaps the most extensive at the country level are the Voluntary National Reviews that countries can opt to develop and present to the High-Level Political Forum annually. These extensive, and collective, exercises speak to the universality of the SDGs and take a deep look at how close we are to reaching our 2030 targets, and shape ideas and policies that can help us to get there faster.
  This year, Azerbaijan and Lao PDR are both undertaking such reviews.At first glance, Azerbaijan, an upper-middle income country in the South Caucasus, would seem to have little in common with Lao PDR, a country working towards graduation from Least Developed Country status in the heart of tropical Southeast Asia.But look closer, and many more areas of common interest begin to emerge.
Both have strong track records of commitment to the SDGs- Azerbaijan is preparing its fourth Voluntary National Review and Lao PDR its third. Both have worked hard to integrate the SDGs into national frameworks and policies. And both have encountered major obstacles to their pursuit of sustainable development for all. Perhaps most prominently, both have developed a bespoke SDG18. For Lao PDR, SDG18 aspires to ‘Lives safe from unexploded ordnance’. For Azerbaijan, SDG18 covers ‘Actions to combat mine threats’. In both cases, removing the threats from landmines and explosive remnants of war is considered essential for progress across the SDGs, despite this not being a clear element of the global 2030 Agenda.
 It is precisely the combination of these similarities and differences that set the context for a successful ‘twinning’ exchange between the two countries organized under a flagship ESCAP initiative to support Voluntary National Review processes. Arranged by ESCAP with support from UN Resident Coordinator’s Offices, UNDP, and UNICEF, the series of virtual and in-person exchanges between the two countries shared concrete ideas and experiences on how the SDGs can be pursued in a broad range of areas.
 This included sharing pragmatic experiences on how SDG policies and indicators can be prioritized, which is particularly valuable in the context of ongoing work to develop the next cycle of the National Social Economic Development Plan for Lao PDR. The ‘twins’ were able to compare notes on how national institutions and structures can be organized to integrate and promote the achievement of the SDGs, such as through the establishment of national committees, and clearly linking policy discussions to financial resources.And lessons were shared on how different groups of stakeholders can be effectively and substantively engaged in national processes for the delivery of the 2030 Agenda- in particular how young people and volunteers can be engaged as a demographic that is so critical to the future development prospects of both countries.

  This is already leading to new and promising areas of partnership. At the High-Level Political Forum in New York in July, a joint side event will be organized focused on the respective SDG 18s, working together to raise the profile of this critical development challenge for achievement across the SDGs for both countries.Discussions have also started on possible collaboration on issues related to climate change, and in particular climate finance in the lead up to Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 later this year.Exchanges are continuing on how Azerbaijan’s successful experiences in the digital delivery of public services could be shared with counterparts in Lao PDR as it embarks on its Digital Government Masterplan.And building on this success, plans are afoot to continue the exchange, next time in Vientiane.We are collectively badly off-track from our vision for 2030, and in urgent need of actions to change the trajectory. But, as the experiences of Azerbaijan and Lao PDR show, precisely because that vision is so universal, there is a world of ideas and inspiration out there that countries can draw on. It’s our job to help build that bridge.

  

The report highlights the last year's results of our joint efforts with the Government, civil society organizations, academia, the private sector, and the achievements in in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Click here to read the report

As the world marks Mine Awareness Day, Akif remembers his two sons who died in a landmine explosion, and other family members who still live with the scars.When 65-year-old Akif heard that his grandson and two sons had been caught up in a landmine explosion, he raced to help – only to find himself facing the same fate. “We saw that one of my sons was lying on the ground,” recalls Akif, who lives in a village near Agdam, in Azerbaijan. “I called to him but he didn’t respond, and he was covered in blood. One had a child in his arms and he had no legs. My friend told me to pick him up and put him on my back. After that, I don’t remember anything.” Separate blasts killed two of Akif’s sons, and injured his eight-year-old grandson Huseyn. Akif was rushed to hospital with a broken leg,   while a neighbour, trying desperately to save the family, was also wounded in the tragedy. “I don’t know where we would be if he  hadn’t come,” says Akif. “My grandson is still receiving psychological support. He often stutters when he speaks and when he gets angry, he finds it difficult to cope with his feelings and it takes him time to calm down.”   “Who would want something like this to happen to their child in their home?” adds Huseynova, the boy’s mother. “My son still does not like to talk about what happened. He is afraid of the dark.” Explosive remnants of war and landmines remain a major risk for communities living in parts of Azerbaijan which, after years of conflict, is now one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the region. Since November 2020, 65 people have been killed and 289 people injured from explosive ordnance across Azerbaijan, including nine children.  This is why, UNICEF is prioritising its  partnership with the government on Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and capacity building. Without effective EORE programmes and including them in the school curriculum, there are concerns that the number of casualties will continue to increase.“Providing lifesaving risk education will continue to be a priority for UNICEF in the coming years,” says Saja Farooq Abdullah, UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan. “No child should ever be at risk when coming home from school, walking in the park or having fun outdoors. We will continue our critical risk education programmes in areas where needs are the highest, raising awareness of risks and life-saving safety rules in schools and communities, as well as providing mental health and psychosocial support services.” Thousands of families and children are already benefitting from these life-saving community engagement and communication activities, such as UNICEF’s partnership with the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA) and the Ministry of Science and Education, which has helped over 20,000 children to receive EORE through school-based activities. This partnership has also helped over 124,000 people, including 46,000 children in conflict-affected areas, to receive EORE through face-to-face sessions, and contributed to the development of more than 720 billboards and printed materials that raise awareness in these territories.

Samaya Ahmadli: My father supported me in this decision, he always stood behind meSamaya is originally from Aghdam. She worked as a geography teacher for six years, and always had an interest in the military. Her brother is a soldier who passed through the war.  Samaya is one of the eighteen newly trained women deminers that were accredited in November 2023 during a ceremony in Baku with participation of high-level officials from ANAMA, the European Union (EU), UNDP, and other officials. Thanks to theoretical and practical trainings conducted by the international experts of the Mine Advisory Group (MAG), the first teams of women deminers acquired the foundational knowledge, skills and required code of conduct to recognize, detect and mark mines and unexploded ordnance, and to provide first aid.“I started work with great enthusiasm, as if I was going to be rewarded. You must be cool-headed, I have no fear.”She talks about her friends at the school who did not expect her to become a deminer, but now they follow her with great interest. She is very happy."My family did not agree at first, but my father supported me in this decision. My mother was not used to seeing me in special clothes, now she accepts it easily. She is still a bit worried, they regularly contact me."Samaya had difficulties at first, it was not easy for her to work under the sun, mainly in hot weather, but later she got used: "I have always had white and sensitive skin, so I avoided the sun, but I got tanned here," she jokes.Samaya is so proud of being a part of this initiative, the first one in Azerbaijan."I want to contribute to the Great Return. We are working on our lands."The two demining teams of 24 people, including 18 women deminers, 2 healthcare workers, 2 team leaders and 2 deputy team leaders were established within the framework of the “Supporting safe return of Internally Displaced People through capacity building of the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA)” initiative funded by the EU andimplemented by UNDP in partnership with ANAMA, the International Eurasian Press Fund (IEPF) and the MAG. Jeyhun Alakbarov, UNDP Azerbaijan