The symposium, titled `For a Better Future' is being organised by the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services in cooperation with the Arab Network for Studying the Dangers of Mines, the Operation Emirates Solidarity for Demining Southern Lebanon, the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information and the Canadian Embassy in the UAE.

The symposium will be sponsored by the Sharjah Television and its satellite channel and Dar Al Khaleej Publishing House and will be attended by several Arab and foreign experts who will discuss the impact of mines on environment, and will speak about the victims of land mines and their rights. The speakers will also demonstrate the international and Arab experiences and will highlight the humanitarian role of the UAE in demining areas in Lebanon and Kosovo.

The symposium will be officially inaugurated on Monday at Al Qasba Canal. An exhibition of photographs, stickers and booklets on mines published by various Arab and foreign organisations will be held.

While the opening and the exhibition will take place at Al Qasba Canal, the sessions of the symposium will be held at the Sharjah Millennium Hotel. Besides discussing topics on the environmental and humanitarian impact of mines on countries and people, the discussions will focus on the need for launching awareness campaigns in the Middle East on the hazards of mines, in addition to highlighting the experiences of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Sudan in dealing with the mines problem.

The second day of the symposium will be dedicated to topics concerning the victims of mines and their rights, besides the efforts that can be made to ease their sufferings. A special session will be dedicated for the topic of mines and the remains of war in Iraq. The organisers have prepared an entertainment programme for the guests and participants at the symposium including a dinner at the heritage area, a sight seeing tour of Sharjah's main tourism attractions and cultural and educational landmarks.

According to international reports, the planted mines lead to the killing and injury of hundreds of innocent people every week. Sudan is among the six African countries mostly affected by mines. It is estimated that Sudan lands contain between half a million to two million mines and the number of victims reached 70,000 Sudanese half of them died, while others lost parts of their bodies. Palestine is also suffering from the mines planted by the British occupation and after that by the Israelis in the West Bank.