Exhibition "More than Mines"

Ambassador Kaji
Mr. Donat
Ms. Hernandez
Excellencies
Dear schoolchildren
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you today to this unique exhibition on the occasion of the 10th International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. My most sincere thanks go to the Permanent Mission of Japan and the Geneva Office of the United Nations Mine Action Service for making this event possible. I also wish to extend our collective gratitude to all UNMAS teams, both at headquarters and in the field, for the valuable work they do every day to make the world a safer place.

Every year, landmines kill 15,000-20,000 people. Approximately 80% of these are civilians, the majority of whom are women, children and the elderly. Thousands more are severely injured as a result of mine explosions. However, the tragedy does not stop there. The presence of explosive hazards prevents people from going about their daily lives, blocks transport and access routes, limits the supply of essential items such as food and medicines, places constraints on development and peacebuilding efforts and prevents peacekeeping operations from being safely deployed. This year’s theme for the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, More than Mines, brings our attention to this frightening reality that mines, unexploded ordnances and improvised explosive devices pose a much greater threat than meets the eye.

Demining is a key priority for the United Nations. Through efforts by UNMAS, the UN contributes to the safe clearance of hundreds of thousands of mines and other explosive remnants of war every year. We also provide essential assistance to mine victims, contribute to the destruction of mine stockpiles, promote advocacy campaigns for a world free from the threat of landmines and run valuable mine-risk education programmes to help raise awareness of the risks involved.

Geneva makes an important contribution to alleviating and preventing the suffering inflicted by mines through conferences and expert meetings under various mine conventions and interaction with the GICHD (Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining). UNOG provides an essential forum in which Member States and other stakeholders work towards a durable solution to this pervasive problem.

Japan has been a key partner in mine efforts, most recently with its valuable contribution of US $15 million last month to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action to support humanitarian demining in five regions. For this and its ongoing commitment to Mine Action, I wish to extend my profound gratitude to Japan.

Today’s exhibition is unique in its approach to promoting mine awareness. These paintings and drawings help bring those children who are privileged to be distanced from the threat of mines, closer to their peers for whom this is a daily peril. Works like these tell poignant stories that transcend language and cultural barriers and emphasize that we are all victims, physical or emotional, of this global scourge. Achieving a mine-free world requires an ongoing commitment by states, non-state actors and individuals alike. This commitment is one which must continue across generations.

Thank you and enjoy the exhibition.