third seminar of african francophone actors in mine and erw ... - gichd

of the seminar and requested that the methodology applied should be repeated for the next
meeting of this kind.
Organisation and work of the seminar :
• The general organisation (reception, accommodation, food, working conditions) did not meet all
of the participants' expectations. The numerous logistical problems linked to the hotel were
strongly criticised.
• The benefit of the sessions and the quality of the contributions were unanimously mentioned, as
well as the fact that they rendered the seminar interesting but particularly dense and leaving little
room for exchange.
Follow-up of work of the seminar :
Most of the participants desired that the following subjects should receive post-seminar follow-up :
• Assistance with the development of national mine action standards ;
• Assistance with the development of land release projects.
Comments and suggestions :
A large majority of participants expressed great interest in taking part in the work of the seminar and
wished to :
• Repeat the seminar annually with the support of a different host country and, for the next edition,
one that is not in western Africa ;
• Reinforce contacts between the Francophone States by profiting from international meetings and
exchanges resulting from follow-up of the work of the seminar ;
• Develop exchanges of personnel between the different mine action programmes in the goal of
experience acquisition ;
• Increase the participation of the main international donors and the regional organisations in the
work of the subsequent seminars ;
• Propose some themes to be tackled during the next annual seminar :
1. Follow-up and assessment of mine action ;
2. Land release.
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