ITF Attended the 15MSP in Chile

ITF Enhancing Human Security attended the 15th Meeting of States Parties to the AP Mine Ban Convention, which took place in Santiago, Chile. States Parties, together with other stakeholders, met in order to discuss the progress of the Convention implementation and further actions as well as necessary improvements in the field of mine action.

At the Meeting, Ambassador Damjan Bergant, ITF Director, delivered an address and urged all States Parties and other stakeholders to join efforts in mine action. He expressed concern over the drastic decrease in funding for demining in the past years in spite of the nearly universal adherence to the Convention and the recent launch of the Global Demining Initiative. Ambassador Bergant concluded that strong partnerships should guide the practice of helping mine-affected countries and regions. 

The representatives of states signatories to the Ottawa Treaty and other organisations, including ITF, jointly asked for a quicker clearing of minefields, so that the world will be completely free from landmines by 2025. We are pleased with valuable meetings and debates, and hope that we will all be able to show considerable progress by the Sixteenth Meeting of the States Parties next year in Vienna.