General Assembly Session 53 meeting 60

The Acting President

I give the floor to the representative of Austria to introduce draft resolution A/53/L.28.

Mr. Sucharipa (Austria)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. In addition, the Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union -- Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia -- and the associated country, Cyprus, as well as the European Free Trade Association countries members of the European Economic Area -- Iceland and Liechtenstein -- align themselves with this statement.

The agenda item under discussion today, "Assistance in mine clearance", focuses our attention on the humanitarian tragedy of the use of anti-personnel landmines. Every year, these mines maim or kill more than 20,000 people, particularly women and children and those living off the land. Peacekeeping, peace-building and rehabilitation and reconstruction in post-conflict situations are often rendered extremely difficult by the presence of anti-personnel mines. The devastating social, economic and environmental impact of anti-personnel mines and their detrimental effects on the creation of conditions conducive to sustainable development is well documented.

Although the overall ratio between newly laid mines and mines cleared has somewhat improved, in some areas continued use of these weapons sometimes renders mine-clearance efforts almost futile. We are still confronted with the fact that millions of landmines are scattered through more than 60 countries and that efforts to clear these mines are frustrated by the laying of new mines.

Significant human and financial resources are being devoted by the international community to assistance in mine action. An integrated and holistic approach, including the development of national mine-action capacities by affected countries, mine awareness programmes and victim assistance, should allow for effective and efficient demining programmes. The newly coined expression "mine action" stands for this endeavour.

The primary responsibility for mine action lies with the parties responsible for the laying of mines. The extent to which the international community should be called upon to provide assistance in mine action must take into account the capacity of the parties involved to take on these obligations themselves. In this regard, the commitment to renounce the use of anti-personnel mines is of particular importance.

We have witnessed several important developments in the field of mine action in recent months. The European Union welcomed the opening for signature in Ottawa on 3 and 4 December 1997 of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, and the efforts made by its signatories to promote universal accession to the Convention. We are pleased that more than 130 countries have now signed and that the Convention will enter into force on 1 March 1999.

On the eve of the Ottawa Conference, the European Union Council of Ministers adopted, on 28 November 1997, a new Joint Action on anti-personnel landmines, in which the Union reiterates its commitment and establishes a common moratorium on the production and transfers of anti-personnel landmines. All European Union member States shall take appropriate steps to comply with the objectives of the Ottawa Convention pending its entry into force and undertake to participate actively in the conferences to be organized after the signature of the Convention. In addition, the Union shall seek to promote, in all appropriate forums, including the Conference on Disarmament, all efforts likely to contribute to the Joint Action objectives.

The European Union looks forward to the entry into force on 3 December 1998 of the amended Protocol II to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects. It calls upon all States that have not yet done so to become parties to the Convention and the protocols attached thereto, and in particular to the amended Protocol II.

Assistance in mine action, including mine awareness, training, surveying, mine detection, mine clearance and victim assistance, should be guided by the principles of national ownership, sustainability and capacity-building. Substantial resources are needed to realize our goal of a world free of anti-personnel landmines. The Union believes that, in order to allocate and use more efficiently the resources made available in the fight against anti-personnel landmines, improved international coordination is essential. The Union supports the central coordinating role of the United Nations in the field of humanitarian mine action worldwide and welcomes the creation of the United Nations Mine Action Service, as well as all efforts to achieve a more coherent response within the United Nations and beyond to the challenge posed by the many millions of anti-personnel landmines.

We welcome the report of the Secretary-General, in which he outlines the challenges posed by the scourge of landmines as well as the United Nations response to these challenges. We underline our support for the activities of the United Nations Mine Action Service and for the policy developed by the Secretary-General in the annex to his report, entitled "Mine action and effective coordination: United Nations policy", which encapsulates the key principle on which United Nations mine action is based and clarifies the roles and responsibilities within the United Nations system.

The European Union continues to commit important resources to the international mine-action effort. The European Union Joint Action on anti-personnel landmines sets out the framework for specific actions and financial contributions by the Union to mine action. From 1993 to 1997, the Union contributed $140 million to mine action. This amount does not include individual contributions by the European Union member States. In 1998, the Union plans to increase its already considerable efforts by earmarking another $60 million for mine action. This makes the European Union the world's major donor in this area as well. It is in this spirit that the Union confirms its intention to continue working actively to promote the efforts of the international community towards the complete elimination of anti-personnel landmines.

In conclusion, let me, in the name of the European Union and all other co-sponsors, introduce the draft resolution entitled "Assistance in mine action", contained in document A/53/L.28. I would announce additional co-sponsors at this stage: Bangladesh, Colombia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Ukraine and Vanuatu. We hope that this draft resolution will receive the broad support it merits and will be adopted by consensus. That would provide a clear indication of the international community's commitment to dealing effectively with the issue of mine action.

Mr. Jayanama (Thailand)

On behalf of the Thai delegation, I wish to commend the Secretary-General for his report on assistance in mine clearance. This comprehensive report provides a valuable survey of the pernicious problem of landmines worldwide. It also presents a useful overview of mine action currently being pursued under United Nations programmes and by related agencies, as well as the remaining tasks required of us before this deadly scourge can be eliminated once and for all.

As a mine-affected developing country, Thailand understands all too well the terrible toll anti-personnel landmines take on individuals and on societies, in our own and in neighbouring countries. While neither a producer nor an exporter of landmines, Thailand nevertheless suffers acutely from the problem. Landmines infest 797 square kilometres of Thai territory, affecting 17 border provinces of the country. Our people did not sow these seeds of death and disability, yet they have borne the consequences in terms of life and limb, livestock and property.

In the past, Thailand tried to address the landmine problem on its own, using its own personnel and drawing upon its own resources. The Royal Thai Army has been able to remove about 2,500 to 3,000 mines per year along the border and has also extended itself to assist mine-clearing activities in other affected countries. We are pleased to have provided active assistance in demining efforts in Cambodia, bilaterally as well as multilaterally, through the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia. In 1992 and 1993, we despatched two Thai engineering battalions into Cambodia to clear landmines on Route No. 5 from Poipet to Battambang, providing a safe return home for hundreds of thousands of Cambodians. They have now been reintegrated into and are taking part in everyday life in Cambodia. These encouraging results have strengthened even further our commitment to the cause of combating landmines, not only in South-East Asia, but throughout the world.

Thailand joins the international community in its efforts to strengthen international cooperation on mine action. We are proud to be a signatory to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction, signed in Ottawa last December. We are particularly satisfied that the Ottawa Convention has provided a legal framework for international assistance, since the tasks of banning landmines and rendering assistance to mine activities continue to be a heavy burden for mine-affected developing countries with limited financial and technical resources. For the fact is that it costs less than $10 to plant a landmine, but more than a hundred times as much to clear one. In this context, we strongly believe that concerted international efforts should not be confined to the banning of landmines, but should also include financial and technical assistance to mine-affected countries, specifically for mine clearance and humanitarian assistance to victims and survivors of landmines.

Domestically, Thailand is in the process of creating a legal and institutional framework that complements international efforts on mine action. We have taken the necessary legal steps to speedily ratify the Convention and hope to obtain Cabinet approval this month, which would enable us to attend the first meeting of the States parties to the Ottawa Convention, scheduled to be held in Maputo in May 1999. Our draft mine-action plan includes demining training, the destruction of anti-personnel landmines in our stock and the elimination of anti-personnel landmines in the ground within 10 years. This is expected to be considered and adopted by Thailand's National Committee on Anti-personnel Landmine Management this month.

But as always, such intensive efforts will require more than putting in place the necessary mechanism. In terms of personnel, demining and stockpile destruction will require about four battalions and three companies of army and marine engineers. The budget for these activities alone is estimated at about 1 billion baht, or $27.4 million, for the Thai military authorities and police combined. If we include mine awareness activities and assistance for victims of landmines, which are being incorporated into this comprehensive mine-action plan, it is evident that mine action is an extremely costly undertaking, particularly for a developing country in economic crisis such as Thailand.

While assistance from donor countries remains important, national efforts must be encouraged. At the International Forum on Demining and Victim Assistance, held at Phnom Penh in October this year, Thailand made clear its position that the most viable long-term solution to the landmines problem lies in capacity-building, so that mine-affected countries can become effective and self-reliant in clearing landmines. Thailand is pleased that the Cambodian Mine Action Centre has played a very active role in this regard. For its part, Thailand is also in the process of establishing a Thailand Mine Action Centre and looks forward to forging strong bilateral, trilateral and multilateral cooperation with our partners and the international community in providing technical assistance to mine-affected countries.

We also believe that an international focal point should be created to coordinate all mine action by the United Nations and its agencies. At present, United Nations efforts to address landmines fall under the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Thus, a mine-affected country can receive landmine assistance from the United Nations only if that country is also a theatre of United Nations peacekeeping operations. Thailand is of the view that, in order for all mine-affected countries to obtain United Nations assistance on landmines, regardless of whether or not peacekeeping operations are present, the issue of mine action should come under the framework of humanitarian assistance, which is, after all, what mine action is all about.

The issue of landmines is another reminder that the international community still has some way to go before it can protect the innocent from suffering in the wake of war and conflict. The efforts under way to rid the world of landmines are encouraging, but they will have to be sustained through the commitment of all concerned. Thailand pledges to do its utmost, by itself and in conjunction with its partners and the international community, to ensure that the fields and jungles of South-East Asia are made safe from landmines for the sake of our own and future generations.

Mr. Konishi (Japan)

We are pleased to note that in the course of the past 12 months, the international community has made progress in establishing a legal framework for the prohibition of landmines. The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction was opened for signature in Ottawa on 3 December last year, and Japan became the forty-fifth contracting party when it presented its instrument of acceptance to the United Nations on 30 September this year. The Convention will enter into force on 1 March 1999. The fact that 133 countries have signed and 50 have ratified the Convention in less than a year reflects a recognition on the part of the international community of the urgent need to tackle the problems caused by landmines. On the other hand, a new treaty is now under consideration in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva that would prohibit the transfer of anti-personnel landmines. Japan intends to make further contributions to the effort to open negotiations.

It has been estimated that even if we assume that no new mines will be laid, it would take many decades at the present pace of clearing 100,000 landmines a year to complete the job. That the landmine is an inhumane weapon is clear, as it maims and kills indiscriminately. Its victims are often civilians, and the weak and poor are always the hardest hit. In fact, one of every five victims is under 15 years of age. I should like to take this opportunity to mention that Japan is going to host in Tokyo this week a symposium on children and armed conflict with the participation of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Olara Otunnu.

Landmines not only cause inhumane suffering, but also hinder peace-building, as they remain hidden even after peace accords are drawn up. A recent report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees referred to the landmines placed in cars and wells by the withdrawing Serbian forces in Kosovo, which hindered returnees trying to resettle. United Nations and other humanitarian personnel on the ground are often denied passage to their destinations due to mines, to which they themselves have also sometimes fallen victim.

In the long term, the existence of mines, or even the fear that they lie hidden in the ground, prevents the farmer from working his field. They deprive him of his livelihood and prevent his community as a whole from achieving economic development and prosperity.

Thus, mines not only inflict inhuman suffering upon innocent people but also obstruct peace and reconciliation. Moreover, they hinder economic and social development. My delegation would like to join others in supporting and sponsoring the resolution just introduced by the representative of Austria, entitled "Assistance in mine action".

To tackle the complex problems related to mines, initiatives have been taken in different countries. In our view, the international community is at the stage now when it must actually take concrete action, while at the same time pursuing effective coordination of the efforts already in progress. The assumption of mine-action responsibilities by the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, in order to enhance coordination, is a step forward. Japan intends to make financial contributions to the United Nations Mine Action Service to build its capacity to carry out its coordinating function.

Last month Cambodia convened at Phnom Penh a meeting on mine action, the International Forum on Demining and Victim Assistance. Since some of the outcomes of that meeting are useful in examining the concrete steps to be taken, I should like to take this opportunity to share them with the Assembly.

The Forum was held with the participation of 10 mine-affected countries, 18 donor countries and 11 international organizations, as well as 10 non-governmental organizations, and was hosted by the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) in cooperation with the Government of Japan. CMAC was originally set up under the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia and was subsequently transferred to the authority of the Government of Cambodia. The main purpose of the Forum was to provide mine-affected countries with an opportunity to learn from the experience of CMAC. Therefore, it is an example of South-South cooperation, or, to put it in another way, triangular cooperation. It was agreed in March last year at the Tokyo Conference on Anti-personnel Landmines that the maximum use should be made of this form of cooperation, which we believe is quite effective. The most significant results of the Phnom Penh Forum included the following.

First, participants in the Forum reconfirmed the importance of ownership by mine-affected countries, and their partnership with the international community in conducting mine action activities. National ownership means mine-affected countries should strive to build up their capacity to deal with mine problems in a sustainable way by making mine action a key component of their development plans. In other words, demining, for instance, should be linked to the development and reconstruction of the mine-affected countries.

Secondly, delegates spent one day at the CMAC training centre viewing demonstrations of its mine-action capabilities. Discussions in the Forum indicate a willingness on the part of mine-action centres in different countries to exchange information. It was suggested that worldwide mine activities would be served best if a focal point were designated.

Thirdly, it emerged from the discussions at the Forum that the goal of mine-action activities was not to clear mines but to reduce the risk caused by mines, so that people could engage in normal activities in their communities. When the ultimate goal is "zero victims", risk reduction and area reduction, that is to say, identifying areas where mines are not laid and liberating them for farming, are as important as mine clearance itself.

Fourthly, it was suggested that it was crucial for any mine-affected country to be capable of sustaining any technology provided to it, that the technology must arrive along with the capital needed for both evaluation and eventual operation and that we should be cautious of an overcommercialization of mine-action activities.

Finally, regarding assistance for victims, it was suggested that a holistic and social approach was needed, including vocational training and provision of employment opportunities.

Japan sincerely hopes that meetings such as the Phnom Penh Forum will provide a model for how the international community, and particularly mine-affected countries, can cope effectively with mine problems by engaging in information-sharing and cooperation. As we stated at the Ottawa Convention Signing Conference, Japan will extend approximately 10 billion yen, or $80 million, over the five years beginning in 1998, in support of mine clearance and victim assistance. I should like to take this opportunity to announce that this year Japan will make a financial contribution of $2.12 million to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund in support of United Nations mine action.

As the twenty-first century fast approaches, we must redouble our efforts in mine action so that we do not bequeath an earth contaminated by landmines to the next generation. In this last decade of the twentieth century -- late, but better than never -- awareness has grown of the seriousness of the problem and the need to take action to reduce the damage that landmines inflict. We must now step up our cooperation in order to put our ideas into practice.

Ms. Clapp (United States)

The United States places great importance on the draft resolution before us today, "Assistance in mine action". We deplore the terrible legacy of modern warfare, these hidden killers that destroy people's lives and livelihoods. We are committed to bringing this to an end. Although the landmine crisis continues to loom large, in the past year much progress has been made.

First, let me congratulate Canada for the ratification by more than 40 countries of the Ottawa Convention, which will enter into force in March 1999. Although the United States is not yet able to sign the treaty, our commitment to global humanitarian demining is one of the longest running. Not only are we working with the international community to realize our shared goal of a world where landmines do not threaten civilians, we have been a leader in bilateral assistance to mine-affected countries. The United States currently supports demining assistance programmes in 24 countries, with more under consideration for next year.

Last October, Secretary of State Albright and Secretary of Defense Cohen launched President Clinton's Demining 2010 Initiative, seeking to eliminate the threat of landmines to civilians by the year 2010. In announcing this ambitious goal, we recognized that two factors would be critical to its success. First, the international community would have to join together to coordinate its efforts on a much greater scale than we have yet seen. Secondly, it would require an annual investment worldwide on the magnitude of $1 billion, or roughly five times what the world was spending on demining at that time. In both respects, we have made major strides over the past year.

Several major international conferences, hosted by Japan, Canada, Germany, Norway, Denmark and the United States, have been coordinated and designed to develop a solid roadmap for proceeding towards the goal of 2010. We now have a remarkable degree of international consensus on what needs to be done, how to do it and how to organize ourselves to do it.

The United Nations has become the focal point of international coordination for mine action. We applaud the formation of the United Nations Mine Action Service to serve this purpose. We also applaud Norway for convening the Mine Action Support Group, comprising the principal 20 donor Governments to support the United Nations Mine Action Service and promote coordination between the United Nations and major donor Governments. That Group met yesterday for a very productive meeting, reinforced by participation by experts from capitals.

Through the efforts of the United Nations Mine Action Service and the donor Governments, a number of international efforts are already under way. The Mine Action Service has completed assessments in a number of mine-affected countries, and an international consortium of non-governmental organizations will soon begin level-one surveys in those countries. Switzerland has established the International Centre for Humanitarian Demining in Geneva, to serve as a central repository for information gathered under United Nations coordination and to provide a link with mine action centres in mine-affected countries. This will help the international community set priorities for mine clearance and coordinate activity on the ground.

Developing new ways to engage the private sector in humanitarian demining is a critical part of the United States effort. Our Government has been working with a number of private partners to use their creative talents and resources to help conquer the landmine problem. Several noteworthy projects are already under way. With its Adopt-a-Minefield programme, the United Nations Association of the United States has developed an important new model for public-private partnership, working hand in hand with the United Nations. The Australian Government has recently announced its Destroy-a-Minefield programme, and we commend it for this vital new activity. This year, our oldest public-private partnership, between the Department of Defense, DC Comics and the United Nations Children's Fund resulted in a mine-awareness comic book in Spanish, featuring Superman and Wonder Woman for the children of Central America, where the United States works with the Organization of American States in mine clearance. This is a follow-up to the successful Superman mine-awareness comic book for the children of Bosnia, which was produced earlier. The next project of this sort will be a Portuguese-language comic book for Mozambique and, eventually, Angola.

Similarly, the Marshall Legacy Institute has initiated a canine corps in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States, the United Nations Development Programme, DC Comics and the Department of State. Designed to expand the use of dogs in mine detection, the canine corps promises to develop into a major programme worldwide, supported largely by private resources. As we know from experience in Afghanistan, dogs have proved more effective than humans in mine detection under many conditions.

We hope the success of these examples will encourage similar efforts in other countries to bring more private resources into humanitarian demining. We believe that a significant infusion of private resources will be required to reach the goals of 2010 and the Ottawa Convention.

In the end, it will take everyone's help to end the threat landmines pose to innocent civilians. Without sufficient resources and coordination, anti-personnel landmines will continue to maim and kill innocent civilians, prevent refugees from resettling and returning home and inhibit the productive use of fertile land. This social, economic and humanitarian scourge must be stopped.

Ms. Matlary (Norway)

Anti-personnel landmines are weapons of terror. The Norwegian Government shares the deep concern of the world community with respect to the use of anti-personnel mines in conflict areas. The primary victims of these mines -- there are still tens of thousands of victims every year -- continue to be unarmed civilians, particularly children and women. Anti-personnel landmines have devastating effects by making large areas in many countries inaccessible for decades. In countries such as Angola, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Bosnia and Mozambique, mines represent a serious obstacle to the process of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction. They are a threat to human security.

The Ottawa Convention to ban the production, transfer and use of anti-personnel mines in many ways broke new ground. It was inspired and carried forward by means of a new diplomacy in a partnership between States, international organizations and non-governmental organizations. This partnership provides the needed platform from which to address the landmine problem in an integrated, multifaceted and comprehensive manner. Mine action constitutes a set of interrelated activities, including risk-reduction measures, such as mine awareness and mapping, as well as humanitarian demining, rehabilitation and assistance for the reintegration of victims.

We welcome the Secretary-General's comprehensive report to the General Assembly on assistance in mine clearance and the attached United Nations policy document on mine action and effective coordination. The report indicates that the spirit of the Convention will serve as a guideline to mine-action activities. The Convention will enter into force on 1 March next year. That is in itself a remarkable achievement. The first meeting of States parties, in May, will be a significant political manifestation which will strengthen the universalization of the Treaty. In this regard, the Government of Norway urges countries that have signed the treaty to ratify it as soon as possible.

For more than 10 years Norway has been active in mine-action activities around the world, both through the United Nations system and through bilateral programmes involving non-governmental organizations such as Norwegian People's Aid. At the Signing Conference in Ottawa in December last year, Norway made a commitment of contributing $120 million over a five-year period to mine action. We are prepared to work closely with the United Nations Mine Action Service and the United Nations organizations within their respective areas in responding to the humanitarian challenges, both in terms of cooperation on specific matters and as regards strategic questions relating to the humanitarian provisions of the landmine Convention. Although priority is given to funding mine-action programmes in countries that are committed to the objectives of the Convention, exceptions will be made on humanitarian grounds.

As we speak, massive efforts to rid the world of these indiscriminate weapons are being undertaken in the field by the United Nations, by other international organizations and by national institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations. However, both the inputs and outputs of our work need to be further improved through increased efforts regarding coordination at all levels, data-gathering systems, transfer of competence and further strengthening of national capacities, rehabilitation and reintegration of landmine survivors, effective use of existing technology and further development of new technology and constant development of methodology and standards.

At the international workshop in Ottawa on mine-action coordination earlier this year there was widespread support in favour of the United Nations as the focal point for global mine action. Consequently, we welcome the establishment of the United Nations Mine Action Service as a means to strengthen coordination within the United Nations system, while also serving as a focal point in the international arena for mine action. We urge that sufficient and predictable funding be provided to the Mine Action Service for its coordination role. The need to develop national ownership and strong national coordination and to build sustainable national capacities will continue to be important as well. New technology in demining is also needed, a technology that will have to meet the requirements of the end user in being affordable, appropriate and accessible.

A prerequisite for good coordination is to have a clear picture of the current status of the landmine problem. The Norwegian Government is of the view that more resources will have to be allocated to activities which will result in well-documented information. Data-gathering is therefore crucial. The assessment missions undertaken and planned for next year by the United Nations, the establishment of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, and the Survey Contact Group established by major mine-action non-governmental organizations, as well as the Landmine Monitor initiative of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines are important tools in that respect.

The holistic approach outlined in the United Nations international survey standard presented by the Mine Action Service, and the statement of principles for survey activities by the Survey Contact Group, fall well within our conception of a template for how survey operations can be conducted. The template must be flexible in order to be applicable to the wide range of scenarios in which mine-action programmes are implemented.

In addition to identifying the consequences of anti-personnel landmines, the survey reports must be accompanied by comprehensive plans of action containing a list of priorities and the costs attached. Such information should be made available to all actors involved in mine action and is to be channelled through the Mine Action Service in order to secure coordination and continuation.

Although we see a need for further development of demining technology, we want to point out the risks inherent in funding research and development at the expense of neglecting mine action conducted with present technology. The techniques and methodology the deminers use today have an important effect on thousands of lives in mine-afflicted countries around the world, so this activity must go on at an unimpeded pace.

The need for special attention to the victims of anti-personnel mines, from rehabilitation to effective long-term social and economic reintegration, is of particular importance. This has been explicitly recognized in the Ottawa Convention. However incomplete the information is, we know that the needs are enormous. Only through a concerted approach will we be able to assist those whose lives have been so tragically altered by the use of landmines. There is a growing awareness by the international community that the global landmine crisis has far-reaching consequences and thus requires a multifaceted and integrated response. The key now is to move from a general discussion to setting priorities and to ensuring the best possible use of available resources for sustainable action at the country level.

Ms. Wensley (Australia)

Australia remains determined to achieve a comprehensive and lasting solution to the global landmines problem. The conclusion of the Ottawa Convention banning landmines was a major step towards the achievement of a global ban on landmines, and my Government looks forward to ratifying the Convention as an original State party by the time it enters into force next March.

Obviously, however, this is not the end of the story. As all have stated, further work is needed, given the vast numbers of landmines still in the ground and still being laid, and the fact that a number of countries central to the landmines issue remain outside the Ottawa Convention.

Australia will continue to work with others to secure the establishment of complementary negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on a ban on landmines transfers. Such a ban, if adopted by major traditional producers of and traders in landmines that have not signed the Ottawa Convention, would represent another important step forward.

Australia has also ratified the amended landmines Protocol -- Protocol II -- to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. We continue to encourage all States that have not yet done so to become parties to the Convention and to the amended Protocol. We are active in promoting adherence to the amended Protocol in our own region, particularly by those States not in a position to adhere to the Ottawa Convention.

Demining also remains a priority for the Australian Government. To achieve the objectives of our aid programme, with its unambiguous focus on poverty alleviation, demining will be particularly important in some countries. At the same time, scrutiny will be applied increasingly to existing and proposed programmes to ensure their appropriateness, their effectiveness in reaching those most in need and their progress in enhancing local capacity.

We have spent around 35 million Australian dollars on mine action in recent years, and we have committed ourselves to spending $A 100 million by the year 2005. Our demining assistance is focused on four of the countries most heavily affected by mines and unexploded ordnance, namely, Cambodia, Laos, Angola and Mozambique. In addition to this direct demining assistance, Australia continues to address some of the broader problems exacerbated by the presence of landmines. For instance, Cambodia is a major recipient of Australian food aid -- food that is required partly as a result of arable land being heavily mined, as just described so graphically by the representative of Japan.

Most of Australia's assistance is for direct mine-clearing activities. This includes support for surveys and clearance using detectors, sniffer dogs and, to a limited degree, mechanical clearance devices. Australian Defence Force personnel have also provided demining assistance to a number of countries. This year we will provide a core contribution to the United Nations Mine Action Service to support its key role of coordination. It is crucial that donor activities be properly coordinated and matched with the priority needs of communities. It is important also that the Mine Action Service have enough resources to ensure that effective surveys are carried out to establish the location of mines and the priority areas for demining; that communities be educated about the danger of mines; that new technology be developed to speed up the demining process; and that the victims of mines receive the treatment and the rehabilitation that they need. We must work energetically and collectively to ensure that the pleasingly expanding pool of donor resources for demining and related activities is coordinated in a way that maximizes the impact in the field. In that respect, I endorse absolutely the statement by the representative of Norway on the subject of coordination.

The ultimate goal of Australia's demining assistance is to build local capacity in affected countries to implement and, above all, to sustain demining programmes. We recognize that the achievement of this goal requires a long-term commitment, particularly given the fact that many of the most heavily mine-affected States have been weakened institutionally and financially, often through years of conflict. This goal of sustainability for Australia's assistance is realized through support for both institutional and technical development within counterpart organizations, initial support for recurrent costs, the provision of appropriate technology and, finally, very careful targeting of our technical assistance.

Landmines are a long-term problem for many, many countries and while foreign technical inputs are often crucial in the formative stages of demining programmes, it is vital that processes be put in place from the very earliest stages of programmes to build and to empower local organizations to manage their own demining programmes as soon as possible. Lessons also need to be learned about the best ways to increase the awareness of communities living in mine-affected areas. Particular focus needs to be given to reaching the most vulnerable groups in communities in danger. It is Australia's view that, in the search for better outcomes, none of these important elements of effective demining programmes should be overlooked.

It is also our view that we cannot become complacent, believing that all that can be done is being done. There will be a continuing need to review and to refine our approaches, to coordinate better, to target more effectively and to search for new, better-adapted technology. On this last subject, Australia is very pleased that the new technology that we originated is now helping speed up the rate of demining in Cambodia, in Bosnia, in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Moreover, in order to keep up the momentum and to maintain the flow of resources necessary to render minefields inactive and to assist with the rehabilitation of their victims, public interest must be maintained. As the representative of the United States noted a few moments ago, Australia recently launched its own Destroy-a-Minefield programme. Through that programme, community groups, schools, businesses and associations will all be able to participate directly in solving the landmines problem by sponsoring active minefields which have been selected by the United Nations as having a high priority for clearance.

Initially, the Australian Destroy-a-Minefield programme will use money from the Princess Diana Trust Fund, and then the Australian Government will contribute an additional matching amount to the fund. We are going to select an Australian non-governmental organization to implement and administer the programme. That organization will in turn seek sponsors in the Australian community to raise the necessary funds to clear the adopted minefields. Sponsors will raise funds in their respective communities to clear the adopted minefield and return the land to local populations for productive use. Every two Australian dollars raised by sponsors will be matched by one Australian dollar from the Trust Fund. By our calculations, this will create a potential contribution of $A1.2 million. This is not unique; it parallels similar programmes elsewhere. But our sense is, and the response that we have had to date indicates, that this is a very practical way in which to engage the community and carry forward the objectives we are setting ourselves here in the United Nations.

To end on an optimistic note, the magnitude of the landmines problem needs to be kept in perspective. Although we all know that the problem is immense, it is not insurmountable. What is required above all is a well coordinated, concerted effort both by donors and by Governments in mine-affected countries. In the future, as in the past, our efforts must be guided by our determination to maximize the practical impact of our contributions. We must move away from discussion about process and focus on outcomes. It is only if we do this that we will be able eventually to say that there are no longer any victims of landmines, and that we will be able to reach that goal in years, not decades.

Mr. Al-Haddad (Yemen)

The conclusion and signature of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction was a milestone in the efforts of the international community to put an end to the human suffering caused by the widespread use of these indiscriminate weapons that make no distinction between combatants and non-combatants. These weapons claim a high toll among innocent civilians, among them women, children and elderly people. They have the potential to harm people, land, the environment and development long after a conflict has ended.

Agreement on the Convention was a result of the international determination to find a solution to the human tragedy resulting from the use of anti-personnel landmines. The Convention goes beyond temporary measures by seeking to tackle the root causes of the problem; it addresses the needs of victims, who have undergone enormous physical and psychological suffering because of these landmines. The Republic of Yemen is proud to have been among the States which participated in the Ottawa process when it began in 1996; it was also among the first States to sign the Ottawa Convention in 1997 and among the first 40 States to ratify it. This reflects the Republic of Yemen's cognizance of the humanitarian dimensions of this tragedy and of the suffering of the many peoples and nations affected by landmines.

Yemen has long suffered the destructive consequences of mines that were laid in large and diverse parts of its territory. The Republic of Yemen has made its own modest efforts by putting in place a programme for the clearance of anti-personnel landmines. But lack of material, technical and human resources has hampered the completion of that programme. Here, we underscore the reference in the ninth preambular paragraph of draft resolution A/53/L.28 to provisions of the Convention recognizing that States parties in a position to do so should provide assistance for mine-clearance and related activities, and for the care and rehabilitation and social and economic reintegration of mine victims.

The Republic of Yemen also welcomes United Nations efforts to strengthen the mine-clearance capacities of States, especially those where mines pose a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of local populations. Therefore, we stress the importance of developing national mine-clearance capacities. In this context, we reaffirm the provision of paragraph 2 of the draft resolution urging all Member States and regional organizations which have a capacity to do so to assist mine-affected countries in the establishment and development of national mine-clearance capacities. We also endorse the view which stresses the importance of regional organizations and relevant bodies of the United Nations system undertaking the promotion of awareness of landmines, especially among children.

My delegation believes that the efforts of the United Nations system and of the regional organizations concerned will not be effective unless the Secretary-General has the support he needs in the form of comprehensive technical information and adequate financial resources to enhance the role of the Organization in eliminating all remaining landmines. This should include raising public awareness, training, follow-up and monitoring with respect to the clearance and disposal of landmines. There is also an urgent need to provide technical assistance for mine clearance and to develop appropriate technologies.

In this regard, the delegation of Yemen expresses its gratitude to the Government of the United States for its assistance in setting up a programme to search for and clear landmines. The problem persists, however, because of large, heavily mine-infested areas in our country. These areas are topologically varied, and accurate data and precise statistics are still lacking. This calls for an intensive joint minefield surveying, mine-identification and mine-clearance capability that is beyond Yemen's capacity.

In conclusion, the momentum created by the imminent entry into force of the Convention now that the legal procedures are in place should prompt the international community to eliminate stockpiles and clear those mines that have already been laid, in accordance with the Convention. We are committed to making the necessary efforts in signing this Convention early. We are determined to continue these efforts with a view to the attainment of the objectives of the Convention.