Anti-personnel landmines continue to threaten individuals, communities and
livelihoods around the world. Mines, and the fear of mines, prevent the safe
and productive use of land, road and other infrastructure, posing a serious
obstacle to the delivery of humanitarian aid, safe return of refugees, post-conflict
reconstruction and sustainable development. The injuries they cause place a
strain on families, communities and health facilities and seriously hinder economic
progress.
The Reay Group on Mine Action
Recognizing the impact that landmines have on the region of South Eastern Europe,
the Stability Pact created the Reay Group (previously the Forum for Cooperation
on Mine Action in South East Europe). The Reay Group promotes a coordinated
approach to mine action through the provision of a strong regional framework
for funding mine action projects. This initiative has been built on existing
structures in an effort to avoid duplication, and to assist coordination efforts
by identifying and filling gaps in activities taking place at a regional level.
In addition, the Reay Group brings higher visibility and further donor/beneficiary
coordination to mine action activities.
Over the past year, the core members of the Reay Group have worked to identify
gaps in programming and develop possible projects in three priority areas where
it was felt the Stability Pact framework could provide the most added value:
- Stockpile Destruction
- Test and Evaluation
- Training
As a range of organisations are already well established in operational mine
clearance in the South Eastern European region, the Stability Pact initiative
does not focus on de-mining but rather on other equally important aspects of
mine action which can effectively promote regional peace and security.
All of the countries in the region are party to the Ottawa Convention, with
the exception of Serbia and Montenegro, which has recently announced their intention
to accede. Consequently, the Reay Group works within a regional context of legal
and political commitment to humanitarian mine action.
Recent Activities:
The latest meeting of the Reay Group was held in Geneva on January 30, 2002.
During the meeting, the Chairmanship of the Group was officially transferred
from Ambassador Daniel Livermore (Canada) to Ms. Dijana Pleština (Croatia).
This act of regional ownership further solidifies the mandate of the Reay Group
as a tool to consolidate regional cooperation on mine action.
May 28, 2002 Reay Group meeting (full)
Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) - Geneva
