Africa-Press – Angola. Angola participates, from 20 to 22 June, in the 20th meeting of the States Parties to the Convention, known as the Ottawa Treaty, on the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines and their destruction, taking place in Geneva, in Switzerland.
At the meeting, attended by representatives of the States Parties, non- governmental organizations and interested international organizations, the level of implementation of the Convention, the degree of universalization of the same, dissemination of the principles with a view to the means of accession and ratification, are being evaluated, cooperation between States and cooperative compliance.
National Mine Action Agency (ANAM) will present, during the thematic debates, the country’s advances and challenges in this matter, with a focus on the detailed work plan for the materialization of Article 5 of the Ottawa convention regarding the cleaning of all anti-personnel mines and the efforts of the Angolan State to assist victims of explosive devices.
The A20 REP, chaired by the Colombian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Alicia Arango Olmos, was preceded by intersectoral meetings that marked the midpoint of the implementation of the Oslo Plan of Action (PAO) and, as such, this opportunity was taken to reflect on achievements, assess the way in which the PAO is being applied and a balance was made of the areas that need more attention.
The Angolan delegation to the event, headed by the Director General of the National Agency for Action against Mines (ANAM) , Brigadier Leonardo Sapalo, also includes Florinda André, head of the assistance department for mine victims, diplomats from the Permanent Mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. .
More than 80 percent of UN member countries are States Parties, that is, they have ratified this Convention, and have agreed not to use anti-personnel mines, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, maintain or transfer mines, assist, encourage or induce others, for in any event, to engage in any activity prohibited by the convention which was opened for signature in Ottawa on December 3, 1997 and entered into force on March 1, 1999.
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