52/173 Assistance in Mine Clearance

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 48/7 of 19 October 1993, 49/215 of 23 December 1994, 50/82 of 14 December 1995, and 51/149 of 13 December 1996 on assistance in mine clearance, all adopted without a vote,

Considering demining to be an important component of United Nations humanitarian and development activities,

Reaffirming its deep concern at the tremendous humanitarian problem caused by the presence of mines and other unexploded devices that have serious and lasting social and economic consequences for the populations of mine-infested countries and constitute an obstacle to the return of refugees and other displaced persons, to humanitarian aid operations and to reconstruction and economic development, as well as to the restoration of normal social conditions,

Reiterating its dismay at the high number of victims of mines, especially among civilian populations, particularly children, and recalling in this context Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1995/79 of 8 March 1995, ⁽¹⁾ 1996/85 of 24 April 1996 ⁽²⁾ and 1997/78 of 18 April 1997 ⁽³⁾ on the rights of the child and resolution 1996/27 of 19 April 1996 ⁽⁴⁾ and decision 1997/107 of 11 April 1997 ⁽⁵⁾ on the human rights of persons with disability,

Deeply alarmed that the number of mines being laid each year, as well as the presence of a large number of mines and other unexploded devices as a result of armed conflicts, exponentially outweighs the number of such mines that can be cleared during that time, and thus convinced of the necessity and urgency of a significant increase in mine-clearance efforts by the international community,

Noting the decisions taken at the Review Conference of the States Parties 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, ⁽⁶⁾ particularly with respect to Protocol II of the Convention and the inclusion in the Amended Protocol ⁽⁷⁾ of a number of provisions of importance for mine-clearance operations, notably the requirement of detectability,

Recalling that the States Parties to the Review Conference declared their commitment to keep the provisions of Protocol II under review in order to ensure that the concerns regarding the weapons it covers are addressed, and that they would encourage efforts of the United Nations and other organizations to address all the problems of landmines,

Recalling also the adoption at the Ottawa International Strategy Conference, "Towards a Global Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines", on 5 October 1996, of the Ottawa Declaration ⁽⁸⁾ whereby participants undertook a commitment towards the earliest possible conclusion of a legally binding international agreement to ban anti-personnel mines and which, among other things, recognizes that the international community must provide significantly greater resources to mine-awareness programmes, mine-clearance operations and victim assistance, as well as the Brussels Declaration of 27 June 1997,

Noting the adoption on 18 September 1997 at the Oslo Conference of a Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, which, among other things, recognizes that States parties in a position to do so should provide assistance for mine-clearance and related activities, for the care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration, of mine victims and for mine-awareness programmes, and noting that the Convention was opened for signature in Ottawa, Canada, on 3 December 1997 and that the Convention has been signed by 122 States,

Encouraged by the recent initiatives taken at conferences in Elsinore, Bonn and Tokyo, notably in relation to international standards and procedures for humanitarian mine-clearance operations, as well as the development of new technology for landmine detection and removal and the rehabilitation of landmine victims, which can serve as a basis on which to advance the safety, effectiveness and professionalism of these operations throughout the world,

Taking note of the Plan of Action on Landmines adopted at the First Continental Conference of African Experts and Landmines, held at Kempton Park, South Africa, and the adoption at Harare by the heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity of a resolution on the report of the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity on the issue of anti-personnel mines and international efforts to reach a total ban,

Emphasizing the importance of recording the location of mines, of retaining all such records and making them available to concerned parties upon cessation of hostilities, and welcoming the strengthening of the relevant provisions in international law,

Stressing the need to convince mine-affected States to halt new deployments of anti-personnel mines to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of mine-clearance operations,

Recognizing the important role that the international community, particularly States involved in the deployment of mines, can play in assisting mine clearance in affected countries through the provision of necessary maps and information and appropriate technical and material assistance to remove or otherwise render ineffective existing minefields, mines and booby-traps,

Bearing in mind the serious threat that mines and other unexploded devices pose to the safety, health and lives of personnel participating in humanitarian, peacekeeping and rehabilitation programmes and operations,

Aware that the rate of mine clearance needs to accelerate substantially if the global landmine problem is to be tackled effectively,

Concerned about the limited availability of safe and cost-effective mine-detection and mine-clearance equipment as well as the lack of global coordination in research and development to improve the relevant technology, and conscious of the need to promote progress in this field and to foster international technical cooperation to this end,

Recognizing that, in addition to the primary role of States, the United Nations has an important role in the field of assistance in mine clearance,

Noting with satisfaction the inclusion in the mandates of several peacekeeping operations of provisions relating to mine-clearance work carried out under the direction of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the Secretariat, in the context of such operations,

Commending the activities already undertaken by the United Nations system, donor and recipient Governments, the International Committee of the Red Cross and non-governmental organizations to coordinate their efforts and seek solutions to the problems related to the presence of mines and other unexploded devices, as well as their assistance to victims of landmines,

Also commending the role of the Secretary-General in increasing public awareness of the problem of landmines, and in the establishment of the central landmine database and inventories of mine-awareness materials and mine-clearance techniques,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations in assistance in mine clearance; ⁽⁹⁾

2. Welcomes, in particular, the efforts made by the United Nations to foster the establishment of mine-clearance capacities in countries where mines constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of the local population, and emphasizing the importance of developing national mine-clearance capacities, urges all Member States, particularly those that have a capacity to do so, to assist afflicted countries in the establishment and development of their national mine-clearance capacities;

3. Invites Member States to develop national programmes, in cooperation with the relevant bodies of the United Nations system where appropriate, to promote awareness of landmines, especially among children;

4. Expresses its appreciation to Governments and regional organizations for their financial contributions to the Trust Fund and other demining programmes, and appeals to them to continue this support through further contributions;

5. Encourages all relevant multilateral and national programmes and bodies to include, in coordination with the United Nations, activities related to mine clearance in their humanitarian, social and economic assistance activities;

6. Stresses the importance of international assistance for the care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration of mine victims;

7. Emphasizes again, in this connection, the important role of the United Nations in the effective coordination of activities related to mine clearance, awareness and assistance, including those by regional organizations, in particular activities related to standards, technological development, information and training, and, in this regard, encourages the Secretary-General to further develop a comprehensive mine-clearance strategy, taking into consideration the impact of the landmine problem on the process of rehabilitation, reconstruction and development, with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of assistance in mine clearance by the United Nations;

8. Urges Member States, regional organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations and foundations to continue to extend full assistance and cooperation to the Secretary-General and, in particular, to provide him with information and data as well as other appropriate resources that could be useful in strengthening the coordination role of the United Nations in the field of mine awareness, training, surveying, mine detection and clearance, scientific research on mine-detection and clearance technology, and information on and distribution of medical equipment and supplies;

9. Takes note of the convening of the Mine Action Forum in Ottawa, Canada, from 2 to 4 December 1997, and of the development there of An Agenda for Mine Action, and welcomes the proposals related to enhancing and coordinating action by international organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations and foundations on mine-awareness, mine clearance and assistance to victims of anti-personnel mines, among other issues;

10. Calls upon Member States, especially those that have a capacity to do so, to provide the necessary information and technical and material assistance, as appropriate, and to locate, remove, destroy or otherwise render ineffective minefields, mines, booby-traps and other devices in accordance with international law, as soon as possible;

11. Urges Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and foundations that have the ability to do so, to provide, as appropriate, technological assistance to mine-inflicted countries and to promote scientific research and development on humanitarian mine-clearance techniques and technology so that mine-clearance activities may be carried out more effectively at lower costs and through safer means and to promote international collaboration in this regard;

12. Encourages Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and foundations to continue to support ongoing activities to promote appropriate technology, as well as international operational and safety standards for humanitarian mine-clearance activities, including the early follow-up of the International Conference on Mine Clearance Technology; ⁽¹⁰⁾

13. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session a report on the progress achieved on all relevant issues outlined in his previous reports to the Assembly on assistance in mine clearance and in the present resolution and on the operation of the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance and other demining programmes;

14. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session the item entitled "Assistance in mine clearance".

1. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1995, Supplement No. 3 and corrigenda (E/1995/23 and Corr.1 and 2), chap. II, sect. A.

2. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1996, Supplement No. 3 (E/1996/23).

3. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1997, Supplement No. 3 (E/1997/23).

4. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1996, Supplement No. 3 (E/1996/23).

5. See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1997, Supplement No. 3 (E/1997/23).

6. CCW/CONF.1/16 (Part I).

7. CCW/CONF.1/16 (Part I), annex B.

8. A/C.1/51/10, annex I.

9. A/52/679.

10. See A/51/472, annex.