27 April 2018
The GICHD is entering its 20th year! On April 28, 1998, our Deed of Foundation was signed. Ever since, we have worked tirelessly with our partners to make this world a safer place.
The very beginning of the Centre came during the signing of the Anti-personnel Treaty in Ottawa in December 1997. Switzerland took the bold and visionary step to help implement this important treaty by announcing it would establish a Centre of expertise for the sector. Just four months later, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining was established, with a mandate to promote international cooperation by training practitioners, developing internationally recognised methods and standards for demining operations, creating an information management system and organising conferences allowing the demining community to exchange on good practice.
In the picture below, the signing of the Deed of Foundation.
From left:
Dr Cornelio Sommaruga (former ICRC President, GICHD Honorary President)
Gérard Ramseyer (former President of the Geneva State Council)
Adolf Ogi (former Swiss Federal Councillor in charge of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection an Sports; former President of the Swiss Confederation)
René Felber (former GICHD president)
Martine Brunschwig Graf (former Geneva State Councillor)