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Switzerland to invest 16 mln francs in de-mining cause

Xinhua, July 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Switzerland is to allocate around 16 million Swiss francs (16.3 million U.S. dollars) per year for humanitarian de-mining between 2016 and 2019 in a bid to rid the world of explosive remnants of war, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) reported Monday.

"The federal government will fund targeted de-mining projects in the countries concerned, dispatch experts to United Nation's de-mining programs, shape policymaking at the multilateral level and maintain the strategic partnership with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian De-mining," FDFA said in a statement.

According to FDFA figures, almost 50 million stockpiled anti-personnel mines and two million stored cluster munitions have been destroyed over the past 20 years.

Global cooperation has led to a sharp drop in the number of victims of landmines and unexploded bombs, passing from over 70 a day two decades ago to fewer than 10 at present, FDFA added.

Despite these positive trends, much remains to be done to achieve a world without landmines, cluster bombs and other explosive ordinance.

"The sharp rise in contamination due to current armed conflicts, contaminated sites from previous conflicts, difficult de-mining conditions, failure to systematically implement international obligations, limited resources, and a frequent lack of local expertise will continue to impact humanitarian de-mining over the coming years," FDFA warned.

According to the department, the strategy reflects the belief that de-mining is an essential component of lasting peace, development and security.

It is also pivotal for humanitarian aid and contributes to reaching a number of goals outlined in the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, FDFA concluded. Endit