Conference: Development of Mines Affected Communities and Challenges of Civil Society 2009-2019
Alida Vračić, Populari’s executive director participated in the conference “Development of Mines Affected Communities and Challenges of Civil Society 2009-2019″ that was held on June 08, 2010 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This one-day conference, organised by NGO sector in BiH in cooperation with Mine Action Centre of BiH, within the project „Support to Social Inclusion of Mines Affected Population – Development and Anti-Mine Acitivites“ that has been implemented by Handicap International in Stolac and Berković municipalities.
The aim of the conference was to try to find answers for several questions, first of all those related to setting priorities for demining, because when you have 1 500 square kilometers it is very important to determine which areas should be cleared first and in that case, the opinion of the local community is of great importance.
At the opening of the conference, Nikola Špirić, chairman of the Council of Minsters, pointed out that even now, 15 years after unfortunate war conflict, the analyses show that 3,04 percent of the territory of BiH or 1.555,34 square kilometers are still contaminated with mines. In the area that includes 18,600 of registered minefields, according to estimates, there are more than 670,000 mines and UXOs. „The process of demining is essential for economic development in BiH as any social process cannot develop if BiH is contaminated by mines to the extent that it is today“, said Špirić. Representatives of NGOs have expressed the wish that mine action becomes one of the segments of development projects.
More details on the conference can be downloaded below:
Publication: Development and Mine Action in Focus (.pdf) >>>
