Geneva, 29 February - Two days before the First International Pledging Conference for Implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is to take place at the UN Geneva, the Treaty's Presidency has started receiving public pledges for mine action.
H.E. Bert Koenders, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, at a speech at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, announced a contribution of €45 million for the next four years, "to amplify the message that the world needs to take serious action on demining".
The funds will continue to finance landmine and cluster munition clearance in former conflict zones.
The Netherlands is providing €50,000 to the work of the Convention’s Secretariat.
In addition, Germany’s Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, H.E. Ambassador Michael Biontino, also made an early pledge for additional funds of €40,000 to the Geneva-based Secretariat.
The Implementation Support Unit provides technical advise to States Parties in implementation and universalization of the Convention and is responsible for organizing the Convention's Meeting of the States Parties in Geneva and abroad, and the yearly Meetings of the Standing Committees.
Twenty-nine States Parties to the Convention which came into effect on 1 March 1999, have so far completed mine clearance operations, and together the States Parties have destroyed over 48 million anti-personnel mines.
For all communication and/or press-related questions please email the Convention's Implementation Support Unit: isu@apminebanconvention.org; or ISU Communications Consultant, Laila Rodriguez at +41 78 953 0720, laila.rodriguez@yahoo.com.