INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DEMINING TECHNOLOGY TO BE HELD NEAR COPENHAGEN, 2 - 4 JULY
Press Release
IHA/600
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DEMINING TECHNOLOGY TO BE HELD NEAR COPENHAGEN, 2 - 4 JULY
19960611 NEW YORK, 11 June (DHA) -- The Government of Denmark, in cooperation with the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, will host an international conference on mine-clearance technology from 2 to 4 July at the Scanticon Conference Centre near Copenhagen. The conference will be opened at 11 a.m. on 2 July by Denmark's Minister for Development Cooperation, Poul Nielson, and by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Yasushi Akashi.The proliferation of more than 110 million land-mines worldwide, many in countries that are striving for peace after years of war, poses an enormous humanitarian and economic problem. Most land-mine victims are civilians, including children, and the presence of land-mines often prevents refugees from returning home for many years after a conflict has ended. Despite this, research on improved mine-clearance technology has not been a priority for governments.
The forthcoming conference will examine ways to improve such technology, primarily for developing countries, and to elaborate safety standards for clearance operations. Nine technical working groups, headed by internationally renowned experts, will consider issues ranging from safety standards to new approaches in mine-detection technology. They will present their recommendations to the plenary on the afternoon of 4 July. In addition, an outdoor demonstration of demining equipment will be given at a nearby exhibition site.
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NOTE:For further information, contact Niels Severin Munk, Deputy Head of the Relief Department at Denmark's Foreign Ministry, tel: (45) 32-92-14-32; fax: (45) 31-54-05-33; or the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in New York, tel: (212) 963-2734, fax (212) 963-1312, and in Geneva, tel: (44) 21-917-2856.