On the occasion of the 6th 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 (the Ottawa Convention), to be held 28 November to 2 December 2005 in Zagreb, a briefing was held today, 13 September 2005, for diplomatic missions and international organisations accredited to the Republic of Croatia
Minister Advisor for Mine Action Dijana Pleština informed the present parties about the importance of the Ottawa Convention for Croatia, the whole region and the world. The 6th meeting of the states parties to the Convention is important because it is the first time the international community will gather in South Eastern Europe and discuss the global mine problem. All SEE countries are signatories of the Ottawa Convention, having thus taken upon themselves the obligation to implement it. That demonstration of the responsibility is what Croatia and other countries in the region wish to show at the meeting.
Manager of the Convention Implementation Support Unit Kerry Brinkert held a presentation about the importance of the Convention, its status and basic goals, while Executive Director of ICBL (International Campaign to Ban Landmines) Anee Capelle spoke about the importance of civil society and its role within the Convention. Ottawa Convention is a unique example of co-operation between the governmental and the non-governmental sector.
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