Middle East
General Situation
Peace and development in the Middle East are being hampered by a number of enduring armed conflicts such as those in Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen. Manifestations of political instability in the region include protracted displacement, political violence, and human rights violations. Millions of anti-personnel (AP) mines and other explosive remnants of war also threaten the lives of civilians in several countries in the region.
Since 2000, Geneva Call has engaged in an ongoing dialogue in an AP mine ban with armed non-State actors (NSAs) operating in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. As a result, four NSAs in Iran and two in Iraq have signed the Deed of Commitment banning AP mines to date.
Geneva Call has also been working with different actors involved in humanitarian mine action in the region to further promote the AP mine ban. Activities have included mine ban advocacy workshops in Syria and Egypt and the translation of mine action-related documents into Arabic. Facilitating assistance to landmine victims in areas under the influence of NSAs is another priority for Geneva Call in the Middle East.
In an effort to evaluate the need for NSA engagement on gender and child protection issues, Geneva Call is assessing the scope of child recruitment and use, as well as sexual and gender based violence by NSAs in the Middle East.
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