1PC

First Pledging Conference

On 2 March 2016, Chile, in its capacity as President of the Fifteenth Meeting of the States Parties, held the first International Pledging Conference for the Implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. The aim was to renew and strengthen commitments to the principles of the Convention and resources for implementation including through pledges of financial support to mine action, as well as pledges for the ISU’s work plan and Sponsorship Programme.

A total of 69 delegations, including nine represented at the ministerial level, were present at the Pledging Conference including 52 States Parties, 2 States not party, 7 non-governmental organisations and 8 international organisations.

Summary

The First International Pledging Conference for the Implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, A Mine Free World by 2025: The Last Stretch, hosted by the Chilean Presidency, was held in Geneva on 2 March 2016.

The Conference was chaired by H.E. Heraldo Muñoz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile and opened with a high-level panel that included,

Mr. Michael Møller, DirectorGeneral of the United Nations Office at Geneva,
Mr. Kofi Annan, Founder and Chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation and former Secretary-General of the United Nations
H.E. Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada,
H.E. María Ángela Holguín, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia,
Mr. Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross,
Mrs. Tammy Hall, Head of Danish Demining Group, and
Mr. Firoz Alizada, Campaigns and Communications Manager at the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

High-level guests on the panel shared their vision on The Last Stretch towards implementation of the AntiPersonnel Mine Ban Convention by 2025.

Four States Parties participated at a Ministerial level which included participation by

H.E. Virasakdi Futrakul, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand,
H.E. Masakazu Hamachi, Parliamentary ViceMinister for Foreign Affairs of Japan,
H.E. Kamal Ismail, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan and,
H.E. George Martin, Deputy State Secretary of Switzerland.

Participants commended Chile, the Convention’s Presidency, for taking this initiative and for providing the impetus needed for a successful implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in 2016.