GENEVA – Friday, 24 November 2023 (APS) – Algeria has been elected President of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) for the year 2024, replacing Thailand, on the occasion of the 21st Meeting of States Parties, held since Monday in Geneva.
The mission of this committee, whose new membership includes, in addition to Algeria, Japan, Denmark and Turkey, is to assist state parties in fully implementing the provisions of the Convention and the resulting action plans to cease the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines.
Addressing the meeting, the Algerian delegation outlined the Committee’s priorities for 2024, which will focus in particular on fostering partnerships and national mine action platforms, encouraging the exchange of good practice and coordination with donors to help state parties meet their mine clearance obligations, and South-South cooperation.
The Committee will also contribute to the drafting of a new five-year action plan before its adoption at the 5th APMBC Review Conference, scheduled for 2024 in Cambodia, with Algeria assuming the vice presidency.
By electing Algeria to head the Committee, the State Parties recognize Algeria’s pioneering role and experience in the fight against anti-personnel mines dating back to the National Liberation War, as well as its significant contribution to achieving the humanitarian goals of the Convention.
In this regard, the President of the 21st Meeting of the State Parties to the APMBC, the German Tomas Gobel, warmly thanked Algeria for its efforts and commitment in the field of mine action, underlining the importance of the African regional seminar organized by Algeria on May 30 and 31 in Algiers, the promising results of which were presented to the meeting by the Algerian delegation.
On this occasion, the group of African State parties to the APMBC, as well as several participants, including the representative of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), expressed their deep gratitude to Algeria for organizing the seminar in question and its contribution to promoting the goal of a “mine-free” Africa.
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines entered into force in Algeria on April 9, 2002.
Since it was opened for signature in 1997, 164 countries have ratified the Convention.