Fourth Review Conference of the Ottawa
Convention held in Oslo
The Fourth Review Conference of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transport of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) was held in Oslo, Norway, from 25 to 29 November 2019.
The event has also marked the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of this Convention.
The Review Conference is a permanent mechanism for reviewing and verifying activities to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction.
At the conference, the achievements of the previous Review Conference, held in Maputo in 2014, were discussed. Also, the guidelines of the Convention have been set for the next five years.
In addition to representatives of member states of the Ottawa Convention, national demining centers from countries in the region and the world, as well as representatives of major international demining and mine victims assistance organizations, the meeting was attended by representatives of the UN Secretary-General, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, representatives of the European Union, representatives of other international organizations, numerous media, etc.
Representatives of the Republic of Serbia – Director of the Mine Action Centre, Mr Bojan Glamočlija and Plannning and International Cooperation Advisor, Ms Slađana Košutić, presented at the plenary session, as well as at the meeting with the Committee on Article 5 Implementation, activities of the Mine Action Center of the Republic of Serbia and the current mine situation in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, with a special focus on the problem of newly discovered areas that are suspected to be contaminated with groups of mines in the Municipality of Bujanovac. These are locations where fires have occurred in recent months and, according to eyewitnesses, explosions were heard in several places after the fires, indicating the existence of explosive ordnance in the area.
This Conference was the opportunity to emphasize that the Republic of Serbia is fully committed to comply with all the provisions of the Ottawa Convention.
