UN REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO WORLD FREE OF MINES AND REMNANTS OF WAR

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 4 Apr 2013 11:00:00 -0400
Subject: UN REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO WORLD FREE OF MINES AND REMNANTS OF WAR
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

UN REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO WORLD FREE OF MINES AND REMNANTS OF WAR
New York, Apr 4 2013 11:00AM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated the importance of
eliminating the threat of mines and explosive remnants of war as a
crucial endeavour that advances peace, enables development, supports
nations in transition and saves lives.

"United Nations mine action programmes continue to create space for
humanitarian relief efforts, peace operations and development
initiatives, allowing UN staff to deploy and refugees and internally
displaced persons to return voluntarily to their homes," he said in a
<"http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6713">message to mark
the <em>International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine
Action</em>, marked annually on 4 April.

As highlighted by Mr. Ban, the UN continues to provide wide-ranging
assistance to millions of people in 59 States and six other areas
contaminated by landmines, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, Colombia,
Laos, Lebanon and South Sudan.

"But more progress is needed," he warned, most notably in Syria and
Mali, where the devastating humanitarian impact of the use of
explosive weapons in populated areas is growing.

Between May 2011 and May 2012, at least 4,286 people were killed or
injured in incidents related to mines and explosive remnants of war,
according to the UN Mine Action Service
(<"http://www.mineaction.org/unmas">UNMAS).

Mr. Ban said he was "encouraged" by the 161 States that have agreed
to the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention, which bans the use,
stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. States
who are parties to the Convention also agree to destroy
anti-personnel mines and assist landmine victims.

He also noted the importance of the Convention on Cluster Munitions,
Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War of the Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, and called for universal adherence to these treaties.

Governments of mine-affected countries which receive UN assistance
have the primary responsibility for mine action, UNMAS noted.

There are 14 UN departments, programmes, funds and agencies that
provide various types of services, according to the agency. Some of
these UN bodies target their services to a particular group of
people, such as refugees, or to a special circumstance, such as a
humanitarian crisis.

At the end of 2012, these entities agreed on a new strategy to guide
UN mine action work through 2018. The new strategy includes for the
first time a specific monitoring and evaluation framework to track and
measure UN's work.

The new strategy, Mr. Ban said, "sets out a series of steps towards a
safer world where individuals and communities can pursue
socio-economic development and where survivors are treated as equal
members of their societies."

To mark the Day and highlight 20 years of the International Campaign
to Ban Landmines, a multi-media exhibit, entitled 'For a Mine-Free
World', opens today at UN Headquarters in New York and in parallel in
Geneva. The exhibits include a miniature mine field and UN partner,
Handicap International, will provide demining demonstrations
throughout the day in New York.

The event is organized by Handicap International, medico
international, Solidarity Service International, the Federal Foreign
Ministry of Germany, and UNMAS.

This year also marks 40 years since bombing stopped in the Lao
countryside. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Permanent
Mission of Laos to the UN will mark the date with a launch at UN
Headquarters in New York of a new campaign that includes national
speakers.

"Voices from Laos: Clearing Bombs, Protecting Lives" will travel to
some of the major US cities after leaving New York. According to its
website, the campaign creates a space for dialogue on how individuals
and communities are affected by Viet Nam War-era unexploded ordnance
(UXO) in Laos, how the problem is being addressed in the country, and
ways in which people in the US can help to clear Laos of bombs,
support survivors of accidents, and help to create a safer future.

In Afghanistan, high-level participants from the Government and the
international community will meet in an official ceremony in Kabul.
Afghanistan remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the
world with 80 per cent of landmines and explosive remnants of war on
agricultural land.

In Belgium, the exhibit "LANDMINES: Treacherous weapons" is now open
at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History, among
other events.

In Colombia, the UNMAS demining programme, 'Archangeles,' the
Government and the mine action community carry out national campaigns
around the theme of Lend your Leg, which asks participants to show
support for landmine survivors by rolling up their pant leg in a
symbolic gesture of solidarity with landmine survivors across the
globe that have lost limbs to landmines and unexploded ordnance.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 10 days of Mine Action
have been underway since 25 March. During that time, the Government
launched the National Landmine Contamination Survey (NLCS), and also
declared the province Bas Congo as the first in DRC to be mine-free.

At the African Union Headquarters in Ethiopia, UNMAS and the
regional organization organized an exhibit entitled "Mine Action in
Africa" which includes a demining demonstration.

In Iraq, events include a social media campaign in English and Arabic
to support demining activities in the country.

The UN peacekeeping operation in Lebanon (UNIFIL) today holds a
half-day ceremony honouring demining personnel from
troop-contributing countries: Belgium, Cambodia, China, France, Italy
and Spain. The event includes demonstrations of demining techniques,
with dogs, robots and detectors.

In Somalia, the UNMAS programme there organized two days of events
starting on 3 April, including public demonstrations of mine clearing
and destruction of stockpiled unexploded ordnance, film screenings, a
poetry competition and a basketball game.

The UN peacekeeping operation in South Sudan (UNMISS) organizing a
photo exhibition by photographer Marco Grob, who visited the country
earlier this year. The Mission, along with the Government and their
partners, will also promote the 'Lend your Leg' campaign.
Apr 4 2013 11:00AM
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