The two-day annual Ukraine Mine Action Conference 2024 (UMAC-2024) has started in Switzerland. Representatives of more than 60 countries and international organisations came to Lausanne at the invitation of the co-organisers, Ukraine and Switzerland.

The conference was opened by Viola Amherd, President of the Swiss Confederation, and Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine. The event was also attended by Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councillor and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and the First Vice President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority and President of the Fifth Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Tsuge Yoshifumi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Stanley L. Brown, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State, and others.

“Ukraine is now 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 security. If we don’t take action, the number of victims could rise to 9,000 by 2030. The second is economic recovery. Our research with the Tony Blair Institute shows that economic losses due to landmines reach USD 11.2 billion a year. The third is global food security. Before the invasion, Ukraine fed 400 million people around the world, and now the supply chain is destroyed. And it is very valuable that we are not alone in facing these challenges, we have more than 60 countries and international organisations, our friends and partners. We feel your support and are very grateful for the assistance already provided and expected,” Yuliia Svyrydenko addressed the participants of UMAC-2024.

The organisers have prepared a rich programme for the conference participants in Lausanne: from informative panels to a virtual reality demining demonstration. A number of bilateral meetings are also planned as part of UMAC-2024.

Information and additional materials on UMAC-2024 can be found on the website of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the website of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.

Live streaming of the events is available here.