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February 23, 2009

ITF Celebrating 10th Birthday, Devising New Plans

Ljubljana, 19 February (STA) - The Slovenia-led International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) marked its tenth anniversary on Thursday, taking the opportunity to unveil its plans for the future.

According to a press release by the fund, the presence of anti-personnel mines and explosives in SE Europe is decreasing, which is why the ITF plans to adapt its activities. A new strategy for 2009-2013 has been drawn up for this purpose. 

New challenges that the fund wants to tackle in the future include problems that countries face following conflicts, support to reforms in the security sector, disarmament programs, demobilization, reintegration and the fight against violence and terrorism. 

ITF director Goran Gacnik meanwhile said at the fund's ceremony in Ljubljana that the problem of security was expanding to include social issues, the economy, and the environment, and that security could only be provided by stepping up cooperation among international players. 

He noted that international players did not only mean states and international organizations, but increasingly also individual, civil society, and non-state groups. "Threats like terrorism, light arms, international crime, corruption, ecology, increased energy demand coupled with decreasing energy resources and the lack of water also raise question for the ITF and thereby provide guidelines for future development," Gacnk said. 

He added that such guidelines also enjoyed the support of the ITF's founder, the Slovenian government. More than EUR 242 million has been collected for South East Europe through the ITF since 1998. 

ITF has received last year a contribution of 71.500 USD by a former Slovenian Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, with a generous help of readers of this Newsletter. (We thank again to all the donors for their generous contributions!!!) 

More than 91 million of square meters of land has been cleared of mines, and assistance was provided to 965 mine victims, many of whom were able to reintegrate themselves socially and economically as a result, the ITF also said.