22nd NDM-UN

ITF joined national representatives, UN Agencies, NGOs, and other experts on mine action at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting kicked off with an inspiring keynote address by Giles Duley, CEO and Founder of the Legacy of War Foundation and renowned photographer, who called for long-term support to mine victims: “There is no point in saving someone’s life if you don’t give them their life back.”

The overall emphasis of this year’s meeting was on mine victim assistance, with topics such as challenges of mine victims, support to landmine survivors and their family members, and the empowerment of women heavily discussed. The attendees also discussed the importance of mine action for the building of peace and humanitarian crises prevention and the nexus between mine action and sustainable development goals.

Roman Turšič, Head of ITF Implementation Office in Afghanistan/Libya, participated at the ‘Protecting Civilians from a Human Rights Perspective’ as a panelist and presented ITF’s lessons learned from 20 years of work in this field. The panel focused on case studies from Afghanistan and other affected countries and illustrated the challenges of landmines, ERW and IED’s and presented the physical, social and psychological impact of these weapons.

In addition, the ITF team attended several bilateral meetings with our donors and partners during the NDM-UN.