WHAT DOES THE CARTAGENA SUMMIT HOPES TO ACHIEVE?
The summit is the second review conference of the Ottawa Convention, following the first review meeting in Nairobi in 2004. It aims to assess progress made by signatories, renew commitments to the treaty, and secure funding from donor countries. A four-year action plan will be produced. For the first time, the U.S., the world’s biggest donor to humanitarian demining action, is sending a team of observes to a review conference on the Mine Treaty. The Obama administration said ahead of the summit that its landmine policy was still under review and while it continued the current policy of declining to join the accord would remain in force. In countries where mines pose serious problems, such as Colombia, Afghanistan and Iraq, governments are being urged to implement new legislation to improve mine action and increase their efforts to ensure landmine survivors, especially children, have access to health care and rehabilitation programmes. WHAT CHALLENGES REMAIN? Landmines continue to be pl
