Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic opened today, 28 November 2005 in Zagreb, the 6th meeting of the countries parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (the Ottawa Convention), held 28 November-2 December 2005 in Zagreb.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic opened today, 28 November 2005 in Zagreb, the 6th meeting of the countries parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (the Ottawa Convention), held 28 November-2 December 2005 in Zagreb.
Organised by the MFAEI and held at the Zagreb Fair, the meeting will see more than 600 delegates from 147 states parties to the Ottawa Convention, monitor countries, international and regional organisations, and NGOs. This is the first time that such a meeting is held in a country that is at the same time a recipient of the mine action assistance and capable of offering such assistance, which means the international community recognises Croatia's achievements in that field.
In her speech, Minister Grabar-Kitarovic explained that the purpose of the meeting in Zagreb is the first official appraisal of the progress in implementing the 2005-2009 Nairobi Action Plan, adopted at the First Review Conference of the Ottawa Convention On a Mine-Free World in Nairobi 2004. The Nairobi Action Plan focuses on four major goals: global acceptance of the all-inclusive anti-personnel mine ban, destruction of the existing stocks, mine clearance and helping the victims.
As a basis for the discussion, Minister Grabar-Kitarovic presented the draft of the Zagreb Progress Report - the result of the meeting that will evaluate the progress in implementing the Nairobi Action Plan during the last year and draw the guidelines for the next year. The document was drafted under Croatia and Austria's guidance, with the participation of numerous states parties to the Convention, relevant international organisations and NGOs.
Ivana Crnic
Spokesperson
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