Regional Seminar on Mine Action in the Americas

The third annual regional landmine action seminar entitled “En Camino Hacia un Hemisferio Libre de Minas Antipersonal,” hosted by the Government of Perú and sponsored by the Government of Canada and the Mine Action Program (AICMA, for its initials in Spanish) of the Organization of American States (OAS), was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lima, Perú, on August 14–15 2003. The two-day gathering brought together over 100 mine action experts from 24 countries and more than a dozen regional and international organizations to discuss a wealth of mine action topics including, among others, the definition of national and regional priorities, mine clearance, mine risk education, victim assistance, and stockpile destruction. These topics allowed for a holistic discussion on mine action within the region and provided a forum for representatives of countries throughout the Americas to address issues concerning every facet of mine action, as well as the challenges they face in their countries. Most importantly, participants shared with regional counterparts their plans and projections through 2004. This was also the first of two opportunities to assist Ottawa Convention State Parties of the Americas to prepare for the 2004 Review Conference.