“For a Mine-Free World”

Ambassador Hoffman
Mr. Laurie
Dr. Richardier
Mr. Alizada
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this event, marking 20 years of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Permanent Mission of Germany to the Conference on Disarmament and to UNMAS, the United Nations Mine Action Service, for making this exhibition possible.

It is clear that a world free of landmines and other explosive remnants of war cannot be achieved by any one entity alone. Partnerships between the United Nations, governments and civil society are critical to making this aspiration a reality.
Handicap International, medico international and Solidarity Service International (SODI) are important actors in this regard and I would like to thank them as well, for contributing to this exhibition.

It is significant that we showcase this key issue in Geneva, at the Palais des Nations, where many actors work on critical disarmament issues. As delegates, visitors and staff walk through this virtual minefield to attend meetings and go about their daily work, they will pause for a moment to reflect on the dangers posed to ordinary citizens around the world as they too go about their daily lives.

The challenges are clear. Every year, landmines kill 15,000 to 20,000 people - most of them children, women and the elderly - and severely injure countless more. Present in some 78 countries, they are an ongoing reminder of conflicts which have been over for years or even decades. In addition to the damage inflicted on civilians, landmines disrupt social services, threaten food security, and hinder the return and resettlement of refugees and displaced persons.

The delivery and distribution of humanitarian assistance for emergency situations are also affected when mines prevent or slow down provision of relief supplies.

While challenges remain, much has been accomplished. Today, some 14 UN agencies, programmes, departments and funds are active on the ground in mine-related services. They find and destroy landmines and explosive remnants of war, assist victims, teach people how to remain safe in mine-affected areas, and destroy stockpiles. They also encourage universal participation in the 1997 Mine-Ban Convention, to which there are now 161 States Parties. The Convention itself is the result of a cohesive and strategic partnership between civil society, governments, international organizations and the United Nations, and sets an example for us all.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As we experience this exhibition, let us reflect on the important work that has been done by civil society and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, as well as the rest of the international community, in moving us all closer to a mine-free world.

Thank you very much.