The Special Envoy of the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention, Prince Mired Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein of Jordan has expressed hope that Sri Lanka would become a strong advocate for the Convention.

The special envoy, who is on a visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Government, called on Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana on Monday (5).
  
“Congratulating Sri Lanka for acceding to the Convention, he expressed hope that  Sri Lanka would become a strong advocate for the Convention,” the foreign ministry tweeted, following the meeting.

Sri Lanka acceded to the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention on 13 December 2017 becoming its 163rd State Party. 

Prince Mired Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein is in Sri Lanka from 5 – 7 March 2018.

During his visit to Sri Lanka, the Special Envoy will also call on President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

He is also scheduled to undertake a field visit to the Northern Province, accompanied by the Minister of Rehabilitation and Resettlement, D.M Swaminathan, where he will witness firsthand the mine clearance activities being carried out and interact with agencies that  clear mines as well as landmine victims.
 
The Special Envoy is expected to meet with the UN Country Team, civil society and other stakeholders to discuss further assistance for mine clearance and mine victims in Sri Lanka. 
 
On Tuesday, the Special Envoy will deliver a lecture at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies on ‘The Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Landmines: Asia’s Opportunities and Challenges’.
  
Since 2004, Prince Mired Raad Zeid Al-Hussein has served as the Chair of Jordan’s National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation. After being appointed in 2009 as the Special Envoy to the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention, he has worked extensively with the UN and member countries to promote the banning of anti- personnel mines, worldwide.