The Swiss Campaign to Ban Landmines (SCBL) recently attended the Second Review Conference of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, named the "Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World", held in Cartagena, Colombia between the 30th of November and the 4th of December 2009.

Prior to the conference, the SCBL advocated for the importance of mainstreaming gender in mine action:

Articles highlighting gender sensitive mine action were written and published, and letters were sent to State Parties and major donor countries, urging them to make gender sensitive statements at the Summit.  

During the week preceding the Summit, two workshops on gender in mine action were succesfully organised in Colombia, in Bogotá and Cartagena respectively. Representatives from more than ten Colombian women's organisations working in conflict affected areas and other Colombian and international organisations attended the workshops. The main aim was to introduce the significance of gender sensitive mine action, through presentations, group work and discussions, and to relate the topic specifically to the Colombian context. The majority of the women's organisations had not previously been involved in mine action activities, but they displayed a great deal of interest in getting more involved in the future. 

The Gender and Mine Action Programme Manager and Officer attended the Cartagena Summit and successfully co-organised with the United Nations Mine Action Team (UNMAT) and ICBL a side event on "What Is Gender Sensitive Mine Action? Good Practices and Lessons Learned from Field Programmes". The side event was attended by more than 70 mine action practitioners and States Parties representatives. It served as a great opportunity to highlight good practices of gender sensitive mine action and to share experiences through presentations and discussions.

Over 1,000 delegates expressed their shared commitment to a mine free world at the Cartagena Summit, and more than 100 State Parties to the Convention adopted the Cartagena Action Plan, setting out future strategies and objectives for 2009 - 2014. These actions will be instrumental in overcoming the remaining challenges to reach the goal of a world free from anti-personnel mines. The Cartagena Action Plan includes several gender sensitive actions and objectives. More recognition has therefore been given to the significance of mainstreaming gender in mine action since the Nairobi Action Plan was adopted in 2004. The SCBL's Gender and Mine Action Programme will monitor the implementation of the Cartagena Action Plan in the years to come, through advocacy and campaign work, to ensure that the promises are kept and the objectives are realised.