The two-day annual Conference on Demining Activities in Ukraine–2024 (UMAC-2024) has begun in Switzerland. At the invitation of the co-organizers, Ukraine and Switzerland, representatives from over 60 countries and international organizations have come to Lausanne.
The conference was opened by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, and the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal. The opening event was also attended by Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Economy Yuliya Svyrydenko, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Gordan Grlić-Radman, Senior Minister and Vice President of the Mine Action and Victim Assistance Department of Cambodia — President of the Fifth Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty Dr. Li Tuck, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Yoshifumi Tsuge, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, U.S. State Department Stanley L. Brown, and others.
“Currently, Ukraine is one of the most contaminated countries in the world. This is a critical challenge for both Ukrainians and the international community. The first issue is safety. If we do not take action, the number of casualties could rise to 9,000 by 2030. The second is economic recovery. Our research with the Tony Blair Institute shows that the economic losses due to mines amount to $11.2 billion per year. The third is global food security. Before the invasion, Ukraine fed 400 million people worldwide; now, supply chains are disrupted. It is very valuable that we are not alone with these challenges, along with us are over 60 countries and international organizations, our friends and partners. We feel your support and are very grateful for the help already provided and expected,” Yuliya Svyrydenko addressed the participants of UMAC-2024.
The organizers have prepared a very rich program for the conference participants in Lausanne: from substantive panels to virtual reality demonstrations of demining. A series of bilateral meetings are also planned within the framework of UMAC-2024.
Online broadcasting of events is available at the link.
