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The 16MSP is a formal meeting of the 162 States which are parties to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction. The 16MSP is being held in accordance with Article 11 of the Convention and pursuant to decisions of the 2016 Fifteenth Meeting of the States Parties (15MSP). The 16MSP takes place on the year of the 20th anniversary of the adoption and signature of the Convention and will gather together States Parties and not party to the Convention, interested organisations and members of civil society to assess progress in implementing the Convention’s obligations and discuss how to ensure the promise of a world free of mines is fulfilled. It will further allow States Parties to highlight their achievements in implementing the key objectives of the Convention and their Maputo Action Plan commitments. Austria sees the Convention as a major achievement in ensuring the protection of civilians and has been a staunch supporter of the Convention since its early days. The 16MSP will be presided over by Austria which has strived to ensure cooperation among all States Parties and civil society to achieve tangible results in the implementation of the Convention, thereby making this planet a safer place. |