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What Is Mine Action?
"Mine action" includes demining, as well as victim assistance, mine-risk education, destruction of stockpiled landmines and advocating for a world free of the threat of landmines.
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The United States joins in observing April 4 as International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action to help draw attention to the global landmine problem. April 4 was designated as a day of remembrance by UN Resolution A/c.4/60/L.7/rev.1 on November 8, 2005.
April 4 presents another opportunity to remind the public that the global landmine problem still exists while also recognizing that great progress has been made in reducing it," remarked Dr. John Hillen, the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs. "Through the concerted efforts of governments and private citizens, a world free from the humanitarian impact of landmines is coming closer to reality.
Landmines are cruel instruments of war. Decades after conflicts havereceded, these invisible killers lie silently in the ground, waiting to murder and maim.Through them, 20th century battles claim 21st century victims, with new casualties addedevery hour.
A single landmine - or even the fear of its presence - can hold an entirecommunity hostage. It can prevent farmers from growing crops, refugees from returninghome, even children from playing. It blocks the delivery of humanitarian relief andimpedes the deployment of peacekeepers. In post-conflict societies landmines remain one ofthe greatest impediments to rebuilding and renewal.
Since the anti-personnel mine-ban treaty opened for signature 10 years ago, 153 countries have ratified or adhered to it. About 40 million stockpiled anti-personnel landmines have been destroyed. Production, sale and transfer of anti-personnel mines have almost stopped. Large mined areas have been cleared. Victims are receiving more and better assistance, rehabilitation and reintegration. A system has been put into practice for assisting the Parties in fulfilling treaty obligations.
In another important step forward, the 32 States parties to the new Protocol Five to the Certain Conventional Weapons Convention will meet for the first time in November to consider how best to address the devastating humanitarian hazard of explosive remnants of war.
And the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities -- the fastest negotiated international human rights text in history -- opened for signature on 30 March 2007. Its objective is to ensure all human rights for all persons, regardless of their disabilities.
What Is Mine Action?
Mine action entails more than removing landmines from the ground. It includes actions ranging from teaching people how to protect themselves from danger in a mine-affected environment to advocating for a mine-free world.
Mine action is not just about landmines. In many countries, unexploded ordnance, or UXO, poses an even greater threat to people's safety. UXO comprises bombs, mortars, grenades, missiles or other devices that fail to detonate on impact but remain volatile and can kill if touched or moved. Some of the main sources of UXO are cluster bombs. Today, mine-action programmes typically address problems of landmines, UXO and "explosive remnants of war," which includes UXO and "abandoned ordnance," or weapons left behind by armed forces when they leave an area.
There are five aspects or "pillars" of mine action:
- Removing and destroying landmines and explosive remnants of war and marking or fencing off areas contaminated with them.
- Mine-risk education to help people understand the risks they face, identify mines and explosive remnants of war and learn how to stay out of harm's way.
- Medical assistance and rehabilitation services to victims, including job skills training and employment opportunities.
- Advocating for a world free from the threat of landmines and encouraging countries to participate in international treaties and conventions designed to end the production, trade, shipment or use of mines and to uphold the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Helping countries destroy their stockpiles of mines as required by international agreements, such as the 1999 anti-personnel mine-ban treaty.
Landmines and explosive remnants of war affect at least 78 countries and injure or kill between 15,000 and 20,000 people annually.
Where It Happens?
The United Nations supports mine action in 30 countries and three territories. In some cases, UN services may be limited to one aspect of mine action—such as mine-risk education or victim assistance. In other places, the United Nations may be involved in every aspect of mine action, from clearing landmines to destroying stockpiled ones. The extent of the United Nations' involvement depends on the scope of the problem, the amount of assistance requested by national governments, and on any special circumstances, such as large-scale movement of refugee populations or the need to deliver relief supplies to isolated mine-affected communities.
Who Pays For It?
United Nations mine action is funded in part through contributions to the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action. The trust fund was established in 1994 primarily to finance missions to assess the scope of countries' problems with landmines and explosive remnants of war, UN Mine Action Service-managed field operations, and UNMAS' coordination and advocacy services.
Contributions to the trust fund, which UNMAS manages, totaled more than US$394 million from 1994 through 2007.
In addition, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) mobilizes its own resources for mine action. Between August 2003 and August 2004, UNDP raised more than $70 million. About $30 million of that amount was raised through the organization's Thematic Trust Fund for Crisis Prevention and Recovery.
The Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign of the UN Association of the United States helped increase individuals' and civic groups' involvement in the campaign to rid the world of landmines. Adopt-a-Minefield had so far raised more than $10 million for mine action in six countries. These funds have been supplemented by contributions from the Better World Fund and the United States.
In addition to funding from governments, international organizations and UN associations, mine-action programmes rely on funding raised by numerous non-profit organizations, such as the California-based Roots-of-Peace, whose Pennies for Peace and other fund-raising initiatives are helping remove landmines from countries such as Afghanistan and Croatia.
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