30 November 2015
On Monday, 30 November, the first formal meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction since the 2014 Third Review Conference in Maputo, Mozambique began. Since the Maputo Review Conference, States Parties have continued working towards ending the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines for all people for all time and to end the era of anti-personnel mines. The 14MSP runs all week until Friday, December 4, and provides the opportunity to share with the international community the States Parties’ most recent achievements.
At the high-level opening session on Monday morning, Dr. Barbara Haering, President of the Council of Foundation, GICHD, addressed delegates. "We are facing a task which we will be able to accomplish -- at least to a large extent --," she stated, "provided that political commitment, clear strategies addressing different types of contamination, funding and accountability as well as sound standards, methods and tools are applied. And we will all be working toward these objectives."
For more information on the meeting and to see the agenda, go to the website of the AP Mine Ban Convention: http://www.apminebanconvention.org/meetings-of-the-states-parties/14msp/.