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Dr. Aleš Musar on Soft Power and Mine Action

Emil M. Hasanov
ByEmil M. Hasanov
Chairman (Founder)
Emil M. Hasanov is a distinguished expert in international security and post‑conflict recovery, with more than two decades of leadership across the United Nations, U.S. Department...
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- Chairman (Founder)
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Reflections from the 4th International Mine Action Conference in Baku

Source: ANAMA. Interview conducted by Emil M. Hasanov in his capacity as a Public Council member under ANAMA. Guest: Dr. Aleš Musar. View the original interview on ANAMA’s YouTube channel.

Soft power, survivor support and the return home

During the 4th International Mine Action Conference in Baku, co-organized by ANAMA and the United Nations in Azerbaijan on –, I spoke with Dr. Aleš Musar, spouse of the President of the Republic of Slovenia and a member of the ITF Board of Trustees. Our discussion explored how soft power can advance humanitarian mine action. Dr. Musar highlighted the influence of public attention, cultural connections and the deeply personal hope of returning home.

Our conversation followed the path from clearing explosive remnants of war to restoring meaningful lives. Dr. Musar discussed advances in prosthetics, psychosocial and socioeconomic rehabilitation, and the contribution of parasport to recovery. He also emphasized the conference’s value for international learning and technological exchange, while acknowledging competition for limited donor funding. His central message was that clearance must lead to lasting community recovery: safe homes, renewed purpose and the opportunity to rebuild everyday life.

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ByEmil M. Hasanov
Chairman (Founder)
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Emil M. Hasanov is a distinguished expert in international security and post‑conflict recovery, with more than two decades of leadership across the United Nations, U.S. Department of State programs, OSCE, EU, and other global institutions. He has served as a strategic adviser to UN peacekeeping in Darfur, Sudan, and directed stabilization initiatives funded by the U.S. Department of State. His fieldwork spans Yemen, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Georgia, and operations along the Afghanistan and Syrian borders, where he led missions on disarmament, conventional weapons management, and post‑war recovery. Mr. Hasanov’s academic foundation combines law studies at the University of Geneva and Baku State University (LL.M) with advanced training at leading institutions including Cranfield Defense Academy (UK), Carleton University (Canada), George Washington University (USA), Thunderbird School of Global Management, and SOAS, University of London. His career reflects a unique blend of legal expertise, operational leadership, and external affairs. He has advised on communications and external relations with BP AGT, engaging with diplomatic corps, senior officials, and heads of state. He is also co‑founder of the Club de Genève, a platform fostering dialogue among policymakers and scholars. Beyond policy and operations, Mr. Hasanov has established a strong profile in communications and media, serving as author and anchor of GEOPOLITICS talk shows, publishing widely on international relations, and producing documentaries on conflict and recovery. As Founder and Chairman of the International Center for Transatlantic Studies (ICTS), Mr. Hasanov brings this global expertise to advancing the Center’s mission: strengthening transatlantic cooperation, fostering innovative policy dialogue, and promoting collective security.

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