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More people are now at risk from mines and unexploded ordnance than two years ago. As a result of the fighting in Ukraine and Ethiopia, large parts of settlements and agriculture have been contaminated, the ICRC announced on Tuesday on the occasion of the International Mine Awareness Day. Children are especially at risk.
Areas of action until 2026
Against this background, the federal government intends to continue its commitment to mine action, which has existed for more than 30 years. In the new action plan, the Federal Public Services Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the Federal Public Service Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) have defined three areas of action for the next four years.
international legal obligations
Switzerland wants to ensure that as many actors as possible comply with their obligations under international law. These are states, as well as non-state armed groups, which have produced most of the high-casualty improvised explosive devices. Switzerland also wants to strengthen the role of international Geneva in the process of humanitarian disarmament.
Financing for mine clearance
The Confederation also wants to help the affected countries directly on the ground by financing projects and sending experts.
In this context, it intends to support Ukraine, in particular in cooperation with the International Center for Humanitarian Demining in Geneva (GICHD) and the Swiss Foundation for Demining (SSM). In particular, it will fund activities to clear mines and other explosive ordnance in Ukraine.
Development and use of new technologies
Switzerland also wants to take advantage of the opportunities offered by “innovative approaches”: it wants to promote the adaptation of standards to new challenges and their dissemination, in particular through training. In addition, it wants to promote the wise use of new technologies, for example for the location of explosives, for risk education and for the development of interactive data management.
The action plan follows the arms control and disarmament strategy 2022-2025 and supersedes the mine countermeasures strategy 2016-2022, as announced by the FDFA and the DDPS.
(SDA)
Source:Blick
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