The International Donor Conference on humanitarian demining in Ukraine, organized by the governments of Croatia and Ukraine in cooperation with the European Commission, begins work in the Croatian capital Zagreb on Wednesday.

"The conference serves as a platform to unite nations and mobilize resources for Ukraine's recovery efforts, starting with the vital task of humanitarian demining," according to the conference materials.

The two-day event will be opened by Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković and Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal (via video conference) in the presence of European Commissioners Janez Lenarčič and Virginijus Sinkevičius.

The key goals of the conference were to present Ukraine's demining needs, share global experience, mobilize resources, present Ukrainian developments in mine action response, use of assistance and international support mechanisms, and ensure transparency and accountability for the use of donor assistance.

A report by the World Bank, the Ukrainian government, the European Commission and the UN estimates the cost of humanitarian demining at more than EUR 34 billion of the EUR 383 billion total cost of reconstruction and recovery, and Ukraine is among the countries in the world most contaminated with mines and explosive remnants of war. However, the full extent of contamination remains unclear due to ongoing hostilities and occupation of the territory.

"With this in mind, the conference endeavours to secure substantial financial commitments from the international community to aid Ukraine's humanitarian demining efforts. These contributions will play a central role in the reconstruction of areas impacted by war, allowing displaced Ukrainians to return home safely and reviving economic and social activities," according to the event materials.

The conference will present best practices from experts around the world, effective mine action strategies and solutions to address Ukraine's unique challenges, and explore innovative strategies from international organizations and funding agencies to generate the necessary resources for Ukraine's comprehensive mine action efforts.

In turn, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko will present the National Mine Action Strategy, and Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko (via video conference) will present an updated picture of mine contamination in Ukraine and the country's mine clearance efforts.

In addition to Ukraine and Croatia, the conference is attended by representatives of more than 30 countries, as well as the UN, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and other international organizations.