The 21st NDMUN in Geneva, Switzerland
On February 12, ITF went to Geneva, Switzerland for the 21st International Meeting of Mine Action National Programme Directors and United Nations Advisors. The Meeting was held from Tuesday 13th to Friday 16th where a variety of issues were discussed including advancing protection through prevention, methods of prevention, risk awareness programs, and how to coordinate the safe return of displaced people.
Ambassador Lovrenčič, ITF Director, and the ITF team attended several bilateral meetings with our donors and partners in addition to the plenary sessions of the Meeting.
As well as attending meetings, ITF was proud to display the “Silent Killers of Afghanistan” exhibition by Arne Hodalič. The exhibition shows the savagery of mine contamination and the resolve of those who work diligently in order to combat it. The exhibition was co-organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to UNOG in Geneva and the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to UNOG in Geneva.
The annual Meeting concluded with participants acknowledging that the global community has to set the priority of addressing landmines and other humanitarian issues, and reaffirming their commitment to a safer world. This sentiment was embodied by Canadian Ambassador Rosemary McCarney, when she discussed the role of woman in mine action: “Time for talk is unfortunately not over, but time for implementation is now.”
