UN chief calls for elimination of land mines

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on the international community to eliminate landmines and explosive remnants of war for a safe sustainable world. In his message on the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, which is observed on April 4, the UN Chief said that the United Nations mine action programs make an invaluable contribution to post-conflict recovery, humanitarian relief efforts, peace operations and development initiatives. They prevent landmines and other explosive ordnance from causing further indiscriminate harm long after conflicts have ended, and help to transform danger zones into productive land. Mine action sets communities on course toward lasting stability." "In Libya, mine action personnel have responded to the threat posed by landmines, cluster munitions, and the lack of secure ammunition storage areas. Thousands of explosive remnants of war have been secured or cleared from schools, roads or residential areas, and tens of thousands of people have received risk education," Ban said in a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) on Tuesday. He added that over the past year, mine action operators have also been assisting in stockpile management in Albania, Cote d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The recent disaster in Congo Brazzaville, where an arms depot exploded, is a tragic reminder of the need for such management. On this year’s International Day for Mine Awareness, Ban said, "we are lending our legs" in a campaign to show support and compassion for survivors. Working closely with national authorities and non-governmental organizations, the United Nations is implementing mine risk education and victim assistance in more than 40 countries, teaching communities how to live safely in contaminated areas, and assisting survivors with disabilities to obtain access to the full range of services and rights enshrined in the convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." The UN Secretary General called for universal adherence to these important treaties and for increased support for mine awareness and mine action. "Landmines and explosive remnants of war hamper development and endanger lives. Let’s eliminate them together for a safe sustainable world," Ban said.