SMAC Representatives at European Regional Conference on Advancing Victim Assistance and Cooperation in Ljubljana
In the organization of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, with the financial support of the European Union and technical support of the Implementation Support Unit of the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), European Regional Conference on Advancing Victim Assistance and Cooperation was held in Ljubljana in the period 27-29 August 2024.
The conference brought together experts, representatives of governments and non-governmental organizations from different European countries, with the aim of exchanging experiences and developing strategies to assist mine victims and their integration into society.
In addition to representatives of the SMAC, the conference was attended by more than 150 experts in the field of mine victim and mine survivors assistance, disability, human rights, as well as health workers, development and other practitioners from more than 27 countries.
The SMAC representatives presented the progress and challenges in the implementation of victim assistance and the integration of victim assistance in broader national policies and programs in accordance with actions 33 to 41 of the Oslo Action Plan with emphasis on the importance of continuous education and raising awareness about the dangers of mines, as well as the development of effective victim assistance program.
The conference provided an important platform for advancing cooperation and coordination between different organizations at the European level, which contributed to focusing attention on the needs of victims and developing more comprehensive solutions in this area with the aim of increasing awareness of the importance of assisting mine and other explosive devices victims in the context of the rights of persons with disabilities, especially with an integrated approach and inclusive involvement of victims in reporting, monitoring and evaluation of all stages in assisting victims.
