THIS CONTENT HAS BEEN ARCHIVED

Statement by the Spokesperson on the occasion of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

03.04.2019
Teaser

Statement by the Spokesperson on the occasion of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

Text

On the occasion of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, the European Union reaffirms its strong commitment to support actions addressing the threats of anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war, including improvised explosive devices. For years after a conflict has ended, mines continue to cause dreadful harm, instill fear and stop refugees and internally displaced people from returning to their homes. Mines also continue to strip entire regions of a fair chance of economic recovery and development, and survivors are often condemned to a life of poverty because of their injuries and the lack of rehabilitation services.

To fight against this terrible reality, the European Union is a longstanding major donor for mine action worldwide, providing assistance in various areas ranging from mine clearance, risk education, victims' assistance, stockpile destruction, capacity building, to research and development on mine detection and clearance. In the past five years, we have supported mine action for over €250 million in over 26 mine affected countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, Colombia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Syria, Turkey and Ukraine. We also help mine affected countries to set up or update national strategies for mine clearance and victim assistance, in close cooperation with the United Nations, and other donors and stakeholders. We should always remember that this very difficult and demanding work could not be achieved without the determination and courage of deminers all around the world, who we will always support. 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. The Convention has been joined by 164 states, establishing a strong international norm and generating a tremendously positive impact. Since then, more than 30 formerly contaminated countries have been declared mine-free, more than 50 million stockpiled mines have been destroyed, and the official trade in anti-personnel mines has ceased to exist. These actions have directly resulted in saving many thousands of lives.  

With all its Member States being parties to the Convention, the EU is strongly united in banning the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. The Convention is an example of what the EU stands for: a rules-based international order, rooted in the respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. This is why we urge countries that have not yet done so to accede to the Convention. In view of the 4th Review Conference of the Convention that will take place in Oslo in November this year, the EU together with its Member States will prepare a united position aiming at a strong political message for a mine-free world by 2025 and a concrete action plan on how to achieve this ambitious objective.

Category
Statements by the Spokesperson
Location

Bruxelles

Topics
Security, Defence & Crisis Response
Disarmament, Non-Proliferation, and Arms Export Control
Human Rights & Democracy
Editorial sections
Africa
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Comoros
Congo (Brazzaville)
Côte d'Ivoire
Djibouti
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Tchad
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Asia
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Japan
Lao PDR
Macao
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar (Burma)
Nepal
North Korea
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Türkiye
Vietnam
Europe and Central Asia
Central Asia
Eastern Partnership
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz Republic
Russia
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Eastern Europe
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Georgia
Moldova
Ukraine
Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs)
Anguilla
Aruba
Bermuda
Bonaire
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Falkland Islands
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Greenland
Montserrat
New Caledonia
Pitcairn
Saba
South Georgian and South Sandwich Islands
St Helena
St Pierre and Miquelon
St. Eustatius
St. Maarten
Turks and Caicos Islands
Wallis and Futuna
Western Balkans
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kosovo*
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Serbia
Western Europe
Andorra
Faroe Islands
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Monaco
Norway
San Marino
Switzerland
Vatican City and the Holy See
Latin America & the Caribbean
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint-Kitts and Nevis
Saint-Lucia
Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
Venezuela
Middle East & North Africa (MENA)
Algeria
Bahrain
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Morocco
Oman
Palestine (*) - Occupied Palestinian Territory, West Bank and Gaza Strip
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Tunisia
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
North America
Canada
United States of America
Pacific
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
Aotearoa New Zealand
Niue
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
EEAS
Security, Defence & Crisis Response
Disarmament, Non-Proliferation, and Arms Export Control
Human Rights & Democracy
UN Geneva
UN New York
UN Rome
United Nations (UN)
Vienna - International Organisations