LASTING
FOOTPRINTS
ABOUT
About the Exhibition
This exhibition shows the manifold negative impact that cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war have on communities around the world. It sheds a light on the people whose lives have been impacted by these weapons or who dedicate their lives to eliminating the threat they pose.
This exhibition is jointly organized by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the GICHD and leads up to the 2nd Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (November 2020) presided over by Switzerland.
The Geneva International Centre
for Humanitarian Demining
The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) works towards keeping communities safe from the risks stemming from explosive ordnance. We support our partners around the world by offering workshops and training courses, developing concepts, methods and tools and promoting the effective and efficient use of resources. Through its work, the Centre supports the ultimate goals of mine action: saving lives and returning land to productive use.
Furthermore, by setting standards & norms and by building local capacities, the Centre contributes to the security of affected communities. The GICHD is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
Switzerland's Engagement in Humanitarian Demining
Switzerland is fully committed to a world without new victims of cluster munitions, mines and explosive remnants of war. It supports the international community’s political action, finances mine action projects in several contexts, and deploys experts in the field to train local staff and reinforce capacities. Each year, around 18 million Swiss francs are invested in mine action. Switzerland is also a founding member of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).
Over the last years, many successes have been achieved globally: stocks of cluster munitions have been destroyed, vast territories have been cleared, international cooperation and assistance have been reinforced and victim assistance recognized as an important obligation. On the political level, the international community now largely considers the use of cluster munitions to be unacceptable. These achievements show that a long-term and joint commitment in the fight against cluster munitions can help to save lives and reduce the threat of these hazards on local populations. Switzerland is presiding over the 2nd Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions which will take place from 23 to 27
November 2020 in Lausanne. The objective is to renew the political relevance of the Convention and to accelerate its implementation.
Switzerland wishes to sincerely thank all actors involved in the fight against cluster munitions, antipersonnel mines and explosive remnants of war. Thanks to their commitment, whole populations can return to their lands safely and build a new future.