UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOURTH COMMITTEE: ASSISTANCE IN MINE ACTION
12 October 2023
Statement by H.E. James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Australian Mission to the United Nations
Chair,
I am pleased to deliver a statement on behalf of Canada, New Zealand, and my own country Australia (CANZ) concerning the resolution ‘Assistance in mine action’.
CANZ countries would like to thank Poland for its work as facilitator for the resolution, which we are pleased to cosponsor.
It has been two years since the General Assembly last considered this important resolution.
Since then, there have been some important and welcome developments.
These include:
- First, the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which was marked in November last year.
- All three CANZ members are party to this convention and continue to urge States that are yet to do so to sign and ratify
- Second, the adoption last year of the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
- all three CANZ members were pleased to join this declaration together with 80 other Member States.
- CANZ urges continued endorsement and implementation.
- Third, the increasing ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including its requirement that victims and survivors affected by explosive ordnance have access to health care, rehabilitation, employment, social protection, and education.
- There are now 186 States Parties, and we urge continued ratification.
- Fourth, the establishment of the UN’s first Global Advocate for persons with disabilities in conflict and peacebuilding situations.
- And finally, the progress made by the UN to increase the number of women working in UN mine action programmes, though we note that more work needs to be done to reach gender parity.
Notwithstanding these positive developments, regrettably, as the Secretary-General reported, explosive ordnance continues to endanger the lives of civilians, obstruct their safe movement, and their enjoyment of human rights.
Extreme weather events and climate change have increasingly impacted negatively on the protection of civilians from explosive ordnance threats and created new challenges, including movement of mines, and migration of people into mine-contaminated areas.
In Ukraine, vast areas of land have been mined during the conflict and are considered to be unsafe for agricultural use.
This is exacerbating the harmful impacts of explosive ordnance on food security.
There is a pressing need to think holistically about peace and security, development and humanitarian assistance.
CANZ recognises the enabling and confidence-building benefits of mine action and hopes to see it reflected adequately in discussions on ‘A New Agenda for Peace.’
We recognise that securing a future free of these explosive hazards remains a very significant challenge.
Nevertheless, it’s a future worth aspiring to, and CANZ reiterates its commitment to doing all we can for the collective effort to achieve this.