On 15 June 2015, Mr. Norachit Sinhaseni, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave an opening remarks at the Bangkok Symposium on Landmine Victim Assistance: Enhancing a Comprehensive and Sustainable Mine Action. Thailand, as a State Party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and a member of the Victim Assistance Committee under the Convention, has jointly organised the symposium in collaboration with the Implementation Support Unit of the Convention during 15-17 June 2015.

         The Permanent Secretary reiterated that humanitarian efforts have always been at the core of Thailand’s foreign policy, and on this issue, Thailand has been a State Party to the Convention since 1999. He mentioned Thailand’s good practices where the link between victim assistance and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) allows the country to begin addressing victim assistance in a more systematic, coordinated, and comprehensive manner, in which the rights and benefits of persons with disabilities from emergency care to long-term rehabilitation are guaranteed.

         Mr. Marc Michielsen, Ambassador of Belgium to Thailand, in his capacity as the Belgian Presidency of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also delivered a speech at the opening session. The Ambassador recalled that Belgium, as one of the first countries to pass national legislation banning anti-personnel landmines and to push for the Anti-Personnel Landmine Ban Treaty in 1999 along with Canada, Austria and Norway, wishes for further universalization of the Convention to achieve a landmine-free world and the victims are taken care of and empowered.

         The Bangkok Symposium highlights that comprehensive and sustainable landmine victim assistance must take into account physical and non-physical challenges faced by landmine survivors living with disabilities. As outlined in the Maputo Action Plan and Maputo+15 Declaration, the health, social welfare, education, employment, development and poverty reduction of victims are all crucial aspects of States Parties’ obligations to fully assist their landmine victims.

          Approximately 100 participants from 34 countries and 9 organizations attended the symposium. The participants consisted of landmine-affected States Parties of the Convention as well as donor states, the United Nations and other international organizations and non-governmental organizations. Panelists and participants discussed and shared their own experiences as well as good practices on mine victim assistance in three sessions of the meeting. A field visit to Surin Province on 16 -17 June in the northeastern region of Thailand will also give participants first-hand experience of humanitarian mine action, comprehensive victim assistance and mine clearance.