S/PV.3689 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Argentina, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Hungary, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Ukraine and Uruguay, in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided.

In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, if I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation to the Permanent Observer of Switzerland to the United Nations to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote. There being no objection, it is so decided. There being no objection, it is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda, “Demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping”. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/1996/621, which contains the text of a letter dated 24 July 1996 from the Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General. Before calling on the first speaker, I should like to appeal to all speakers to observe the newly agreed-upon practice according to which expressions of congratulations to the President of the Council should be dispensed with in order to save time. In the same spirit, the President of the Council for the month of July has graciously indicated that expressions of appreciation to the past President may also be dispensed with.

First of all, allow me to express my full agreement with, and support for, the statement that the distinguished Permanent Representative of Ireland, Ambassador John Campbell, is going to make later as President of, and on behalf of, the European Union. More than 100 million mines are scattered throughout the villages, fields and roads of one third of the Member States of the United Nations. Every day 66 persons are killed, maimed or scarred by this lethal weapon: an instrument of barbarity rather than of war, of revenge rather than of defence. Its primary victims are innocent civilians, the unarmed and children. The economic devastation and terrible emotional and physical toll of this indiscriminate weapon often obstruct reconciliation, the peace process, reconstruction and the reintegration of refugees. The spread of anti-personnel land-mines jeopardizes regional stability, security and Many men and women of good will and vision have been crusading against this scourge. I want to pay homage to one of them: American Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who came here so many times to persuade ambassadors and delegations that something had to be done — and done quickly — to carry out demining and to stop mine production and export. Ever since, the ranks of those opposing this threat have greatly increased in number. Italy wants to be second to none in stressing the need for every country in the world to stop manufacturing and exporting land-mines. As early as December 1993 my country joined the moratorium on the export of anti- personnel land-mines, and in early 1994 Italy ceased production of land-mines altogether. As a member of the European Union we actively promoted a joint action in 1995, and as President of the European Union during the first semester of this year my country contributed to the Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions of Certain Conventional Weapons — only a first step, but a step in the right direction. That is why Italy supports the extension of that agreement to every type of conflict and is convinced that an effective and binding verification mechanism is needed for every aspect of its implementation. May I take this opportunity to draw the Council’s attention to documents A/49/275 of 2 November 1994 and A/51/139 of 20 May 1996, which state the Italian national position and the European position at the time of our presidency. As the President of the Council mentioned at the beginning, today’s public debate is very rightly focused on demining in connection with peace-keeping operations. The Secretary-General stresses two main goals: first, to provide a secure environment for peace-keeping forces and personnel and, secondly, to implement wider mandates — such as elections and freedom of movement — for which huge mine-clearing programmes are prerequisite. In fact, mines constitute one of the most significant dangers for the deployment of any peace-keeping force. Two hundred and seventy-three peace-keepers have been victims of anti- personnel land-mines; 60 lost their lives and 213 were wounded. To prevent such casualties we need not only more sophisticated equipment, but above all better training focused on detection, recognition and reporting of mines. Demining stand-by capacity has been envisaged for the DHA; but stand-by modules should also be used for peace-keeping operations. Italy has made an effort, both through bilateral and multilateral programmes, and has hosted training courses in Italy for Egyptian, Pakistani and Kuwaiti personnel. Courses have also been organized in Turin by the International Labour Organization to train the trainers for Afghanistan. We think this is an example of the valuable programmes that can be pursued by the Staff College in Turin. The resources that the international community allocates to demining also belong to post-conflict peacebuilding activities. We have pledged more than $600,000 to the trust fund for Angola and $1.1 million for Mozambique, through the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Assistance Cooperation and the United Nations Development Programme. Italy has also meaningfully contributed to the European Union’s financing for Angola, Mozambique, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Believe me, we will try to do as much as we can, because we think this field is really a priority. Demining is crucial to international peace and security and, hence, must also remain a priority issue for the Security Council.

The widespread use of land-mines is one of the most critical challenges facing the international community today and tomorrow. In addition to the thousands of civilian lives that land-mines take every year — and the thousands more injured — they also cripple important international peace-keeping operations and humanitarian relief actions. Despite efforts by the United States and many of the countries represented here today, the anti-personnel land- mine problem is getting worse. The simple fact is that far more land-mines are deployed in conflicts worldwide every year than are removed by mine clearance personnel. We estimate that some 64 countries are affected by the worldwide land-mine crisis, littered with up to 110 These mines remaining deadly and active long after conflicts cease, kill or maim an estimated 500 people, mostly innocent civilians, per week — 26,000 people every year. The burden imposed by the proliferation and indiscriminate use of land-mines is beyond calculation. In the last several years the nature of the land-mine problem has changed dramatically. Land-mines have become the weapon of choice for many government and insurgent groups: they are cheap, easy to manufacture and use, difficult to detect and expensive and dangerous to remove. They can be used as weapons of terror against civilian populations to generate fear, inhibit refugee return, disrupt economic reconstruction and, as we will discuss today, hinder peace-keeping operations. Land-mines are a major impediment to peace-keeping operations in every part of the world. Land-mines are often the greatest physical danger the peace-keepers face. Parties in conflict often use land-mines to hinder the peace process by effectively blocking the movement of people and resources. Let me now focus on three cases where land-mines have directly hindered peace-keeping operations. First, in Bosnia, a country with an estimated 2 million to 3 million mines, United Nations peace-keeping missions sustained more than 200 land-mine casualties, including 20 deaths since l992. Bosnia ranks with the most heavily mined countries in the world — Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia and Mozambique. The uncertainty about the location of the mines in Bosnia denies much of the country to civilian use. Peace-keepers have been required to clear mines as part of their mission, thus diverting scarce resources from other mandated tasks. Mines impeded United Nations patrols and delayed or halted humanitarian relief operations. The Implementation Force of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (IFOR) has been a victim as well. To date, IFOR personnel have been involved in 47 mine incidents, resulting in 55 casualties, including 10 deaths and 45 wounded. The first United States casualty in IFOR was the victim of a land-mine. Secondly, in Angola, on 27 July two Zimbabwean peace-keepers were killed and four were injured when their truck ran over a land-mine. The peace-keepers were returning from the opening of a UNITA site in the Lunda Angola has paid a terrible price because of the threat posed by land-mines: 70,000 amputees, 300,000 refugees, and over 10 million unexploded land-mines. In addition to peace-keeping costs, the humanitarian and social costs to Angola will be staggering as Angolans attempt to remove mines and repair their society. As land-mines continue to take their tragic toll even after the conflict has been resolved, they may well be the last, most tragic legacy of Angola’s decades of strife. We applaud the fact that both the Government of Angola and UNITA have agreed to begin destroying their stockpiles of land-mines. Thirdly, in Georgia, the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) has literally been stopped dead in its tracks. UMOMIG is mandated to monitor and verify the cease-fire in the conflict in Georgia through observation and patrolling. But UNOMIG is not patrolling in the most critical regions due to the threat of land- mines. On 9 March, a UNOMIG patrol vehicle drove onto an anti-tank mine in the Gali sector, instantly killing the driver, a military observer from Bangladesh. The other passengers, a Hungarian military observer and a local interpreter, were also injured. Other mine incidents were narrowly averted. Mines have also killed local civilians and members of the peace-keeping forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). We do not know who is laying the mines, but it is clear that they are people who prefer conflict and death to a peaceful resolution. Missions under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, such as UNOMIG, are unarmed and depend for their security on the good faith of the parties. The United Nations is taking steps to counter the land-mine threat at enormous expense in spite of its limited resources. But the mines which interfere with the UNOMIG and CIS peace-keeping effort is only a small part of the story. Mines have also been laid in areas where they threaten civilians and block peaceful economic activity. But humanitarian demining cannot even begin until the conflict is fully resolved. We encourage the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA), as well as the Georgians, the Abkhaz and other neighbours, to plan for the day when they can begin that other demining job. The United States, joining with others in the international community, has taken a leading role in conducting demining efforts worldwide. Since 1993, the United States Government has worked with non- governmental organizations and private voluntary organizations, supported United Nations activities carried out by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and encouraged indigenous mine-clearance centres to develop demining assistance programmes. President Clinton’s recently announced land- mine policy directs the United States to expand its current humanitarian demining programme and begin work on developing new technologies to aid in land-mine detection and removal. The United States has spent approximately $91 million from 1993 to the present on mine awareness and demining training programmes in 14 countries with serious land-mine problems, including, most recently, Bosnia. In June of this year, President Clinton announced a new United States initiative in Bosnia, committing up to $15 million to develop an indigenous demining capability. In addition to assisting peace-keeping operations there, the ultimate goal is to give the Bosnians the skills and equipment to locate and destroy the mines themselves. At the centre of the strategy is the headquarters, a Mine Action Centre, designed to coordinate all mine-clearance, mine-awareness, and mine-data-gathering activities in Bosnia. Operating temporarily under a United Nations mandate, the Mine Action Centre and three regional offices will eventually become an entity of the post-election Bosnian Government. The United States provided $3.5 million to establish the Centre and will contribute up to $15 million towards continuing demining operations during fiscal year 1997. This American effort is in conjunction with those of the United Nations, the High Representative, the World Bank, the European Union, NATO’s IFOR and other nations to establish a sustainable demining programme in Bosnia. Together, all these groups are combining resources, personnel and equipment to fund the longer-term mine- clearance operations and training of Bosnian deminers. Demining assistance by the international community is critical to addressing the land-mine crisis. But it is not enough. These weapons must be banned. The United States has been and will continue to be a leader in the fight to eliminate anti-personnel land-mines. In September 1994, President Clinton, addressing the General Assembly, called for the eventual elimination of anti-personnel land-mines and asked nations to join us in concluding an agreement to reduce their number and availability. He also called for Member States to adopt export moratoria on land-mines — an effort that 32 nations have now joined. The President took another major step towards that goal by announcing on 16 May that “the United States will aggressively pursue an international agreement to ban the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel land-mines, with a view to completing the negotiation as soon as possible.” The United States is dedicated to eliminating these weapons, while taking into account our global responsibilities and concern for the safety of our soldiers. A global anti-personnel land-mine ban can happen only with the leadership of all Security Council members and support from Member States. We are committed to initiating an international negotiation towards that end and are now consulting with other States on what would be the best forum for negotiations. We also intend to propose a resolution this fall at the fifty-first session of the General Assembly, urging States to begin work on negotiating an international agreement to achieve a worldwide ban, and we hope the United States can count on the support of all Governments in this forum.

I thank the representative of the United States for his words of appreciation addressed to my Government.

In recent years United Nations peace-keeping operations have made great efforts and achieved positive results in promoting the peaceful settlement of conflicts under different mandates of the Security Council. However, they are also confronted with many grave challenges, among which is the arduous task of demining in the theatres of operation of United Nations peace-keeping personnel. We therefore welcome the open debate on this question by the Council today and believe that it will contribute to more effective demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping operations. One of the important factors contributing to the success or failure of United Nations peace-keeping operations is whether or not the parties concerned can cooperate closely with the United Nations and ensure the safety and freedom of movement of United Nations peace- keeping personnel. From the hinterland of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Inguri River of Georgia, from the rugged mountain paths of Angola to the Djeletovci oil field in Eastern Slavonia in Croatia, large numbers of mines have not only severely hampered United Nations peace-keeping operations, but also posed a serious threat to the safety of United Nations peace-keeping personnel and the local people, as well as to economic reconstruction in these areas. This situation has already drawn widespread attention from the international community, and demining has become an important component of many peace-keeping operations. Demining is a time-consuming undertaking that calls, first, for close cooperation by the parties concerned, as well as for adequate expertise and funds. The international community and Member States should therefore provide the We also wish to point out that the discussion we are having today deals only with demining in the context of peace-keeping operations. Other issues relating to land- mines fall in the category of disarmament and should therefore be discussed and considered by other United Nations bodies.

I would like to express my delegation’s appreciation to you, Mr. President, for convening this formal meeting to address a rapidly growing issue: demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping. In this regard, some of the approaches outlined in document S/1996/621 call for our careful consideration. Discussing this problem highlights the manner in which conflicts are being transformed and how the United Nations is responding to the challenges posed by humanitarian needs versus military imperatives. Indonesia participated in the international Meeting on Mine- clearance in Geneva in July 1995, reflecting its keen interest in the dilemma land-mines pose to countries immersed in or emerging from conflicts. We therefore welcome this debate and exchange of views, which will hopefully permit a better grasp of the issues at stake and enhance our knowledge of how Member States can respond to the need for demining. Demining involves both humanitarian and disarmament aspects and in terms of the Charter remains the purview of the General Assembly. It is to be recalled that the General Assembly has deal with these aspects in the past, and adopted resolutions on them. The involvement of peace-keeping forces in mine-clearance does not in itself warrant a shift of responsibility from the General Assembly to the Security Council. The gravity of the problems attendant upon land- mines and related devices has long been self-evident. With more than 20,000 people across the planet being killed or maimed in 1995 by mines, and considering that 85 million to 100 million land-mines remain uncleared in 65 countries, it seems that humanitarian tragedies are just The impact of land-mines is such that it affects all facets of national life. It is a dilemma for countries which are often already underdeveloped and where life cannot return to normal because of these deadly devices. Consequently, it has become a global dilemma. The loss of lives and destitution which the civilian populations have suffered during years of debilitating conflict is only perpetuated through the continued risks they endure as they try to return to their daily lives and rebuild their communities and their countries. Mines threaten all aspects of the socio-economic life of innocent people: arable land infested with mines is rendered useless; electrical plants, water sites and infrastructures are inaccessible; maimed victims, in addition to their own suffering, become burdens to their families and tax the often insufficient medical services; children make up more than half of the victims of land-mines; refugees cannot return to their homes and villages; new groups of displaced persons are created and humanitarian aid cannot reach the populations in need. The obstruction to national reconstruction that mines create is a long-term problem. Given the circumstances I have described, my delegation welcomes the decisions of several States to impose a moratorium or ban on the production, export and operational use of these weapons. In this regard, my delegation believes that the review process of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons is essential because it offers the appropriate modality for dealing with land-mines and related devices. Indeed, the process of demining is a long term, dangerous and expensive process which may take decades. According to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) sources, it would cost $33 billion to rid the world of land-mines at this stage. The United Nations has legitimately called the world community’s attention to the need for mine-clearance. In this regard, we are strongly supportive of the initiative to create the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine- clearance. The pledging of $22 million has rendered it operational. Such a fund permits a rapid disbursement of funds with a great deal of flexibility and efficiency to projects of an urgent nature. We contributed to this fund following the International Meeting on Mine-Clearance, The link between peace-keeping operations and humanitarian programmes is fundamental since they both function within the framework of peacemaking and post- conflict peace-building. Indonesia supports the inclusion in peace-keeping operation mandates of provisions relating to mine-clearance work. Such operations have in the past coordinated their activities with other United Nations departments and agencies. First and foremost, the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) has been the focal point for demining. An integrated approach to mine- clearance permits numerous agencies to coordinate their activities through the central office of DHA in order to operate effectively in the field. Other United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO), also play fundamental roles in demining activities, which Indonesia fully supports. In the past year the United Nations has engaged in the implementation of demining in nine countries. Mine Action Centres were established in different countries by DHA. The mine-clearance operations in Afghanistan and Cambodia are among the most successful. Since setting up the process for mine-clearance and training can be lengthy, it is not surprising that the best results were evident in the programmes of longest standing. In Angola, the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III) has set up a demining school which will become the core of the mine-clearance programme. In other areas there has been resistance: in Abkhazia, in Georgia, peace-keepers have encountered a great deal of resistance from the Abkhaz authorities, which has inhibited their ability to undertake mine-clearance and also carry out their mandate. It remains important that mine-clearance activities in the context of peace-keeping operations are linked closely to humanitarian activities from the very beginning in order to ensure a coordinated approach to the land-mine problem and the continuance Demining efforts encounter many obstacles. The lack of adequate mapping of the layout of minefields is a serious handicap to demining teams. Time is needed to build national capacities for demining, and often teams have to use a case-by-case approach for the different countries in which they operate, since geography and mine types can vary drastically. The political will of the local authorities to cooperate with demining programmes can also seriously hinder or help in eliminating mines. Finally, the capacity to train locals to establish sustainable demining capacities will be the only way to reduce the long-term effects of mines. The need for research in mine technology remains the area where the greatest efforts must be placed. The technology in use for mine detection and clearance is clearly outdated. The international community can undeniably contribute to the provision of properly trained and experienced instructors, trained manpower needed to carry out demining, training for local populations and appropriate and modern equipment to locate and destroy land-mines. We fully support all efforts in this context. The disastrous effects of land-mines can be curbed through technical and financial assistance to demining activities and programmes. For this to materialize, international consensus and concerted political will among the States of the global community are imperative in order to deal with the problem at its source.

Land-mines pose a global challenge to the international community, less because of their explosive power than because of the indiscriminate and inhumane manner in which they have been used. Brutal anti-personnel mines have been deployed with appalling frequency against civilians, maiming or killing 25,000 people per year. Moreover, mines laid during a conflict remain armed and dangerous long after the guns fall silent, threatening reconciliation efforts and undermining economic recovery. Land-mines truly are, as one commentator has called them, “weapons of mass destruction in slow motion”. The ready availability of land-mines only exacerbates the problem. Easy to produce, and with an ample number of suppliers, land-mines are very inexpensive. Not only are land-mines easy to acquire, but they are also easy to emplace. If we combine these factors with the painstakingly slow, dangerous and expensive process of mine removal, the conundrum we face is clear. The average anti-personnel Demining methods, meanwhile, have advanced little since the Second World War. The net result is that land- mines are being laid far faster than they can be cleared. We now face more than 100 million mines in 65 different countries worldwide, and the figure is increasing by up to 1 million new mines per year. My delegation believes that coping with the land- mine scourge will require the international community to make concerted efforts from two directions. First, any comprehensive effort to solve the problem must eventually address the supply side of the equation, including through restrictions on production, export and modifications in design, such as the inclusion of self- neutralizing timers. The Republic of Korea has played a part in this effort, announcing a unilateral year-long moratorium on land-mine exports last year. The large number of land-mine producers, however, and the divergence of views on the efficacy of production and export controls, means that a consensus on supply-side issues will not come easily. Secondly, in the meantime, there is a pressing need for the international community to focus on the end-user side of the equation, such as through demining and restrictions on the use of land-mines. What I believe we need to focus on today, in our discussion of the role of demining in peace-keeping operations, is how to enhance the capacity and efficiency of mine-clearance in affected countries. It is against this background that I would now like to elaborate on why demining is a particularly pressing concern in the context of United Nations peace-keeping. First, the vast majority of peace-keeping missions launched since the end of the cold war have been in response to intra-State conflicts, and it is in precisely those conflicts that land-mine emplacement is particularly widespread. Secondly, in those peace-keeping missions, uncleared land-mines often prevent peace-keepers from fulfilling their mandate. Clearly, land-mines endanger peace- keepers, just as they do the local population. Mines stand in the way of the efforts to achieve other parts of a peace- keeper’s mandate, such as distributing humanitarian aid, repatriating refugees, or ensuring fair elections. Clearly, for all these reasons, peace-keeping operations in mine-ridden countries cannot succeed without proper demining. Now how can we ensure that mine-clearance efforts in peace-keeping are effective? My delegation is of the view that there are several concrete steps that we can take towards this end. First, we must ensure that demining be made an integral part of United Nations peace-keeping operations whenever deemed necessary. In this regard, we wish to suggest that the Security Council should review the scope of the mandates of existing peace-keeping missions to make sure that authorization for demining is adequately provided for. Moreover, we believe that demining operations coordinated by the United Nations should be granted a mandate to continue even after the actual peace-keeping operation has ended. Secondly, in carrying out demining tasks, we should concentrate on nourishing the indigenous capacity for safe, fast and effective mine-clearance in order to help affected countries help themselves in the long run. Ultimately, the primary responsibility for demining lies with the country affected. After all, complete demining will almost certainly require a longer time-frame than the mandate of peace- keeping missions can sustain. Before their time expires, however, United Nations peace-keepers can give affected countries a jump-start along the long road to recovery by helping them develop their own repository of demining expertise. This knowledge can then be continuously drawn upon, even after the “Blue Helmets” have returned home. Efforts by peace-keepers to foster indigenous demining capacity will have to include the following steps: land-mine assessment, followed by training in mine-awareness; education and training in mine-clearance; and finally, transition of authority to the host Government. The transfer of demining technology and the provision of essential equipment are clearly no less important steps. In this regard, my delegation wishes to point to the valiant work of the Cambodia Mine Action Centre (CMAC) as a useful model. Founded by the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) in 1992, CMAC was later reconstituted as an official organ of the Cambodian Thirdly, in addition to peace-keeping missions, we should strengthen the capacity and resources of the United Nations to provide rapid demining assistance on an ad hoc basis, whenever the need arises. To this end, it would be worthwhile to further explore how we can strengthen the United Nations demining standby capacity programme and expand the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine-clearance. In this vein, my delegation wishes to note that the Government of the Republic of Korea has been a recent contributor to the Fund. No country can ignore the horrendous magnitude of the land-mine problem. It has become a global crisis warranting a global response. It is only appropriate, therefore, that the United Nations should have played a major role in seeking a solution. The United Nations should continue to lead us in the quest for a comprehensive answer to this global crisis. My delegation firmly believes that we will be able to find such an answer only when the whole spectrum of land-mine problems, ranging from humanitarian concerns to disarmament imperatives is fully addressed. In tandem with many other ongoing efforts by the international community towards the eventual eradication of this scourge, United Nations peace-keeping operations give us the opportunity to contribute to the management of a more immediate danger by actively cultivating the ability of stricken nations to clear already-laid land-mines. We must help mine-ridden nations, particularly those in the developing world, help themselves in shaking off this danger, so that civilians can once again farm their fields and walk the roads of their countries without fear. I wish finally to take this opportunity to express my delegation’s sincere thanks to you, Mr. President, for having taken the initiative to organize this open meeting devoted to the discussion of the issue of demining in the context of peace-keeping, and for your Government’s outstanding contribution towards the resolution of this issue.

I thank the representative of the Republic of Korea for the words of appreciation he addressed to my Government. Every year, thousands of people die or are maimed by the explosion of uncleared land-mines. Every day, tens of millions of mines in 65 countries threaten life and limb, especially of the rural population and of children. With increasing frequency, owing to the presence of land-mines, it is hardly possible to deliver humanitarian assistance to those affected by armed conflicts, and in the worst of cases it is halted altogether. More and more, the continued manufacture and export of mines is worsening humanitarian crises and makes it urgently necessary that the international community step up mine-clearance activities and its support for national demining arrangements, and agree on a total ban on anti-personnel mines. This is a worldwide crisis, and my delegation hails the endeavours of the United Nations through the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, the Department of Peace-keeping Operations, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children’s Fund and other agencies and programmes. We cannot fail also to acknowledge the active work of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the treatment and rehabilitation of the wounded, as well as the informational activities of numerous non-governmental organizations concerning the dangers posed by unexploded land-mines. In his “An Agenda for Peace” and his Agenda for Development, the Secretary-General has laid stress on the fundamental relationship between peace and development. It is a fact that disputes and armed conflicts frequently stem from poor economic and social conditions; it is also a fact that unless the foundations for economic and social development are laid before a conflict is brought to a formal conclusion, peace will be unable to take root. Thus, efforts towards peace and security must not only focus on humanitarian relief but must also include activities that promote development. This approach is clearly reflected in the multidimensional nature of peace-keeping operations carried out by the United Nations since 1989. Current peace- The inclusion of this element among the functions of peace-keeping operations needs no justification. Without mine-clearance, social and economic stability cannot be restored after armed conflicts. Without mine-clearance, agriculture cannot resume, the infrastructure providing basic services cannot be repaired, transportation is impossible, the delivery of humanitarian assistance is interrupted, and refugees and displaced persons cannot return home. In other words, without mine-clearance the consolidation of peace in a nation after a conflict cannot occur. On the basis of the experiences of Cambodia, Somalia, Mozambique, Angola, Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the importance of having peace-keeping forces actively participate in mine-clearance programmes as part of their mandates has been recognized, because this contributes to the establishment of a safe environment and, most importantly, helps create or improve national mine-clearance capacities, which is central to the assistance provided by the United Nations in this field. My delegation strongly supports the inclusion of this element in peace-keeping operations. At the same time, we emphasize that demining alone does not constitute a comprehensive solution to all the problems relating to land-mines. The only possible solution remains their total eradication. How many more lives must be lost? How many more people must be maimed before the international community completely bans the production, stockpiling, use and export of these death-dealing devices? When will there be consensus among Governments that a ban is the only solution to this tremendous humanitarian crisis? For all those whose lives have already been destroyed by mines, there are no answers. It is already too late.

With the end of the cold war and the emergence of a whole range of conflicts spawned by the new instability, the international community is faced with Unexploded land-mines, which have been laid in abundance by parties to regional conflicts, continue to take the lives of thousands of people even after relative stability has been achieved. The countries that have suffered most in this respect are Angola, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia and the former Yugoslavia. Mines have been used extensively in the conflict in Abkhazia, in the Republic of Georgia. The problem of land-mines is particularly critical in the context of carrying out United Nations peace-keeping operations: United Nations forces are often deployed in places where mines continue to pose a serious threat, and quite a few United Nations peace-keepers are killed or maimed by mines. The widespread profusion of mines seriously hinders the movement of United Nations troops, demobilization, the escorting of humanitarian convoys and so on. In addition, the actual ability of the United Nations to effectively carry out its peace-keeping functions is jeopardized. Similarly, the threat of mines does not allow the operational activities of humanitarian missions to be carried out as necessary. Particularly affected in this way are such United Nations specialized agencies as the World Food Programme, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). We are convinced of the urgency of intensifying the international community’s efforts to more fully realize United Nations potential for demining in zones of regional conflict. To an increasing extent, demining is becoming an essential part of peace-keeping operations. When required, it should be included, as it is already being included, in the mandate of the relevant United Nations missions. Alternatively, machinery should be provided for exploiting the potential of regional and non-governmental organizations in this respect. One key issue, in our view, is the coordination of the activities of various United Nations bodies and the full use of their knowledge and resources in the implementation of demining programmes, both during United Nations peace- keeping operations and at the stage of post-conflict reconstruction. We see this as a good reason for the Here we would be grateful to the United Nations Secretariat for clarification as to the division of functions between the Department of Peace-Keeping Operations (DPKO) and the DHA; their correlation and interaction. It might be a good idea for an informal paper on this subject to be prepared for Member States. We hope that the special Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance, established by the Secretary-General, will enjoy more considerable resources than it does today and will be able to play a more active and leading role in financing programmes aimed at scientific and research work in demining, in the training of experts and specialists and in educating populations regarding safety measures to decrease the dangers of mines. It is also important that the coordinating role of the United Nations in rendering technical assistance and in organizing national potential to implement demining locally be strengthened. Fruitful interaction has been established between the United Nations, regional organizations and individual States. We note with satisfaction the drafting in the United Nations of standard rules for the conduct of demining operations. We also consider important the establishment of a central database on questions of demining, to which all information on problems of land-mines would be channelled. Work is now under way in the Russian Federation to conclude the special federal programme on demining on the basis of the relevant programmes of individual regions affected by the problem of mines. For us, interactions with the United Nations, exchanging experience and receiving technical assistance are matters of practical importance. In the course of the implementation of peace-keeping operations on the territory of the States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), complex and expensive problems are being solved in demining. In the zone of the Abkhaz conflict alone, CIS peace-keepers have neutralized more than 21,000 explosive objects. The increasing danger of mines in the zone of the Abkhaz conflict and the exacerbation of this conflict, since March of this year, have affected the security conditions of the local populations, refugees and displaced persons, as well as that of the personnel of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). This is seriously hampering peace-keepers of the United Nations and of the CIS in the implementation of their mandates. We have We view the question of a total ban on anti-personnel mines, which has been raised by several delegations, as a subject for separate and substantive consideration and as is well known, it is being dealt with in other formats. We believe that the international community’s position on this question has been given form in the new version of the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices (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. Work on that was concluded on 3 May of this year in Geneva. On the basis that progress towards a full ban on anti- personnel mines is possible only through the emergence of real alternatives to that type of weapon, the Protocol raises the idea of an extremely far-ranging task; the implementation within a reasonable time-frame of a switch to more predictable anti-personnel mines. There is the risk that a ban on the production of anti-personnel mines, under present conditions, would lead to the flourishing of an illegal mine trade, which then might be capable of offering simplified — and therefore more barbarous — mine weapons. We believe that the implementation of the provisions of that Protocol and its full implementation — and by as broad a group of countries as possible — would significantly diminish the problems of demining and would create more reliable protection from the danger of mines, including during peace-keeping operations.

My delegation is grateful to you, Mr. President, for the timely initiative you have taken in choosing this very important subject for our orientation debate today. Anti-personnel mines are the scourge of human society in most, if not all, conflict situations. They are a cowardly and indiscriminate instrument of war. They mercilessly kill and main their victims without warning and without determining whether they are friendly or enemy forces, unsuspecting civilian population or United Nations peace-keepers. Moreover, land-mines remain hidden and ready to claim new victims long after war has ended. Thus, land-mines have a long-lasting and traumatic psychological impact on whole populations. It is evident from these comments that land-mines are a menace to human life during and long after conflict situations. The international community must find effective ways of preventing conflicts, as they result in the laying of the diabolical land-mines. Where a conflict erupts, every effort must first be made to raise awareness about land-mines, and all mine-producing and mine- exporting countries should restrict the sale of these weapons to the belligerents. Secondly, the response to a conflict that proves not amenable to preventive measures must be an automatic land-mine embargo. Thirdly, it is not in the long-term interests of any side in a conflict to lay mines, because, much as the psychology of war obviously dictates inflicting maximum destruction on the enemy by whatever means available, land-mines are too costly to live with after war, in both human and material terms. The warring parties must therefore always appreciate that they will still have a country to share and must live together as neighbours at the end of conflict, and that land-mines do not allow the wounds of war to heal easily and quickly. Fourthly, and most importantly for today’s debate, when a cease-fire has been established or a decision has been reached to establish a peace-keeping mission, the mandate of such an operation must automatically include demining at the top of its agenda, as has already been done in some cases. Military rules and procedures dictate that belligerents should mark and map their minefields. Experience has, however, shown that this never happens, and where some limited effort has been made to this end, the maps have not proved accurate enough to be of any meaningful use or assistance in the demining exercise. While it may seem an exercise in futility to expect the warring parties to remember their obligations to faithfully mark and map their minefields, there is at present no alternative but to insist that they should do so without fail so that the process of demining can be performed with ease during a peace-keeping mission. The international community should not abandon the search for the most practical ways of dealing with land-mines, including considering instituting appropriate measures under international humanitarian law to ensure such compliance. Such measures could also act as a deterrent against the laying of mines if there were clear penalties for non- adherence to the applicable rules. This would indeed facilitate the speed with which demining could be carried out in any United Nations peace-keeping operation and thus afford the peace-keeping mission an opportunity to carry out its mandate more effectively. All this presupposes the existence of a standardized mine-clearance technology. My delegation deeply appreciates the contributions of those countries that have always been ready to provide assistance in the field of demining technology. It is clear, however, that the demining exercise is not often carried out with the anticipated speed or the desired result, due to the lack of adequate capacity and the diversity of mine-clearance technologies. It goes without saying, therefore, that there is a need to develop an advanced mine-clearance capability and technology, and the United Nations system has an important coordinating role to play in this area, for the good of all humanity. It is a firmly held view of my delegation that the scourge of land-mines will always be with us even if we develop the best mine-clearance technology. The ultimate solution to the menace presented by land-mines lies in the complete prohibition of the production and use of these There is no doubt that war has always been a living reality in the history of human civilization and existence. It is a fact that there have always been rules and regulations governing the conduct of those who made war an industry, even in medieval times. It is therefore even more compelling for us, in the last few years of the twentieth century, to curb, prohibit and ultimately rid the world of these tools of war which inflict permanent pain on the human conscience.

May I at the outset welcome the initiative that you, Mr. President, have taken in organizing this debate. At the end of a year which will have seen the adoption of General Assembly resolution 50/70 — which sets the goal of the final elimination of anti-personnel mines — and the conclusion of work of the first Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on Prohibition or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons, it was indeed particularly timely for the Council to take up the question of demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping operations. With strict respect for the competences of the Security Council, the General Assembly, the specialized agencies and the programmes of our Organization, as well as of the disarmament forums, the international community must deal with this question in all of its aspects: disarmament, development and, of course, humanitarian aspects. Security Council action in this area must be seen against the background of the efforts of the international community to eliminate land-mines and humanitarian interventions to restrict the effects of this scourge. For France, the objectives are to outlaw and totally eliminate anti-personnel mines, and my country’s commitment to these objectives is of long standing. On 9 February 1993, France requested the Secretary- General to convene the Review Conference for the 1980 Convention in the very firm hope that this would lead to a substantive review of the provisions of Protocol II of the Convention. France considers that the efforts to put an end to the scourge of anti-personnel mines will take on full significance only through the adoption of a verifiable international agreement on the total elimination of these mines. France’s commitment to this objective is tangible and, as proof, I cite the restrictions my country has imposed on itself regarding, first of all, the export of anti-personnel mines. In 1993 France became one of the first countries to proclaim a complete moratorium. This unilateral decision covers all types of anti-personnel mines and all destinations. In addition, France decided last September to adopt a moratorium on the production of all categories of anti- personnel mines. At the same time, it committed itself to the destruction of its stockpiles. It goes without saying that my country urges all States to join it in that decision. We are aware of the unfortunate figures on the numbers of land-mines laid throughout the world and the number of victims killed or maimed each year by these devices. This shows a very urgent humanitarian need. France therefore provides considerable assistance to demining activities. In our national capacity or within the framework of United Nations peace-keeping operations, we have sent demining teams and demining training teams to Lebanon, Pakistan — operation Salam in 1989 — Somalia, Cambodia, Mozambique and the former Yugoslavia. My country is now participating in operations in Angola where, since its establishment, 12 instructors have been working at the demining school of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III). I should like to take this opportunity to pay a special tribute to all the specialized personnel who, with great courage, have taken on a dangerous, thankless but very necessary task. I should like to mention here the efforts made by the European Union in demining and the contributions of States to the United Nations Voluntary Given that the negotiation of universal and binding disarmament instruments and humanitarian intervention are two indispensable areas of action for the eradication of anti-personnel mines, the Council is, in the conduct of peace-keeping operations, confronted every day with the problems posed by mines. Recent debates during the renewal of the mandates of UNAVEM III or of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) have shown that the existence of mined areas and the laying of new mines directly affect the implementation of the mandates of the United Nations forces. It is therefore important to better integrate questions linked to mines with all stages of the definition and implementation of the mandates of United Nations forces, and I shall offer here only the following few guidelines. First, we should make the contingents of United Nations forces and, obviously, populations more aware of the mine problem. Secondly, we should set priorities for carrying out demining activities and make them consistent with the other objectives of the mandates given to United Nations personnel. Thirdly, we should combine programmes for mine elimination and the establishment of national capacity for demining in countries where peace-keeping operations are being carried out. Finally, we should obviously ensure the security of personnel through the provision of protective vehicles and appropriate means of transportation. The French delegation, in any case, is very receptive to all suggestions put forward during this debate, in its desire to have a better grasp of the problem of mines in defining the mandates that we give to the Blue Helmets. Let us not forget that mines are a major obstacle to development. The French delegation would like to reaffirm its determination to act to outlaw anti-personnel mines, and it urges the greatest possible number of countries to join it in achieving this great objective.

Allow me to begin by thanking you, Mr. President, for the timely introduction of the issue of demining in the context of peace-keeping operations into the agenda of the Security Council. In approaching the problem of mines, we are greatly encouraged to find ourselves among many other like-minded countries. We favour an integrated approach to this issue. We are pleased to observe that this is the line followed by the United Nations. In the same context, my delegation welcomes the seven-point action programme on anti-personnel mines presented recently by Mr. Klaus Kinkel, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany. We have devoted much attention to the problem of mines in its global dimension because of its obvious importance to the issue we are considering today: the peace-keeping context of demining. Mines are indiscriminate by nature. They are designed to make people — military personnel and civilians alike — suffer. The United Nations experience indicates that when it comes to civil wars, to conflicts within States — the environment that prevails in contemporary peace-keeping operations — mines cease to be mere combat tools. They are targeted against civilian populations and are meant to spread terror and hopelessness. Their effects go far beyond the battlefield itself. They not only bring unspeakable suffering to people and adversely affect the humanitarian efforts of the international community, they are also directed against post-conflict peace-building and the prospects for rehabilitation of various segments of life in war-stricken countries. Mines could seriously limit the operational potential of United Nations peace-keeping forces leading, at times, to the complete cessation of one or another of their mandated activities. First, the Polish delegation believes that while discussing the establishment of new peace-keeping operations or reviewing the mandates of existing ones, we have to take the issue of mines into consideration. In several ongoing peace-keeping operations demining is already a matter of routine. Polish contingents, among others, are known for having gained considerable expertise in this respect. We are therefore in a position to assess how demining influences the operations’ activities. When appropriate and necessary, we should staff peace-keeping operations properly and equip them with technical and financial resources for demining. This in no way releases the parties to the conflict from their responsibility for mine clearance. On the contrary, one might think about making it even clearer by, for instance, including demining clauses in the agreements between the parties to conflict. We are in favour of intensifying the educational efforts of the United Nations and the further development of training and mine-awareness programmes. We also share the opinion of those who point out the necessity of making the parties to conflicts follow to the letter the provisions of international law. I refer in particular to the documentation of minefields and the protection of the civilian population. We are discussing a problem which is extremely complex. There is no part of United Nations work that is not affected in one way or another by the mine-infested environment in different regions of the world which urgently need the assistance of the international community. We hope that today’s debate will give new momentum to the international efforts aimed at resolving the growing problem of mines, and in particular to its peace-keeping dimension. Those are the Polish delegation’s comments, made in addition to the statement to be delivered on behalf of the European Union, with which Poland associates itself.

Germany’s proposal for a public debate on land-mines is, in Egypt’s view, a very important initiative that deserves our full support. In this regard I would like to commend Mines are an international problem, afflicting approximately 65 countries, on whose territories are found 85 million to 100 million mines from wars and conflicts that in some cases have ended. This burdensome legacy not only brings suffering to people but also poses a real obstacle to economic development in a number of countries. We welcome the fact that United Nations peace- keeping operations now have a mine-clearance unit in the field, where Department of Humanitarian Affairs personnel assist the Governments of concerned States to clear the mines obstructing the work of administrative and economic institutions to enable them to run more smoothly and to facilitate the return of refugees and displaced persons. We view the problem from a comprehensive perspective because the phenomenon of mines preceded by several decades the concept of peace-keeping as it is currently understood. The problem began during the First World War and was aggravated during the Second World War, as well as during other regional wars in various countries throughout the world. These mines are present in countries which face widespread economic problems, which are compounded by the presence of mines and the high cost of clearance, in addition to the drain on technical and financial resources. In our view there are two approaches to the problem of mines. The first is remedial, and includes the need to intensify international efforts to clear the huge numbers of mines planted during earlier conflicts. The second is preventive, and includes the measures called for by some countries: restrictions on the circulation and use of mines to curb their proliferation, the rate of which far exceeds that of mine clearance. I take this opportunity to illustrate the first approach to the problem with a real model — the difficult experience which Egypt is going through. Egypt is one of those countries with a great many mines on its territory, especially in the Western Desert, in the area of El Alamein, west of Alexandria, which was a theatre for widespread military operations in one of the great battles of the Second World War. In addition, there are the mines remaining from four Arab-Israeli wars, particularly in the Sinai peninsula. I am not exaggerating the proportions of this problem in saying that there are about 22 million mines on Egyptian territory: approximately one mine for every three citizens. From 1981 to 1991 the Egyptian Government made a great effort, which cost tens of millions of dollars. This led to the clearance of about 924 square kilometres, where 11 million mines were cleared. However, it is difficult, unacceptable and unreasonable that Egypt alone should bear the effort and great cost of clearing all the mines, which were not planted by Egyptians and were not used for any Egyptian interests. I take this opportunity to remind the countries responsible for the proliferation of these mines of their legal, historic, moral and material responsibility, and I call upon the international community, particularly the countries that laid these mines, to provide the technical and financial assistance necessary for mine clearance. Egypt has raised this subject before in a number of forums. In this connection, I would like to refer to the Final Declaration of the Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, held in Geneva last May. In this Declaration, there is a paragraph on the role of the countries that lay mines: (spoke in English): “Recognizing the important role that the international community, particularly States involved in the deployment of mines, can play in assisting in mine-clearance in affected countries...” (CCW/CONF.I/16/(Part I), annex C, eighth para.) (spoke in Arabic): This paragraph should be interpreted as an affirmation of the responsibility of countries that lay mines to clear them. Despite the fact that United Nations documents acknowledge that these mines are present in great numbers on Egyptian territory, Egypt, is not one of the countries benefiting from the United Nations mine action programme, which is coordinated by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) in the United Nations. We consider that the absence of the United I move now to the second aspect of the problem, the preventive aspect, which has to do with the constant manufacture of mines and their absorption by new markets. It is estimated that the number of new mines laid annually is 20 times as great as the number of mines cleared. The United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons has dealt with mines to reach a final solution: the destruction of all mines. Egypt agrees with that ultimate and humanitarian objective of the Convention. However, there are certain considerations, particularly security considerations, for a number of countries, as well as the fact that all weapons, from light weapons to nuclear weapons, are considered inhumane. There are about 40 countries that agree on the necessity of prohibiting and outlawing mines. However, there are a number of other countries, particularly developing countries, that consider the responsible and legitimate use of mines an inexpensive way to protect their borders, their regional security and their strategic interests. Those countries do not own any other more advanced, less costly technological alternatives to take the place of mines. In this context, there are several proposals. The developed countries with modern technology could provide the necessary assistance in technology transfer to developing countries so that they could develop mine production, limited to self-destructive land-mines, or land- mines rendered ineffective following a certain period of time — the so-called smart mines, which the developed countries excluded from the Convention on the prohibition of mine production. Certainly, in our modern world there should be no discrimination in favour of developed countries that own this kind of technology and manufacture mines at a time when the ban is applied only to developing countries that do not have appropriate alternatives to protect their security interests. Before concluding, I would like to express our appreciation for the activities of DHA and peace-keeping operations in general in the field of mine-clearance. I would like to call for international support for United Nations efforts in this field through the provision of financial resources, technical expertise, modern technology and through considering the issue of mine-clearance in a comprehensive framework that includes social, economic and humanitarian dimensions, as well as all other dimensions necessary for the protection of the security of all countries. Why am I beginning my statement with this comment? It is precisely because anti-personnel land- mines are among the deadliest instruments, and experience demonstrates that they particularly affect civilian populations. A land-mine is an anonymous weapon, secretly placed in the hope that someone will inadvertently step on it. As stated by the Secretary- General in his statement before the International Meeting on Mine Clearance, held in Geneva in July 1995, of concern here are real weapons of mass destruction and of perverse and insidious method, ravaging civilian populations indiscriminately, frequently long after the conflicts have concluded, as we have heard in many statements this morning. The conflict ends; the mines remain. We are discussing this issue on the understanding that, generally, it is a part of the disarmament agenda and that promotion of and agreement on necessary measures at the international level fall within the purview of the General Assembly. We are discussing today the implications for the Security Council. We are pleased that for some time the international community has increasingly been showing its concern over anti-personnel land-mines. The figures that we have heard this morning are truly astounding: almost 70 countries throughout the world are afflicted by this scourge; 110 million mines lie planted in various parts of the world; available stocks number 100 million; 2 million to 5 million mines are laid annually, and only 100,000 are removed. There are 360 different types of anti-personnel mines in use, and 100 companies in the world produce these weapons in 55 countries. It is truly a massive, global phenomenon that falls within the purview of collective responsibility. No one country in particular can be singled out, as this is occurring in all parts of the world in many companies in a large number of countries. The international community’s concern and its wish to address this problem are reflected in many proposals inspired by the Secretary-General’s “An Agenda for Peace” and in the important initiatives of a number of countries as noted earlier by the representative of the United States. The first proposal is a moratorium on the export of these weapons; many countries have unilaterally declared such moratoriums. In this connection, I recall that Chile has maintained a unilateral moratorium on the manufacture and export of anti-personnel mines for more than a decade, long predating the moratorium endorsed by the General Assembly. The second was the convening of 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. Failing the complete and permanent elimination of anti- personnel mines, the Conference sought at least to restrict and monitor the use of such weapons with a view to reducing their indiscriminate effects. My country generally supports instruments of humanitarian law, and, as we know, the Conference, the first of its kind, was intended to bolster the humanitarian aims of Protocol II on the use of anti- personnel mines. That intention, unfortunately, was not fully realized owing to deep-seated differences on the scope, application and other aspects of the Convention. Chile has participated in the ongoing consideration of this subject in the United Nations, and has supported relevant proposals in the General Assembly. We have participated in demining operations in Nicaragua and El Salvador and have been invited to participate in similar operations in other Central American countries. We broadly support demining programmes adopted in the regional framework of the Organization of American States (OAS), most recently the OAS resolution on support for demining in Central America, adopted at the recent OAS General Assembly session in Panama. We have also been invited to participate in demining activities in Angola. The third proposal by which the international community has expressed its growing concern at the scourge of land-mines was the International Meeting on Mine Clearance convened by the Secretary-General in compliance with General Assembly resolution 49/215 of 23 December 1994. It was aimed at bringing together experts I mentioned these three elements, which were discussed outside the Security Council, because they have a direct impact on the Council’s work. I do not want to repeat the other practical proposals made in the course of our debate this morning by other representatives, relating to such areas as the return of refugees, the restoration of agriculture, the rebuilding of roads, the sharing of demining technology and the development of national capabilities. I would suggest that following this debate, which has attracted broad participation and during which we shall hear many non-members of the Security Council, the President could summarize the proposals; this would enable the Council to improve its consideration of the item, which is the point of this meeting. I wish in conclusion to thank you, Mr. President, and the German delegation for having convened a formal meeting to consider this item; this enables us to give great political impetus to the process of demining, particularly in the context of peace-keeping operations, which fall within the mandate of the Security Council. The elements requiring further effort, study, coordination and political will are many. With this meeting the Council sends a clear signal about the relevance of the item, an item to which my country attaches the greatest importance, both within the Security Council and in the General Assembly.

I thank the representative of Chile for the kind words he addressed to me. Sir John Weston (United Kingdom): The United Kingdom welcomes this open debate because this is an important subject which needs to be discussed. However, we strongly believe that today’s debate should focus on demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping operations, as the President himself emphasized at the outset. The Security Council is not the forum for the discussion of general land-mine issues. There will be a number of opportunities for that in the coming months, such as the meetings of the First Committee during the fifty-first session of the General Assembly and the Ottawa Conference in October. The United Kingdom is committed to reducing the danger that anti-personnel land-mines pose for civilians and those who serve in peace-keeping operations throughout the world. It is clear that substantial support for humanitarian demining efforts continues to be essential. The United Kingdom is one of the largest contributors to these efforts. Since 1993 we have donated, bilaterally and through the European Union, a total of £17.5 million to humanitarian mine clearance and mine awareness programmes. We fully support the United Nations mine clearance policy, which is based on the fundamental principle that the primary responsibility for taking action must lie with the host country and not, therefore, with an individual peace- keeping operation. We also support the role of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in providing assistance and training to build up the host country’s capabilities and to take on demining operations. But we believe that the United Nations must draw a clear distinction between mine clearance for the operational needs of peace-keeping operations, which is the responsibility of the Department of Peace-keeping Operations, and other humanitarian demining requirements, which fall under the responsibility of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. It is also important to distinguish between mine clearance and activities such as training and mine awareness. The difficulties encountered in establishing viable national solutions to mine pollution in countries such as Angola and Cambodia resulted, in part, from the ambiguities in mandates between peace-keepers and humanitarian agencies. We question therefore whether the Department of Peace-keeping Operations should be the focus for humanitarian mine clearance and mine awareness, given the coordinating role now undertaken by the Mine Clearance and Policy Unit of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. It is clear that there should be close coordination between the two organizations, but their tasks are not the same. The United Kingdom armed forces have undertaken mine clearance training for the United Nations in countries such as Pakistan and Cambodia. But, in common with the forces of a number of other European nations, they undertake mine clearance work only where it is necessary for the success of the military operation in hand: their aim The military undoubtedly has a valuable contribution to make to mine clearance, but the precise nature of this contribution needs to be defined at the outset of a particular peace-keeping operation. Demining as undertaken by the military may not be the most cost- effective means of humanitarian land-mine clearance, and military clearance standards and techniques may not be compatible with the humanitarian standards recommended by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. Humanitarian mine clearance is a slow, painstaking and methodical process. There are many non-governmental organizations and private companies which, under the coordination of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, are better suited to the task of humanitarian demining. Wherever there is a serious mine threat to United Nations peace-keepers, adequate detection, clearance and protection capabilities must be urgently provided to enable them to fulfil their mandate. But not all United Nations peace-keeping operations face similar mine threats. Demining might not always be necessary, and in some circumstances the premature removal of long- established minefields might even add to instability. But in all cases it is essential that the parties to a conflict should guarantee that they will desist from further mine- laying once a peace-keeping operation is established. We understand that some speakers today will suggest that there is a case for the establishment of a demining stand-by force. For our part, we rather question this. The international community is normally aware in advance of the need for mine-clearance operations, which are usually undertaken only when a conflict is over. Donor countries are unlikely, in our view, to be willing to designate equipment or facilities which, if they are to be available at short notice, would sit idle in the meantime. The United Kingdom would not be able to put mine- clearance trainers on permanent stand-by, but we do remain ready to consider each request on its merits. Finally let me thank you, Mr. President, for giving us the opportunity to discuss this important issue. We hope that what we and others have to say today will provide food for thought for the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Peace-Keeping Operations. The humanitarian disasters caused by the indiscriminate and irresponsible use of land-mines are, of course, of concern to us all. This problem fully deserves the increased attention of the international community, and the United Kingdom is committed to ensuring that we address these issues urgently and effectively.

Allow me first of all to thank you, Mr. President, for the words of welcome which you kindly addressed to me and to my delegation. The consolidation of peace as envisaged and conceptualized by the Secretary-General in his Agenda for Peace requires national reconciliation, among other things, for the socio-economic reconstruction of a country within the framework of peace-keeping operations. However, an indisputable prerequisite for any national reconciliation that is to be genuine and lasting, is the freedom of movement for individuals. The existence of anti-personnel mines in a country forms an obstacle to such movement of populations. The problem of land-mines throughout the world has been further exacerbated during the past year. Continuing disturbances throughout the world and the outbreak of new conflicts have contributed to the proliferation of mines, with all the attendant long-term socio-economic consequences for civilian populations. At this very moment, as I am speaking to the Council, a mine has perhaps just exploded in one of the more than 60 countries afflicted by this thing man has invented to achieve power and supremacy. It is a bitter heritage and painful memory of the recent past whose consequences Yes, somewhere in Afghanistan, in Angola, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or in Cambodia, Croatia, El Salvador, Mozambique and Yemen — the list is unfortunately too long to mention all the countries — a child on the way to school has just, unfortunately, placed his small foot on a mine which, upon exploding, has transformed him into a human wreck. Another explosion has brutally taken the life of a mother seeking water or wood at a nearby river. Mines are exploding every day in many countries of the world, causing irreparable damage to the flesh of their hapless victims and stirring in our hearts a sadness, indeed, a boundless remorse. In view of the seriousness of this scourge, the Security Council — thanks, Mr. President, to your initiative — is today focusing, as it should, on a serious problem, a genuine threat, by debating urgent and effective measures to take against a formidable enemy: the 118 million active mines scattered throughout more than 60 countries. What a tragedy! The role of the United Nations, whose mission of peace today requires its full meaning through consensus on this priority issue, can only be effective and bear fruit if it is accompanied by the commitment to actively participate in the effort of national reconstruction. Peace, to blossom and become firmly rooted, must emerge from an improvement in the living conditions of the populations concerned. This, fortunately, is something we have understood, as Members of the United Nations. And this concept, backed by our unanimous adherence, is taking the most diverse forms, manifesting itself everywhere in concrete and admirable ways, even in the most remote corners of the globe. Demining operations today represent a formidable challenge for the United Nations soldiers of peace, true heroes deserving of the solemn tribute we pay them here for their courage and their spirit of sacrifice and selflessness. Yes, alas, there are also victims among the Blue Helmets: more than 200 wounded and 60 dead — too many victims, in truth, for mines are everywhere along roads, in villages, on bridges, on riverbanks, even in schools and hospitals. The Republic of Guinea-Bissau considers that the use of all types of mines should be prohibited, banned. Their production and export should be forbidden. In addition, existing stocks should be destroyed. Moreover, even military experts consider the strategic military usefulness of mines to be more dubious than ever. We are dealing with a weapon that kills or leaves its victims mutilated for life, with no possibility of continuing to live normally. The innocent victims are innumerable and, unfortunately, include many children: there are too many amputated, blinded children, pointlessly martyred, nameless and unsung victims of futile and unending wars. This shows how useful, important and timely our debate today is. The international community must be able to provide the legal instruments for a total ban on mines and the destruction of mines. Important steps have already been taken in this direction, and negotiation to this end must be pursued. The success of the peace mission of the United Nations is at stake. Success will be incomplete if the effort for national reconstruction in the countries concerned does not enjoy the continued support of the international community, which must endow the United Nations, and in particular the soldiers of peace who are acting on behalf of all of us, with the essential tools to carry out their noble mission. We must do everything in our power to put an end to this tragedy, for it constitutes a permanent threat to the lives and physical integrity of individuals. Objectives such as a total ban on anti-personnel mines, a complete ban on exports of these wretched devices and effective demining must be essential elements of the new joint action of the United Nations. Furthermore, we encourage the international community to undertake immediately to seek solutions to problems caused by anti-personnel land-mines, with a view to eliminating them for ever and putting an end to this global calamity that kills or permanently mutilates hundreds of victims each week in many countries of the world.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Germany. Statistics, as the popular saying goes, can be deceiving, but some, unfortunately, are full of sad truths. The casualty report of the United Nations Land-Mine Database is a 30-page-long document with an endless list made up mostly of United Nations peace-keepers and military or civilian personnel killed or wounded by land- mines. There have been 19 incidents in Cambodia since March 1996, 30 incidents in Angola since April 1995 and 97 in Bosnia and Herzegovina since April 1992, to name just three cases. Every figure represents an individual human being. Let me just recall the most recent deaths, those of two Zimbabwean peace-keepers, and the severe injuries suffered by two supervisors and a student in Angola. Even more sadly, conflicts in which mines are being used indiscriminately appear, despite all international efforts, to be on the increase. Has this everyday suffering by people who were sent out to maintain peace been given the attention it deserves? The answer, clearly, is no. Moreover, land-mines, from a German perspective, are not far away. Let me remind you that 1.3 million mines were laid along the almost 1,400 kilometres of the former inner German Iron Curtain. The threat and the effect of those mines are still vivid in our memories. That is why we are grateful that the German initiative to hold an open debate on the topic of demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping met with the consent of Council Members. Previous statements have made it quite clear that this exchange of views is considered to be timely and necessary, and I am looking forward to the statements to follow. Let me seize this opportunity to fully align myself with the statement to be made by Ireland later today on behalf of the European Union. It is generally agreed that mine clearance is necessary in order to provide security to United Nations missions and their personnel; and, in fact, mine clearance is already part of numerous United Nations peace-keeping First, as in peace-keeping in general, rapid deployment of demining personnel and equipment is of fundamental importance. Obviously, roads and crucial transport links should be cleared of mines before the main contingents of peace-keepers arrive, and not while they are already operating. Unfortunately, to date, a far too long deployment period of three to six months is the rule rather than the exception. Here, the creation of rapid reaction capabilities, possibly including a range of easily deployable demining stand-by facilities, could be a step forward. Such arrangements may benefit from the growing impact of mechanical mine-clearance systems, which have proven to be effective and efficient and will allow reductions in the number of personnel involved. But, first and foremost, Member States have to be willing to facilitate this task. This brings me to my second point. Lessons learned from past peace-keeping operations, especially from the failures, have often highlighted the particular importance of clear and practical mandates. This also applies to the element of demining. Provisions for mine clearance have often been implicit — contained, for example, in a request for freedom of movement. This makes the task of the Secretariat and other agencies rather more difficult. Such provisions deserve a mention of their own. They should be made an explicit element of mandates, wherever necessary, in order to give clear guidance to those who are meant to implement them. A third area of possible improvement is the organization of work within the United Nations system, the rational delineation of responsibilities and clear hierarchies in decision-making. This should apply to responsibilities both within the United Nations Secretariat and with regard to other United Nations agencies involved in mine clearance. It is true that the operational task of the demining unit of DPKO is distinct from the humanitarian approach towards demining in the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA); and yet one may be allowed to wonder whether some greater integration of demining activities aimed at United Nations personnel, on the one Please allow me a little excursion in order to make my point even clearer: Can one really draw a clear fault-line between the one and the other? Does not operational demining, at least indirectly, also benefit the population of the area concerned? I do not intend to challenge the somewhat different natures of peace-keeping and so- called humanitarian demining; and, of course, compliance with the mandates remains the first priority. But it is my feeling that demining in peace-keeping should not dogmatically have to limit itself to the concerns of mission personnel. The welfare of the local people and their protection from the danger of land-mines should also be seen as a possible element of conflict resolution and, thus, a task of peace-keeping in a wider sense. I am aware that here I have touched on the borderline between peace-keeping and what we are used to calling peace-building. We all agree, I trust, that successful peace-building and the restoration of conflict- ridden areas and war-torn societies often depend on effective mine clearance and mine-awareness programmes. The Secretary-General has, again and again, emphasized this context. As early as 1992, in his Agenda for Peace, he stated: “De-mining should be emphasized in the terms of reference of peace-keeping operations and is crucially important in the restoration ... when peace- building is under way: agriculture cannot be revived without de-mining and the restoration of transport may require the laying of hard surface roads to prevent re-mining.” (S/24111, para. 58) I underline this with a telling example of our very recent Council discussions, this very morning: in Eastern Slavonia, the success of the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) and the recovery of the area are seriously hampered, a major reason being that the oil fields, a primary source of income for the region, are for the time being still infested with mines and cannot produce. The ensuing lack of local revenues means that there is no money available to pay the employees of the local administration — a serious problem with which UNTAES has been struggling now for quite some time. This being said, we cannot but also focus on the other side of the equation. Thus far, I have talked about demining, the elimination of existing mines or minefields, within a peace-keeping context. The picture would be incomplete, however, without an attempt to also address the root causes of the problem — the laying of mines and the re-mining, as stated by the Secretary-General. We all know the terrifying statistics about the frequency and costs of eliminating mines compared to the frequency and costs of laying them. While striving for improved demining, we therefore have to increase our efforts to prevent the laying of new mines. While the international community should be ready to step up its assistance in mine-clearance and related programmes, the major responsibility lies with the parties that lay the mines. We cannot allow this simple fact to be forgotten. This has a macro- and a micro-dimension. At the macro-level, efforts to reach an international ban on anti- personnel mines have to continue in other forums. The recent Review Conference for the United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons fell short of this broader target. Germany, for one, relinquished totally and unconditionally the use of anti-personnel mines, as underlined again in the recent seven-point action programme on anti-personnel mines presented by our Foreign Minister, Mr. Kinkel. But the issue also has a micro-dimension, more directly linked to concrete peace-keeping operations. It must be our interest, and in particular the interest of the Security Council, while a peace-keeping operation, including demining activities, is ongoing, that the parties to the conflict abstain from laying new mines. Mandates should Let me summarize and conclude. It was in January 1992, at the end of the meeting of 31 January at the level of Heads of State and Government, that the Security Council, for the last time, commented, in a broader approach, on the impact of particular weapons and armaments on United Nations peace-keeping and the maintenance of international peace and security. One issue, however, did not at that time get the attention it undoubtedly would have deserved from our perspective today: the issue of anti-personnel mines and their devastating effect on innocent people within and beyond the peace-keeping context. Today’s debate is one step towards closing this gap. Let me simply express my hope that, on the basis of all the constructive ideas which we have heard and are going to hear, we will be able to come up with some concrete proposals for practical improvements of demining efforts in a peace-keeping context. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. The next speaker is the representative of Canada. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

The United Nations estimates that some 2 million to 5 million anti-personnel land-mines are deployed each year, added to the 100 million already laid in the ground. We are becoming more aware of the devastating consequences of these devices in terms of death and injury, and this The economic and social impact of land-mines is also becoming better known: land-mines destroy infrastructure, contaminate agricultural land, make it impossible for refugees and displaced persons to return home and place an unsustainable burden on social assistance services in States emerging from the upheavals of war. Less well known to the public is the pernicious impact that land-mines can have on peace-keeping operations. We are grateful to you, Mr. President, for drawing attention to this aspect, among others, of the land-mine crisis by taking the initiative to hold this open meeting of the Security Council. Canada has adopted a two-track approach to putting an end to the tragedy of land-mines. The first track addresses the immediate problem of land-mines already in the ground, causing injury and death each day, as we have just heard. We have set up an active programme of demining assistance and victim rehabilitation in a number of countries. We are also looking for ways to enhance our efforts through fostering the development of Canadian capabilities in this field in order to deal with the many challenges facing mine-affected countries in, for example, Central America. The second track of our approach relates to the longer term, but ultimately more important, need to halt the deployment of new mines. That is why we, along with many other countries, are promoting an agreement to ban anti-personnel mines worldwide. Canada has a deep and long-standing commitment to the international-security vocation of the United Nations and has participated in all major United Nations peace- keeping operations to date. It is always risky to send young soldiers abroad to secure and maintain peace. However, those soldiers ought not be exposed to the additional risk of encountering the random horrors of land-mines in such circumstances. In recent years Canadian Blue Helmets, along with those of other countries, have risked their lives in the always dangerous task of mine-clearance - in Kuwait, Cambodia, Croatia, Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda and elsewhere. In the last five years, two Canadian peace- keepers have been killed and 22 seriously injured by mines. Moved by its deep concern over the economic and social repercussions of land-mines and by the belief that mine-clearance is an essential component of humanitarian reconstruction, Canada has taken steps. Expert personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces have been instrumental in (spoke in English) Since 1993 Canada has provided more than $6 million for United Nations-sponsored mine-clearance activities in Afghanistan, Angola and Cambodia, through the Canadian International Development Agency. Canada announced in June that it would also provide financial assistance to the mine-clearance programme of the Organization of American States (OAS). In addition to providing financial assistance for country-specific or region-specific mine-clearance programmes, Canada has also provided an initial contribution of $200,000 to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance and funding to the International Red Cross for medical treatment, including rehabilitation and artificial limbs for victims of land-mines. If we are to have real impact in addressing the economic and social cost of land-mines, and if we are to confront successfully the challenges they pose for peace- keeping operations, we have no option but to seek urgent action by the international community to eliminate these weapons and ban their use. We know we are not alone in arriving at the conclusion that we must now move to a global ban on these weapons. Nor are we alone in appreciating how difficult it can be for countries to come to view the costs and benefits of these weapons from a different perspective in order to weigh their military value against the devastation they cause among civilian populations. There are those within the international community who for many years have been challenging States to view these weapons from a different perspective. In this regard, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the roles the International Committee of the Red Cross and, most importantly, its forceful, convincing and dynamic President, Cornelio Sommaruga have played in highlighting the need for countries to take urgent action at the national and international levels to eliminate the scourge of anti-personnel mines. We hope that the States that join us in October will, among other things, endorse an Ottawa declaration and action plan that will establish a set of commonly agreed strategic objectives in order to move the international community closer to a ban on anti-personnel mines. Specifically, we hope that they will agree upon a series of concrete actions to be taken at the global, regional and national levels by Governments, international agencies and non-governmental organizations to achieve these objectives. The Ottawa meeting will provide an opportunity to work towards a resolution for the fifty-first session of the General Assembly to express the commitment of Member States to support a global ban on anti-personnel land-mines; to implement national moratoriums or bans on the operational use and export of anti-personnel mines; and, most importantly, to position us to move quickly to negotiate an international agreement to ban these mines. But the Ottawa meeting will be only the first step. To maintain momentum on this issue, we will also work with partners to establish a programme of activities in the coming year, including a follow-up conference to the Ottawa meeting to review and to lock in our progress in achieving a global ban on these weapons. Global momentum is building. All Members of the United Nations have endorsed the eventual elimination of anti-personnel mines. Many have gone much further. More than 40 countries have called for a comprehensive ban on anti-personnel mines; almost 30 countries have already moved to impose unilateral restrictions on the operational use and export of anti-personnel mines. We expect to see these numbers grow further by the time we get to the General Assembly. Regional organizations are leading the way in seeking to address the land-mine crisis. In June the General Assembly of the OAS adopted a resolution which commits Our hope is that all Members of the United Nations will be able to take practical steps to demonstrate a commitment to the achievement of a global ban on anti- personnel mines. The Ottawa conference will, we anticipate, be an important step in this direction. We look forward to working with all partners in pursuit of a world free of the menace of anti-personnel mines.

There are a number of speakers still remaining. In view of the lateness of the hour, I intend, with the concurrence of the members of the Council, to suspend the meeting now.

The next speaker is the representative of New Zealand. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Let me start out, Sir, by conveying to you my congratulations: congratulations, first, on your initiative to put this item on the agenda of the Security Council; and secondly, congratulations on your assumption of the presidency. It is a great honour and privilege for me to sit here at this table with you as President. In that sense, I would also like to convey our thanks and congratulations to Ambassador Dejammet and all the French delegation on the work they accomplished for the Council last month. The scale of the problem caused by land-mines is immense. It presents a huge challenge to the international community. The devastation which mines wreak on the lives of thousands of people is one of the greatest outrages of our time. These same mines also undermine the efforts of local populations to realize the potential for economic development that peace brings. New Zealand therefore gave strong support to the action taken by the General Assembly in its resolution 49/215, to convene in 1995 the International Meeting on Mine Clearance. We all learned at that conference in Geneva that there are now more than 110 million land- That is a dreadful legacy for civilian populations around the globe. Hundreds of people are killed or maimed each week, most of them innocent civilians, many of them defenceless children. Given the scale of the problem, and its international dimension, it is indeed timely that the Security Council is now following up the efforts undertaken in the General Assembly to focus the attention of international public opinion on this problem. The Council must also take into account the threat posed by mines to the safety of peace-keeping personnel. As casualties in Bosnia and Angola have recently sadly demonstrated, the presence of land-mines is a major inhibition to the ability of United Nations personnel to carry out their duties in support of many missions. For all these reasons, in April this year the New Zealand Government renounced the operational use of anti- personnel land-mines by the New Zealand Defence Force. It is our hope that the tide of international opinion will turn against the use of anti-personnel land-mines, and that other countries will soon join in renouncing their use. We call again for an immediate and unequivocal ban on all anti-personnel land-mines. The outcome of the recent 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 was disappointing because it did not go as far as we had hoped. Nevertheless it was a success in keeping the land-mines problem at the forefront of international attention. The next review conference will be in 2001. In the meantime we must take every opportunity to enhance the momentum in favour of a global ban. New Zealand is proud to have been actively engaged in and to have made a significant contribution to mine clearance efforts by the international community over many years. New Zealand has contributed demining instructors and programme management personnel from the New Zealand Defence Force to United Nations operations in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mozambique and, most recently, Angola. New Zealand personnel continue to serve in this capacity in Cambodia, Mozambique and Angola. New Zealand has also provided financial support for the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) Mine Clearance and Policy Unit, and two New Zealand Defence Force officers are currently attached to the Department of Peace-keeping Operations (DPKO) and the DHA respectively as demining advisers. New Zealand has welcomed the Secretary-General’s moves to improve the ability of the United Nations to manage and conduct land-mine related operations: first, the establishment of the Voluntary Fund, which provides a necessary and timely mechanism to channel funding to demining operations; secondly, the establishment of specialized demining units within DPKO and DHA; and thirdly, the designation of DHA as the focal point for the United Nations for mine clearance activities. These are welcome first steps. But notwithstanding the progress that has been made to date, there remains much to be done to ensure a more seamless approach to the conduct of the various mine related tasks through the life of a mission and beyond. There is a need for the mandates given by the Security Council to include strategic recognition and direction on mine issues, such as operational and humanitarian mine clearance, mine awareness, data base information gathering and the establishment, through training programmes, of indigenous demining capabilities. This would better enable the Secretary-General and mission planners to allocate appropriate resources towards achieving the objectives set, and ensuring a smooth transition from demining as a peace-keeping requirement to demining as a long-term peacebuilding activity. There is a role for the Council in more clearly defining the responsibilities for the various mine clearance tasks among the agencies involved in a peace-keeping operation. We believe that there is a need to rationalize in order to avoid duplication. This was recognized this year Now once that is done, we would urge the Secretary-General, as a matter of the greatest priority, to seek the means to equip fully those with land-mine responsibilities at United Nations Headquarters. Until this is done, the effective implementation of mine clearance programmes will continue to be hindered, as will the ability to apply lessons learned to new missions. Similarly, the creation of uniform operating procedures and standards that will benefit both training and the conduct of operations awaits the formation of an effective United Nations Headquarters element. We would see merit in a structured review of the mine clearance issues from past peace-keeping operations, so that lessons could be drawn for the future. It would be very useful for the Council to request such a review in a presidential statement, as a follow-up to this meeting. Perhaps this task would be a valuable new project for the Department of Peace-keeping Operations “lessons learned unit”. It is apparent that operations in areas with a significant mine threat also require special consideration. How best to achieve the mission in such a situation and how to ensure the safety of personnel are direct Security Council responsibilities. We believe that the demining effort must be timely, well-trained and properly equipped. New Zealand would see merit in examining, within the standby force concepts currently under investigation, the possibility of a rapid mine clearance capability that could be employed before or at the beginning of an operation. Consideration should also be given to acquiring greater numbers of mine- protected vehicles and developing operational concepts and standardized procedures to counter the mine threat. This is a further element which, we believe, could usefully be reflected in a statement by the Council. Clearly there are substantive issues requiring urgent action within the United Nations system if the United Nations is effectively to discharge its responsibilities in mine clearance in both the peace-keeping and post-conflict peace-building settings. Germany’s initiative in calling this meeting of the Security Council provides an important opportunity for doing this. Other, complementary, initiatives have been announced by Canada and Japan, and are strongly supported also by New Zealand. We welcome all of these as signs that the international community is

I thank the representative of New Zealand for the kind words he addressed to me, which were somewhat outside the newly agreed upon practice. Since we are outside that practice, let me add that I understand that the representative of New Zealand is leaving New York for good. We wish him well. The next speaker is the representative of Ireland. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

I am grateful for this opportunity to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following associated countries align themselves with this statement: Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia. Iceland has also aligned itself with this statement. Mines and the scale of human destruction which they cause are an issue on which public concern is growing around the world. Most recent estimates suggest that there are up to 110 million unexploded land-mines spread in almost 70 countries around the world. More alarming still is the number of new mines being laid every year: between 2 and 5 million. Even where peace- keeping operations are in force, parties to the conflict continue to lay mines, thereby increasing the risk to peace-keeping personnel, for whom mines often constitute the most significant danger. The human scale of the destruction is horrific, with, at times, more than 800 people, mostly civilians, being killed each month and thousands more being maimed. The European Union welcomes the decision by the Security Council to hold an open debate to consider the important issue of demining with particular reference to United Nations peace-keeping operations. The human and material costs associated with land-mines are a matter of increasing international concern. The subject is under ongoing consideration in the General Assembly. Given the responsibility of the Security Council for peace-keeping operations, debate here is timely on ways to deal more effectively with these problems in the context of peace-keeping operations and their mandates, which are of special concern to members of the Council and all troop contributors. The States members of the European Union are collectively the largest contributor to peace-keeping operations in terms of personnel, as well as the largest contributor to the overall budget of peace-keeping operations. Members of the Union have participated in operations over the past 10 years in which the removal of land-mines and other types of mines have derived solely from the specific nature of the peace-keeping operation. It is valuable to consider the degree to which mine clearance activities have been adequately addressed in peace-keeping mandates. A particular concern is that the enormity of the mine clearance task and the costs attached to it have often resulted in the issue being inadequately addressed even where the seriousness and scale of the problem were well known to the United Nations from the outset. The case of Cambodia provides just one example of this. We welcome therefore the increased importance which the relevance of demining in peace-keeping operations is being given within the United Nations Secretariat, and we strongly encourage the efforts being made to improve coordination between the relevant departments in this regard. Effective and timely coordination must be assured between the Department of Peace-keeping Operations (DPKO) and the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA). Other relevant departments and agencies of the United Nations should also be closely involved. We also attach importance to this coordination being fully reflected in the field structures through the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General. Due regard should be given to the long-term responsibilities of DHA in demining activities. Other steps should also be considered. These could include ensuring that when a peace-keeping mandate is being prepared, the responsibilities for mine clearance programmes of DPKO, DHA and the parties to the conflict are clearly defined, with more attention being given to timetables and the allocation of specific tasks from the very conception of the operation. It is important that the level of financing likely to be required is taken into account at the start of the operation. It also applies to the implementation of mine awareness programmes at the local level, and it applies to the creation of in-country mine clearance training programmes. United Nations experience in mine clearance activities in many afflicted areas has shown that development of an indigenous demining capacity is the most successful way to tackle large scale mine clearance operations. The first step in this process is the production of a national de-mining plan and an organizational structure to put it into effect. Schools can then be established to train local field staff in standardized mine clearance, survey, communications and paramedical skills, and to provide a source of feedback on local problems so that techniques can be improved. The European Union will study with interest the views which will be put forward by other speakers at today’s important meeting. Where appropriate, we will support initiatives which will lead to a more effective integration of mine-clearance activities into the mandates of peace-keeping operations. Our objective should be to ensure that there is as much clarity and precision as possible given to the respective roles and functions of the various agencies of the United Nations system. The ideas that emerge from this debate could be further developed in the Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations. The aftermath of mine deployment must continue to be given the utmost importance. Assistance in mine clearance and efficient and effective demining programmes, including the establishment of national mine-clearance capacities by afflicted countries, are issues to which the international community is devoting very significant human and financial resources. But much more remains to be done. It should not be forgotten that the primary responsibility for demining lies with the parties responsible for the laying of the mines. These are, of course, not always in a position to honour this obligation. The extent to which the United Nations will have to bear responsibility must depend on the capacity of the parties to take this obligation upon themselves. The European Union and its member States have contributed significantly to mine-clearance efforts. In particular, they have already contributed $9 million to the Voluntary Trust Fund established by the Secretary- General — by far the largest contribution. To this can be added the $80 million spent over the last four years on clearance projects, often as part of the Union’s wider development, rehabilitation and humanitarian programmes in which a clear and beneficial working relationship has been established with the appropriate United Nations agencies. Most recently, the European Union has funded mine-clearance operations directly or with non- governmental organizations in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Angola and Mozambique. The Union and its member States are playing a major role in the military and civilian implementation of the Peace Accords in the former Yugoslavia. The Council of Ministers of the Union has adopted a decision to contribute $4.6 million to finance the work of the United Nations Mine Action Centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Also, the Western European Union is considering the contribution it can make to demining. The first and foremost need is that of prevention — the elimination of anti-personnel land-mines through a complete ban worldwide. The European Union draws some hope from the increased resolve being shown by the international community to seek solutions for the detection and ultimate destruction of land-mines. The recent Conference on Mine Clearance Technology, hosted by the Government of Denmark, with the joint support of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Peace-keeping Operations, has shown that the development and use of new, specialized equipment which will considerably enhance the mine clearance technology of mine affected countries is not far off. The eradication of land-mines has now emerged as an international priority. The European Union will continue to play its full role in ensuring that every opportunity is taken to combat and end the indiscriminate use and spread throughout the world of anti-personnel land-mines and to contribute to solving the problems already caused by these devices.

The next speaker is the representative of Nicaragua. I invite him to take a seat at the Council and to make his statement.

On behalf of the delegation of Nicaragua and in our capacity as Secretary pro tempore for Central America, we welcome with great interest this meeting of the Security Council on demining as a demonstration of the special interest of Germany and of the international community as a whole in the worldwide problems caused by land-mines and the disastrous effects their indiscriminate destruction have on civilian populations and on the economic recovery of countries after conflicts and in the obstacle they place in the path of peace- keeping operations. It is estimated that there are more than 110 million land-mines scattered through more than 60 countries. None the less, 2 million to 5 million more mines are planted every year. To mention only a few of the countries where this is truly a priority problem, where there are millions of mines, we have Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Cambodia, Laos, Mozambique, Rwanda and Somalia. The demining programmes that have been established in those countries will for a long time require international assistance, and we express our solidarity with them. The cruelty of these weapons is shocking: thousands of dead and maimed, along with damage to the economy and infrastructure of the countries that have the In the face of this alarming situation, the international community has begun efforts through the application of restrictive measures adopted by many Member States regarding the transfer, production and reduction of current land-mine stocks and other unexploded devices. Nevertheless, the results of 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 show the lack of political will to achieve agreements regarding the establishment of an effective and binding verification mechanism. Furthermore, the existing extensions should pave the way for stronger negotiations to achieve a complete ban on anti-personnel land-mines. This is why we have stated our country’s position on this serious problem in many forums. The solution is the complete eradication of this kind of weapon from the face of the Earth. To this end, widespread and persistent political efforts are required to achieve a complete ban and sustained international cooperation for mine clearance. In this spirit, on 28 and 29 May 1996, a regional seminar was held in Managua, Nicaragua, on anti-personnel land-mines, demining and rehabilitation. Anti-personnel mines were defined as a violation of international humanitarian law. Mexico and the countries of Central America expressed their will to establish on their territories an anti-personnel-mine-free zone and reaffirmed the will of the Governments of the region to promote national policies fostering the complete and immediate prohibition of the production, possession, transfer and use of anti-personnel land-mines. They invited national parliaments to pass legislation to prohibit and sanction the manufacture, possession, transfer and use of such mines and to establish a set of norms to guarantee job opportunities to the victims of such devices. The seminar also encouraged Governments and the communications media to disseminate relevant information among populations exposed to the danger of anti-personnel land-mines so that they would not become victims, and urged the international community, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and non-governmental humanitarian organizations to contribute to the programmes undertaken by Central American countries for the Furthermore, at the twenty-sixth session of the Organization of American States (OAS), held in Panama in June 1996, a resolution was adopted on support for demining in Central America. It emphasized the ongoing and serious problem of land-mines and their effects, which impede the social and economic development of vast and rich rural areas and have a serious adverse effect on the border integration of areas affected by these deadly devices, and it urged States members of and permanent observers to the Organization and the international community to continue to cooperate and support the demining work carried out in Central America. It also noted with satisfaction the important contributions to the demining programme in Central America made by States members, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Colombia, Peru, the United States of America, Uruguay and the Permanent Observers to the OAS, including France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden. Echoing the agreements made at those meetings, my delegation, as Secretary pro tempore for Central America, appeals to the international community to continue and increase in a sustained way its assistance to demining programmes in Central America. We would like to reiterate the point that we have made in other forums: there is an urgent need to deal with the larger issue of a ban on the export and production of anti-personnel mines. We are prepared to support initiatives to that end. It is in that spirit that we have co-sponsored the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly on a moratorium on the export of anti- personnel mines, until we have a total ban on these weapons. We would also like to express our support for the seven-point programme of action on anti-personnel mines proposed on 18 July 1996 by Mr. Klaus Kinkel, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany. Nicaragua, a state signatory 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, is aware of the importance of this international instrument and is taking the steps necessary for its ratification, which shows the high priority our country attaches to negotiations to abolish such weapons. We would also like We would like to take this opportunity to thank Member States that have made important contributions to the continuation of the difficult and costly task of demining in Central America. With the historic signing of the Treaties of Pelindaba, Rarotonga and Bangkok, the Antarctic Treaty and the Treaty of Tlatelolco, there are already four denuclearized zones on our planet. If this has been achieved in the difficult sphere of nuclear matters, why can we not declare a zone free of anti-personnel land-mines in the western hemisphere? Let us pool our efforts to ensure that the dawn of the new century sees the beginning of economic and social development for our peoples, thus making possible a peace dividend.

The next speaker is the representative of Japan. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

The indiscriminate use of land-mines is among the most pressing and dangerous problems confronting us today. The numbers are staggering: there remain more than 100 million uncleared land-mines in 68 countries around the world, primarily in areas of conflict; and between 2 million and 5 million additional land-mines are being laid each year. They are a grave humanitarian problem, causing unspeakable suffering among innocent civilian populations, and they continue to pose a serious obstacle to post-conflict national rehabilitation and development. It is essential that the international community as a whole address this dire situation, because war-ravaged countries simply do not have the wherewithal to deal with it on their own. The United Nations, for its part, has been addressing this problem since 1994 through, for example, the establishment of the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance, through the convening of a Conference to review the 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons, as well as through the International Meeting on Mine Clearance in Geneva. My delegation believes that the United Nations must mobilize its strength to continue and reinforce such efforts. It expresses its appreciation to the Federal Republic of Germany for its initiative in holding this formal meeting of the Security Council. Speaking on that occasion, I underscored the need to enhance United Nations-based international cooperation in clearing land-mines that remain in areas where armed conflict has been settled and in strengthening efforts to deter the use of land-mines in the future. In particular, Japan emphasized at the Geneva Conference that the international community, in tackling the issue of existing land-mines, must address this intractable problem in a comprehensive way, focusing its efforts in three interrelated directions: first, strengthening the mine-clearance activities of international agencies, with the United Nations as the centre of coordination; secondly, promoting the development of new technologies for land-mine detection and clearance; and, thirdly, strengthening international assistance for the rehabilitation of land-mine victims. At the G-7 Summit in Lyons earlier this summer, the Prime Minister of Japan, Ryutaro Hashimoto, proposed convening an international conference to discuss this three-pronged effort at the senior official level in Tokyo early next year. But our efforts should go further than that. We must tackle the root cause of the problem: the use of this inhumane weapon called the anti-personnel land-mine. It is important that demining activities be coupled with swift and determined action to prevent a further proliferation of land-mines. Otherwise, the money and efforts that the international community puts into demining will be largely wasted. At the Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) in Geneva this spring, it was decided to strengthen restrictions on the use and transfer of anti-personnel land-mines within the framework of the CCW. It should be noted in this context that there is emerging within the international community a new momentum towards the global ban on the use of anti-personnel land-mines. The Government of Japan has decided to support such international efforts. In this spirit, the Government of Japan wishes to cooperate with like-minded countries in joining efforts towards a global ban on anti-personnel land-mines. It is important to recall in this connection that if we are to be serious about our efforts, the problem of commercial transfer of land-mines from the manufacturing countries to the areas of conflict will have to be the subject of our careful scrutiny. Japan has been strictly adhering to the policy of refraining from the export of land-mines; it strongly urges other countries to follow this example. Let me turn now to a specific point raised by the Federal Republic of Germany. Until now, the problem of land-mines has been discussed chiefly as a humanitarian issue and in terms of the obstacles mines pose to national reconstruction and development. Indeed, land-mines can present a major hindrance to establishing lasting peace, which is a prerequisite for national reconstruction and rehabilitation in the post-conflict situation. But at the same time, they can also seriously compromise the safety and security of personnel involved in United Nations peace- keeping operations. As we have seen in Cambodia, the Golan Heights and Rwanda, demining efforts are sometimes indispensable to enabling peace-keeping missions to fully discharge their mandates. Thus, it would seem reasonable and appropriate that, when considering future peace-keeping operations, we should keep in mind this aspect of the situation under consideration and include in their mandates, as appropriate, a demining function, in addition to strictly peace-keeping functions such as the observation of disengagement of forces and of cease-fires. This would have the added advantage of contributing to peace-building activities through the creation of a safe environment to work in, during the phase of continuum leading towards full-fledged post-conflict reconstruction and development. With this in mind, my delegation is supportive of the German proposal to consider the demining function within In conclusion, my delegation strongly hopes that the present formal consultation in the Security Council will give a powerful momentum towards establishing a truly effective framework for working towards a global ban on this reprehensible weapon.

The next speaker is the representative of Norway. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Anti-personnel land-mines are among the most insidiously destructive weapons commonly used in war. They continue to spread terror for years or even decades after hostilities have ended. We should all recognize that the military utility of anti- personnel land-mines is far outweighed by their cost in humanitarian and socio-economic terms. For many years, Norway has been involved in United Nations peace- keeping operations and mine-clearing missions and has been able to gain first-hand experience of the consequences of the widespread and irresponsible use of land-mines. A bold and concerted effort by all nations is urgently needed. We therefore welcome this open debate in the Security Council on the question of demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping. Given the Security Council’s responsibility for peace-keeping operations and the very grave and direct problems which the use of land-mines represents for these operations, we believe it is extremely useful to discuss within the framework of the Council ways and means of addressing these problems in peace-keeping mandates. It is a tragic fact that over the years, hundreds of United Nations peace-keepers have been killed or wounded by mines. It is also a persistent problem that the use of land-mines by the parties to a conflict represents a serious impediment to the carrying out of the mandate of peace-keeping operations: it causes important delays, it reduces the effect of the operation, and it represents serious additional financial costs. Important efforts are now being made by the Secretariat to improve coordination between relevant departments with regard to demining in peace-keeping operations. We strongly welcome and encourage these efforts. Coordination between the Departments of Peace- keeping Operations and Humanitarian Affairs is particularly important. Increased attention should be given In a number of conflict-torn areas, demining is also an important element in the overall efforts towards achieving lasting peace and conditions for reconstruction and development. Demining, as well as measures to prevent renewed use of land-mines, as part of broader disarmament measures, should therefore also be considered in the context of post-conflict peace-building, as pointed out by the Secretary-General in his Supplement to “An Agenda for Peace”. The question of anti-personnel land-mines has a number of different dimensions: it represents a grave humanitarian problem; it has direct bearings on United Nations peace-keeping operations; it is an important disarmament issue; and it has a development dimension. It should therefore be addressed on a broad and comprehensive basis. Today’s debate in this framework is a significant expression of the growing awareness of the need for such a comprehensive approach. In the view of the Norwegian Government, the only sane, humane response to the scourge of anti-personnel land-mines is their total prohibition and elimination. Norway is one of the countries that has consistently advocated a total ban on the production, transfer and use of anti-personnel mines. In June 1995 we declared a moratorium on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of anti-personnel mines. All anti-personnel mines currently found in Norwegian military stockpiles will be removed and destroyed. According to the present schedule, this work will be completed by 1 October this year. Norway hopes that its example will add weight to the ongoing international efforts to ban anti-personnel land- mines. The outcome of 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 earlier this year fell far short of our expectations. The amended Protocol II, the land-mine protocol, does not ban anti-personnel mines and does not go as far in the area of interim protection for civilians as we and many others would have wished. While this is disappointing, it does not prevent us from welcoming the amended Protocol as an important first step on the road to We are convinced that the conclusion of the Review Conference is only the beginning of a challenging process which requires persistent and widespread efforts if its humanitarian objectives are to be fully achieved. In this context three points should be mentioned. First, it is encouraging that more than 30 countries are now advocating a total ban on anti-personnel land- mines. In our view, a concerted effort by those countries will be the most effective way of continuing the fight against these weapons. The meeting to be held in Ottawa this autumn will provide an important opportunity to discuss a joint strategy for achieving a total ban on anti- personnel land-mines. Such a strategy should include a plan of action with specific short- and medium-term objectives en route to the goal of the total elimination of these weapons. We hope that the Ottawa meeting will be the first of a series of meetings for the countries that support this work. Secondly, in order to build on and enhance the momentum of this movement, Norway would like to see a strong resolution at the forthcoming fifty-first session of the General Assembly, embodying the objectives of the pro-ban States. The existing General Assembly consensus resolutions on demining should maintained. Thirdly, Norway is prepared to take part in negotiations on a comprehensive ban on anti-personnel mines. These negotiations should begin as soon as possible. In addition to these political measures, practical efforts should be made to strengthen the capacity for demining activities in various parts of the world. The Norwegian Government would like to see a radical increase in such efforts, aimed primarily at enhancing permanent facilities and schemes at the local level. Local expertise should be developed in the fields of mine awareness, detection and clearance activities. Norway has so far trained more than 1,000 deminers and 400 mine awareness instructors in various countries. The Norwegian Government has spent more than $20 million on demining-related activities in a number of countries, and we intend to maintain or increase this level of support. We should strengthen the ability of the United Nations to initiate and coordinate demining activities throughout the world. The United Nations should also provide funding for demining activities. Norway has contributed about $1.3 million to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance. Norway is also ready to contribute expert personnel to the standby capacity of United Nations mine action assistance programmes through the Norwegian Emergency Preparedness Systems (NOREPS). In dealing with the land-mine problem, we believe that humanitarian ideals will be best served if political stands are backed up by measures with the maximum practical effect. In this context, we cannot allow humanitarian concerns to be subordinated to military requirements.

The next speaker is the representative of Uruguay. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

The item before the Security Council today is of the greatest importance. Anti-personnel mines are a weapon of destruction widely used throughout the world; they are particularly bad because they are indiscriminate and because they continue over time to sow death and destruction even after the end of the conflict that caused them to be laid. The figures collected by international agencies are terrifying: more than 10 million mines in Afghanistan; nearly 15 million in Angola; between 8 million and 10 million in Cambodia; millions in the former Yugoslavia, Chad, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Mozambique, Rwanda and Somalia. The list goes on to include 65 countries in which mines have been laid. The international community has made considerable efforts in the area of demining, but regrettably the results are outweighed by the efforts of those who lay more mines every year. It is important to underscore this disparity and In the framework of its peace-keeping operations, the United Nations has carried out an extensive programme of assistance to affected Governments covering not only demining tasks but also the training of local personnel and helping civilian populations to identify the presence of mines, the dissemination of information on the dangers of mines, and activities intended to abate the effects of mines, especially through medical treatment and rehabilitation. Here the participation of Member States is vital. As a contributor of troops to peace-keeping operations, Uruguay is sharing in the endeavours of the United Nations, with special emphasis on the two aspects of providing safety and security for troops in the field, and supporting the implementation of large-scale demining programmes in the context of a complex mandate. Specifically, the participation of Uruguayan contingents in the operations in Cambodia, Mozambique and Angola is a clear example of our cooperation in this area. In the particular case of Angola, the activities of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM) have yielded concrete results: nearly 6,000 kilometres of roads have been opened, certified or demined by United Nations troops. Uruguay has participated in the establishment and functioning of the Central Mine Action Office and the Mine Clearance Training School. Recently, a Uruguayan teacher at the School, Captain Fernando Poladura, was gravely wounded in the course of his duties. To date, there have been three Uruguayan casualties in mine- explosion accidents. Uruguay was among the sponsors of General Assembly resolutions 50/70 and 50/82, on the suspension of the export of anti-personnel lane-mines and on assistance in mine clearing respectively. Here too we acknowledge the efforts to achieve consensus proposals. My country has repeatedly spoken out against the traffic, stockpiling, export and manufacture of these weapons. That is why we were particularly interested in I highlight the German seven-point proposal for the elimination of the use of anti-personnel mines and the proposal on the immediate world-wide entry into force of the revised Protocol on land-mines adopted at Vienna in May this year. We hail measures leading to unilateral indefinite moratoriums on the export of anti-personnel mines of all kinds. There is no doubt that Germany’s concern that the Security Council should propose that demining be included in the mandates of United Nations peace-keeping operations is an excellent initiative.

The next speaker is the representative of Pakistan. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

My delegation would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the high office of President. I would also like to convey our profound appreciation to the German delegation for providing us an opportunity to address an extremely important aspect of United Nations peace-keeping operations. As one of the largest troop-contributing countries to United Nations peace-keeping operations, and the largest today, Pakistan has consistently contributed to demining activities in such operations. The problems posed by the indiscriminate laying of the alarming number of over 110 million land-mines in more than 60 countries across various regions of the world are of grave concern. Since the current rate of mine laying far exceeds the rate of mine clearance, the problem simply continues to get worse. More than 800 people, mostly innocent civilians, are killed every month by land-mines. The number of victims who are maimed and mutilated is even higher. Land-mines have thus become a problem which has achieved the dimensions of a world-wide plague. The magnitude and complexity of the international land-mine problem, in the context of United Nations peace- keeping operations in particular, is immense. The deployment of peace-keepers in a mine-strewn country is replete with grave threats to their safety and security. These perils seriously undermine their performance. Along with the civilian population, the peace-keepers also fall victims to randomly scattered mines. The severity of the hazards is further substantiated by the fact that land-mines are the second leading cause of operational deaths of United Unfortunately, Pakistani peace-keepers have also suffered as a consequence of the indiscriminate use of land-mines. Just last June, one of our site supervisors serving with the United Nations Angola Verification Mission was seriously injured while undertaking a demining operation. United Nations peace-keeping forces carry out demining for two primary purposes: first, to ensure a secure environment to engage in peace-keeping, and secondly, to carry out other parts of their mandates. For example, in Cambodia the United Nations peace-keeping mandate included the conduct of elections, so polling sites were demined. In Angola, part of the United Nations peace-keeping mandate is to restore the free movement of people and to create an indigenous demining capacity. While these two objectives are of primary concern, would it not be prudent to plan mine clearance beyond peace-keeping operations, while staying within the context? As we all know, the removal of land-mines is one of the prerequisites for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of a country. Demining operations could be designed to rid the civilian populations of mine-infested countries from this menace. Therefore, the linkage between a peace-keeping operation and a humanitarian programme is of critical importance. That is why it could be advantageous for future peace-keeping operations to continue to include resources for the early establishment of an integrated demining programme. In order to ensure a coordinated approach to the land-mine problem, it is also important to link the peace-keeping mine-clearance activities closely to the humanitarian activities from the very beginning. This would also ensure the continuance of mine-related activities following the expiry of a peace-keeping mandate. We are cognizant of the fact that mine clearance operations are slow, painstaking, expensive and dangerous. The Secretary-General has also acknowledged that the start-up costs of mine-clearance are often very high because a demining programme may need to create almost all of its own infrastructure. Yet the human cost of not destroying these mines is proving to be even higher. The international community should make grants and contributions in order to provide adequate financing for demining activities undertaken in various operations. The demining standby capacity of the United Nations should also be strengthened by placing trained personnel, equipment, modern technology and other facilities at the disposal of the United Nations. Pakistan believes that the sharing of the costs of demining must be based on the principle that those who lay land-mines must bear the primary responsibility for their clearance. Parties that have wreaked havoc by indiscriminately deploying mines must not be allowed to walk away from the scene of the carnage. In the context of peace-keeping operations, wherever the abusers can be identified, they should be made to pay for the devastating suffering that they have caused. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that while Pakistan will continue its consistent policy of actively participating in all efforts to strengthen the role of the United Nations in preserving international peace and security, the safety of our troops is a matter of priority. Pakistan therefore urges the international community to contribute to strengthening the demining capability of United Nations, particularly in peace-keeping operations.

The next speaker is the representative of Ukraine. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

We have every reason to thank you for convening this open meeting of the Security Council devoted to the problems of demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping. We believe that the consideration of this issue is a very timely and important step, since the problem of land-mines long ago transcended humanitarian considerations and, as indicated by recent developments in the hot spots of our globe, has figured prominently whenever United Nations peace-keeping operations are conducted. Increasingly, land-mines pose a serious problem for United Nations peace-keeping activities. The implications of the use of land-mines affect all aspects of the implementation of the Organization’s mandate. Uncleared land-mines significantly complicate and slow down the process of the deployment of United Nations The use of land-mines in areas of conflict and their negative effect on the security of both civilians and United Nations peace-keepers are a cause of special concern to Ukraine. The figures speak for themselves. During the years of conflict in the former Yugoslavia alone, land-mine explosions have claimed the lives of 20 United Nations peace-keepers and more than 200 people have been injured to various degrees. Besides, millions of refugees and displaced persons are potential victims of this danger. That is why it is our deep conviction that the time has come to drastically change our approach to this very complicated problem. The Ukrainian delegation believes that the problem of demining should become an integral element of the planning and implementation of any peace-keeping operation. The questions of timing, stages and conditions of engagement of the demining capacity are yet to be answered. There is no doubt that demining activities in a country can be justified and effective only if parties to the conflict are reliably prevented from acquiring land-mines. Ideally, these measures should be most actively undertaken when an armed conflict has ended and its causes are dealt with through political means. At the same time, lessons learned during the recent peace-keeping missions in heavily mined areas, such as Angola and the former Yugoslavia, prove that conducting mine detection and clearance activities in areas of operation before the actual deployment of peace-keepers is becoming an important prerequisite for the full-scale deployment of a mission, because peace-keeping forces can effectively implement their mandate only in areas known to be free of land-mines. That is why it is appropriate to consider further the question of sending forward-line demining units to the field before the full- scale deployment of an operation. Careful consideration should also be accorded to the issue of establishing mine-clearance centres in countries where an armed conflict has ended, but where land-mines continue seriously to undermine efforts aimed at achieving long-lasting peace and stability. At the stage of post-conflict peace-building, such centres could function as valuable training institutions, strengthening the national capacity in the demining process. Welcoming the idea of establishing a lessons-learned unit within DPKO, we are looking forward to receiving relevant information containing a thorough analysis of the experience gained during United Nations demining operations. It is also very important to address the problem of improving the existing techniques of demining. At a time when in some regions of the world the great number of mines silently awaiting their prey exceeds the number of residents, the mobilization of scientific and material resources to create state-of-the-art demining technologies appears to be an extremely urgent problem. Our delegation’s participation in the discussion of this item is far from accidental. Ukraine strongly supports the measures aimed at eliminating the threat associated with land-mines. It is for this reason that our State declared a self-imposed four-year moratorium on the export of anti- personnel land-mines of all types, effective 1 September 1995. Moreover, we remain convinced that the declaration by all States of a comprehensive moratorium on the export of anti-personnel mines could significantly contribute to solving all the problems related to the use of these dangerous devices. Irrefutable is the fact that the destructive impact of land-mines is much greater than their short-term military benefits. Ukraine also attaches great importance to international cooperation in mine clearance. The Ukrainian bridging company participates in the peace-keeping operation in Angola, where an extremely serious situation prevails I would like to take this opportunity to announce that Ukraine is prepared to provide, on specific terms, special units of its military forces for demining operations conducted under the auspices of the United Nations and of other international organizations, as well as on a bilateral basis. But, obviously, all these efforts by Ukraine alone are not enough. The scope of the global problem of uncleared land-mines is so enormous and its humanitarian consequences so devastating that it is only through the concerted efforts of the concerned Member States, working in close cooperation with each other, that significant progress will be made on this issue and these seeds of death will finally be destroyed. I wish all of us success in this noble endeavour. The faster we act the more innocent lives will be saved.

The next speaker is the representative of Australia. I invite her to take a seat at the Council table and to make her statement.

Australia welcomes the opportunity this debate provides to Member States to present their views on this very important issue. The Security Council pronounced itself on the general problem of land-mines in a statement responding to the supplement of February 1995 to the Secretary- General’s Agenda for Peace. In its statement the Council supported efforts to curb the spread of anti-personnel mines and to deal with land-mines already laid, and expressly welcomed General Assembly resolutions on both aspects of the problem. The Council also reaffirmed its deep concern over the tremendous humanitarian problem caused by the presence of mines and other unexploded devices, and emphasized the need for increased mine- clearance efforts by the countries concerned and with the assistance of the international community. Our assistance to these programs increased from $1.8 million in the financial year 1993-1994 to nearly $5.8 million in 1995-1996. Much of this contribution has been directed towards Cambodia, as the most mine-affected country in our region. But we have also assisted substantially the programmes coordinated by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) in other badly mine-affected countries: Mozambique, Angola and Afghanistan. Not to neglect a problem which is equally serious from a humanitarian point of view, we are contributing $700,000 over three years to the United Nations trust fund for clearance of unexploded ordnance in Laos, a long- standing cause of great suffering and an obstacle to development in that country. In view of the dimensions of the land-mine problem, we welcome the ideas being put forward in this discussion today on the subject of mine clearance and United Nations peace-keeping. At this stage, our own thinking on this subject is of a general nature. But it is clear that peace-keeping mission planning should include consideration of the need for mine- clearance activities. Planners need to address the question of whether mine clearance is operationally necessary to carry out the mandated functions of the mission, including the protection of peace-keeping forces and ensuring freedom of movement. It may be that there is a need for greater specificity regarding mine clearance in peace- keeping mandates. We wish to reflect on the views of other Member States on that question. Experience suggests that a truly comprehensive political settlement should address in detail the elements of peace-building, of which demining is an essential part. It follows that the Council should take the opportunity, in resolutions or statements related to a peace-keeping operation, to explicitly address the subject of humanitarian At present, our judgement is that the Department of Peace-Keeping Operations and Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) are coordinating well in their respective involvement in mine clearance, both at Headquarters and on the ground, but we note some Member States are of the view that there is a need for greater clarity of their roles. As a general proposition, the transition from a peace-keeping mine-clearance programme to a humanitarian programme needs to be carefully managed and well coordinated, including in consultation with non-United Nations actors. As Member States are aware, demining strictly for immediate peace-keeping needs can in many respects be of a different nature from long-term humanitarian mine clearance. For affected people on the ground, the emphasis on demining to provide a safe working environment for peace-keepers can be seen as a failure by the United Nations to address urgent humanitarian problems. Accordingly, it is Australia’s view that humanitarian demining programmes, including the creation of indigenous demining capability, should be run concurrently with demining for peace-keeping. The Council therefore needs to coordinate its efforts with other organs of the United Nations so that DHA can begin concurrent planning for humanitarian demining. Financing for humanitarian purposes is obtained largely through voluntary trust funds. Inevitably, the shortage of such funds during the early phases of a mission works to prevent the concurrent operation of peace-keeping mine clearance and humanitarian mine clearance. Adequate financing for humanitarian mine clearance is a concern of all United Nations Members. One thing the United Nations could do, through the Economic and Social Council and the Fifth Committee, is develop a position on the long-term budgetary situation of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. For example, could more of its core activities, including those related to mine-clearance programmes, be funded out of the regular budget? In its recent resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III), the Council, addressing its message both to the Government of Angola and to UNITA, stressed the need for destruction of land-mines as part of a continued commitment to peace. The United Nations should continue to give attention to the disarmament aspect of the land- mines problem in general. On 15 April this year, Australia announced its support for a global ban on the use, transfer, production and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, and the suspension of the operational use of anti-personnel mines by the Australian Defence Force. We will determinedly pursue the objective of a global anti-personnel land-mine ban in a number of forums: in the General Assembly, in the Disarmament Commission, in the Conference on Disarmament and at future meetings of the parties to the inhumane-weapons Convention. We are looking forward to a meeting of pro-ban States to be hosted by Canada in October, which is expected to identify strategies for achieving such a ban.

The next speaker is the representative of Croatia. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

At the outset we should like to congratulate the German delegation, which, in recognizing the urgency and concern the international community has attached to this serious problem, has presented us with some highly expedient proposals and expeditiously convened this meeting. The fact that we have gathered here today demonstrates that we share a high measure of awareness of the problem, as well as a definite political will to find solutions. We believe that although much progress has been made in the field of land-mine awareness, when recalling the many meetings and conferences that have preceded this meeting, much remains to be done. Experts have identified mine-clearance problems, and mine-clearance operations in various countries have enabled us to accumulate a great amount of knowledge, which has in turn been used to outline possible solutions. More extensive prohibitions and Unfortunately, this does not take away from the fact that 85 to 110 million anti-personnel and other mines lie uncleared in many countries around the world. As the Council may be aware, the Republic of Croatia is directly affected by this problem. According to current estimates, approximately 3 million land-mines were laid on 13,000 square kilometres of Croatia’s territory, or 2,300 mines for every square kilometre. This land-mine problem is exacerbated by the mine-like risks of more than 100,000 unexploded artillery shells and ordnance scattered over the same area. For Croatia the eradication of land-mines is not only desirable — it is absolutely necessary. According to rough estimates based on recent experience, it will take 2,000 men directly engaged in mine clearing from eight to ten years to completely demine this territory. Until that time, and to quote the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs at the International Meeting on Mine Clearance at Geneva on 6 July 1995: “Where villages are mined, refugees and displaced persons cannot return home; where agricultural fields are mined, farmers cannot plant and harvest crops; and where power lines, highways and irrigation systems are mined, development cannot move forward.” While Croatia is working towards returning its refugees and displaced persons to their former places of residence, it will be some time before these people regain their normal way of life. We should like to point out that demining should become an integral part of the post- conflict restoration process and, therefore, inseparably linked to peace-keeping operations, be they United Nations operations or not. Taking into account the fact that demining is very important not only for the safety of peace-keeping troops and returning civilians, but also in restoring the fabric of a war-shattered economy, the overall success or failure of a peace-keeping operation can hang in the balance if significant progress is not made in demining during that time. Peace-keeping operations cannot facilitate the return of refugees and the displaced and the nominal functioning of civil order, as well as Croatia welcomes the efforts of the United Nations and the Secretary-General in establishing international mine-clearance centres where necessary. In this regard, Croatia is now in the process of discussing the establishment of a mine action centre in Zagreb. Through the mine action centre, Croatia hopes to share not only its experiences and successes but also its shortcomings with regard to the mine-clearing process. In this way we believe that others will gain by implementing for themselves, in their national environment, measures that have proved successful and efficient in Croatia, while at the same time avoiding the shortfalls. To this end Croatia is prepared to work with other national mine-clearance programmes so as to improve reciprocity with regard to education and training. We believe that any aid, be it financial or technical, which can expedite the mine-clearing process will be well met. Furthermore, we should like to propose that the United Nations, acting through its current and former peace- keeping operations, become the global coordinating centre for demining activities. In this way, a United Nations coordinating body for demining could facilitate the exchange of data on the various types of mines used, together with the best and most efficient way of approaching the defusing of those mines; the exchange of technical personnel responsible for demining; and the exchange of equipment and other materials that have proved necessary for demining. The demining process in any country is long and arduous, and it becomes more laborious and dangerous if the right technology, equipment, education and training are not present. In this regard, the leading military Powers should also consider making available to less developed countries, by loan if necessary, sophisticated equipment that will make the demining process more efficient and comprehensive. Norway’s mine-clearance programme, announced at this meeting, sets the right example and should be highly commended. Taking all these factors into consideration, Croatia extends its full support to the initiative calling for a comprehensive international ban on anti-personnel mines. As a first step in this direction, we are pleased to note that Croatia has acceded to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons As the international community is developing its understanding of the land-mine problem, anti-personnel mines are becoming a matter of priority for Governments as well as for inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. Let us hope that the pooling of resources and common will will allow us to complete our much- desired objective. Allow me once again to express my thanks to you, Mr. President, for your efforts in convening this meeting and my sincere wishes for its success.

The next speaker is the representative of Colombia. I invite her to take a seat at the Council table and to make her statement.

In his report on agenda item 70 of the fiftieth session of the General Assembly, contained in document A/50/701 of 3 November 1995, the Secretary- General states that “Land-mines are in reality a weapon of mass destruction, in slow motion, because they indiscriminately kill or maim massive numbers of human beings over a long period of time.” (A/50/701, para. 5) There could be no more appropriate or poignant a definition. Land-mines not only cause mutilation and death during and after conflicts, but have devastating effects on entire nations, impeding the work of economic reconstruction and normalization. Mines do not recognize peace agreements or cease-fires, continuing to wage a perpetual war against everything and everyone. More than 110 million land-mines are scattered throughout 64 countries, almost all of them developing countries. Between 2 million and 5 million additional mines are laid every year. In addition, between 100 million and 150 million are stockpiled. Given the fact that in recent years there has been a large increase in internal conflicts, the problem of mines has acquired a new dimension, and their indiscriminate effects affect more and more people. More than 65 million mines were laid during internal conflicts in the past two decades. Each mine yields a profit of between $3 and $15 to the seller and costs the country affected between $300 and $1,000 to remove it. At this rate, clearance of the 110 million mines already laid would cost between $33 billion and $110 billion. This does not take into account the irreparable losses in terms of human life and mutilation, or the huge costs of medical treatment, prostheses and rehabilitation. It is estimated that today more than 250,000 disabled or maimed people require prostheses. The real magnitude of the problem is shown by the fact that, if land-mine proliferation were halted in 1996, at current rates of funding and clearance it would take more than 10 centuries to eliminate all mines from the face of the Earth. I should like to refer briefly to the report of 6 September 1995 on assistance in mine clearance, presented by the Secretary-General in document A/50/408, in particular chapter V, entitled “Actions for a political solution”. That document reiterates that “during the past year, approximately 100,000 land- mines were removed, while between 2 and 5 million mines were newly laid. These figures emphasize that this is not a static problem, but a humanitarian crisis that is growing rapidly. They also indicate that mine clearance alone, even at the increased rate that it is hoped to achieve, will not solve the problem. Equally important are increased and concerted political efforts to stop the further proliferation of land-mines.” (A/50/408, para. 100) It is clear that it will be impossible to resolve this global problem of land-mines unless this proliferation is stopped. The best and most effective way of carrying out this mission is the complete ban on the production, use and transfer of all land-mines. While we wait for this ban to come into force, time is running out, tragically, for all of us. In the meantime, we welcome all measures designed to slow the proliferation of land-mines. On the domestic front, every State, in exercising its sovereignty, is doing We believe that the establishment of the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance is a positive step forward. The international community awaits an increase in generous contributions to this Fund from those who in the past have profited from trade in mines and who, at the very least, have a moral responsibility in this regard. Our Organization must play an effective and active role to help the States affected and must coordinate efforts with regional organizations that are already doing similar work. However, first and foremost it must, clearly and forcefully, promote the basic solution: a complete ban on the production, use and transfer of all land-mines.

The next speaker is the representative of Hungary. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

My delegation has aligned itself with the European Union statement on demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping and shares its conclusions. Let me, however, make some remarks on this topic on behalf of the delegation of Hungary. As was pointed out by several previous speakers, the elimination of anti-personnel mines has become an enormous global problem in recent years. My delegation shares the concern that despite numerous and constant efforts made by the international community, the extensive use of anti-personnel mines, with its devastating human and social consequences, is still playing a significant role jeopardizing the solution of many long-lasting regional conflicts. The tremendous accumulation of anti-personnel mines has remained an urgent problem, in fact a challenge, that requires a further strong and coordinated international response. Anti-personnel mines are especially dangerous in the sense that these weapons do not discriminate between soldiers and civilians, and virtually anyone can become a victim. The facts are very sad: it is estimated that there are more than 100 million uncleared land-mines on a vast United Nations personnel on duty are not immune against mines either. Troop-contributing countries are very well aware of the potential danger their soldiers, policemen, civilian observers and other officials face when on various missions in regions of conflict. Every year, some 20,000 peoples are killed or maimed by land-mines. Last year, a Hungarian military observer suffered serious injuries in Georgia. I believe, therefore, that the time has come to reinforce our efforts to seek a global, political and legal solution to eliminate or at least decrease the danger represented by anti-personnel mines. The irresponsible and indiscriminate deployment of anti-personnel mines can even have the negative effect of slowing down, even blocking, the efforts of the international community to implement the mandate of peace-keeping missions, as we have seen, for instance, in the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia. With a limited capability for action, peace-keepers might easily find themselves in situations where even preserving the achievements of previous peace efforts proved to be impossible, and where the conflict might even be escalated. We cannot fail to mention in this regard the responsibility of the parties involved in a conflict, especially in cases when anti-personnel mines are used as offensive weapons. It is not acceptable to my country that anti-personnel land-mines are used during the implementation of peace-keeping operations, when, instead of seeking peaceful solutions, the aim of belligerents is to provoke further hostilities. But it is not only that. In times of post-conflict rehabilitation, land-mines can obstruct the delivery of relief supplies, the repatriation of the local population, and so forth. The rebuilding of the infrastructure or the implementation of economic recovery operations can also be delayed. Countries that have suffered through war must suffer further because of land-mines, which continue to impede the process of national reconstruction. We believe, therefore, that to expedite post-conflict mine clearance activities, much more attention should be paid to ways of encouraging local involvement and management in mine clearance operations. As regards the legal aspects of the land-mine problem, Hungary welcomes the agreement reached in Geneva last May, during the third phase of 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. It was certainly a promising step in the right direction. It will further reinforce existing prohibitions and restrictions on the use and transfer of those categories and types of anti-personnel land-mines which present the greatest danger to civilians. In the view of my Government, the adoption of an international ban on anti-personnel mines would surely better serve the cause of relieving mankind of this weapon. In this context, a recent initiative presented by Mr. Klaus Kinkel, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, seems to us to be of particular value. The United Nations has also undertaken considerable efforts to reinforce the means at the disposal of the international community. The Department of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Peace- keeping Operations should be highlighted as focal points of this activity within the Secretariat. The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance has also increased United Nations mine-clearance capacity through coordination activities in the field and in the implementation of the mandate of certain peace-keeping operations. At the same time, one cannot hide a certain degree of concern over the Fund’s obviously insufficient financial resources. Clearly, a solid, long-lasting solution should be found to finance this most important activity. Given the close interrelationship between peace- keeping operations and the issue of demining, which I tried to outline earlier in my contribution, one such solution might be to integrate demining activities in the overall mandate of peace-keeping operations.

The next speaker is the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

The Security Council is meeting today to discuss demining in the context of peace-keeping operations, a subject of paramount importance to the success of certain United Nations peace-keeping operations. The issue of land-mines, with their lethal nature and collateral effects, has focused the attention of the world community and caused it serious concern over the past several years. The world is shocked by the monumental number of mines which infest various countries in conflict and post-conflict phases, as well as by the horrendous consequences of their indiscriminate use. This issue defies the human intellect and demands comprehensive yet prompt solutions. For its part, and as an affected State, the Islamic Republic of Iran has actively participated in the work of competent bodies dealing with land-mines and in principle has supported any genuine initiative aimed at the prohibition of all types of land-mines without exception. My country appreciates the depth and magnitude of the many problems associated with mine clearance in post-conflict cases. During the Iran-Iraq war, nearly 16 million land-mines and other unexploded devices were laid in Iranian territory temporarily occupied in different stages of the war, covering more than 4 million hectares. Over the past six years, we have embarked upon a massive mine clearance operation in order to enable civilians displaced by the war to return to their homes and resume normal life. We have succeeded in neutralizing more than one third of all mines and other unexploded devices laid in our country. However, lack of access to maps of minefields and to advanced equipment and technology have not only slowed down our efforts, but also have caused unacceptable casualties both among those involved in mine clearance operations and, more regrettably, among innocent civilians. It is indeed ironic that despite a world-wide campaign against anti-personnel land-mines in recent years, no serious We recognize a special role for the United Nations in this regard. The United Nations needs to ensure that no restrictions are applied by any State that would hinder or otherwise impede, in any manner, access to mine clearance technology. At the same time, all States, particularly those which have the required technology and equipment for mine clearance, should declare to the Department of Humanitarian Affairs the kind of assistance, both financial and technical, that they can provide to mine-infested countries and relevant United Nations programmes. It is indispensable for any serious United Nations programme to facilitate the access of mine-stricken nations to the machinery and technology necessary for speedy and effective mine clearance. We are also conscious of the serious threat that mines and other unexploded devices pose to the safety, health and lives of personnel participating in humanitarian, peace-keeping and rehabilitation programmes and operations. In this regard, we note with satisfaction the inclusion in the mandates of several peace-keeping operations of provisions relating to mine clearance work carried out under the direction of the Department of Peace-keeping Operations in the context of such operations. The Security Council might consider, when necessary, including mine clearance as part of the functions of United Nations peace-keeping operations in future. Such mine-clearance work is admittedly of a narrow scope. Experience and history reveal that the problems posed by mines remain long after the peace-keeping operations are concluded. Hence, it is crucial that the General Assembly continue to develop operational policies and activities designed to clear mines in affected countries in the post-conflict period to pave the way for bringing normalcy to life and for development. It is in this context that due attention should be paid to the distinct nature of the demining activities performed by different United Nations departments, programmes and bodies. Moreover, mine clearance activities, whether in the context of peace-keeping operations or outside of their purview, should be consistent with the Charter of the United Nations, in particular the principles of full respect for the sovereignty, sovereign equality and territorial integrity of all States, and of non-interference in their internal affairs.

I would like to begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on this initiative to hold this open meeting of the Security Council on an issue of concern to all troop-contributing countries. All of us today seem to be in agreement that the land- mine crisis is a tragedy of mammoth proportions. As several other speakers have pointed out, conservative estimates indicate that there are 110 million land-mines littered in five continents, claiming 500 victims a week. The expanding dimensions of the crisis are graphically evident from the fact that while the international community is able to clear about 100,000 mines annually, 2 million to 5 million new mines are laid during the same period. Land-mines are, of course, a legacy of conflicts and wars, but their impact lingers on long after the guns have been silenced. Not only do land-mines maim about 20,000 people and kill 10,000 civilians annually, but they have been seen to have a devastating and serious negative effect on socio-economic development. They have disrupted social services, made agriculture risky, crippled essential infrastructure, prevented people from returning home, and intensified the problems of hunger and poverty. The physical, psychological, social and economic consequences of land-mines all therefore need to be addressed by any mine clearance or demining programme. Viewed from this perspective, demining in the context of United Nations peace-keeping operations represents one limited facet of the campaign against the indiscriminate use of land-mines. As the Secretary-General noted in his report to the fiftieth session of the General Assembly (A/50/408), peace-keeping forces have engaged in demining for two purposes: first, to provide for a secure environment to engage in peace-keeping and, secondly, when demining is necessary to carry out other parts of their mandates. Indian troops involved in United Nations-mandated peace-keeping operations have been associated with demining activities since the Congo operations of 1961 to 1963. More recently, in operations in Cambodia and Somalia, Indian peace-keeping contingents have included specialists in demining who have been involved in mine breaching and tactical mine clearance. In Cambodia, Indian experts helped in the training of civilians and worked closely with non-governmental organizations in developing a data base, undertaking area fencing and sensitizing the Indian infantry battalions involved in peace-keeping operations include demining experts as integral elements. This is in keeping with India’s long-standing commitment to support United Nations demining efforts. It is also in the spirit of that commitment that India made a voluntary contribution of $50,000 in kind to United Nations demining operations, in the form of a broad range of services to be rendered by Indian experts. These would include establishing mine control centres and fielding mine survey teams, mine clearance supervisory teams and advisory teams, which will be fully equipped. Demining is a hazardous business. In the service of the international community, Indian troops have suffered casualties, as have troops from other countries. However, given the fact that in some peace-keeping operations the “Blue Helmets” represent the only available organized group with the capacity to undertake demining, they are saddled with these tasks as intrinsic to their broader goals. None the less, while defining the parameters of demining in peace-keeping operations it also needs to be remembered that mine clearance by the military is by its very nature constrained, on various counts. These include, for example, the fact that the availability of time is limited, as demining is a means to achieve other goals rather than a goal in itself; secondly, the requirements for the acceptability of a military demining operation do not include the identification of all mines and their destruction, but the task is more in the nature of mine breaching; thirdly, the limitations proposed by the financial implications of major involvement of the military in demining activities in United Nations peace- keeping operations in an era of financial stringency and mounting United Nations debt to major troop contributors; fourthly, the probability of duplication of the efforts of specialized agencies which are already addressing the problem in a multifaceted manner as part of a long-term development activity to improve the living conditions of people and bring about rehabilitation, whereas peace- keeping operations by the very nature of their mandate are of a finite, limited duration and can hardly be expected to take a long-term view; fifthly, the inherent limitations and difficulties referred to by the Secretary- General in his report (A/50/408) regarding transfer of capacities based on a primarily military culture to civilian In effect, demining is not conducive to a merely military solution; nor can it be restricted to peace-keeping operations. In fact, one of the first United Nations demining initiatives was launched in 1989 in Afghanistan, where no peace-keeping mandate existed. Demining activities in Cambodia and Mozambique have continued to be a major focus of United Nations involvement, long after the peace- keeping operations in those Member States had ended. The impact of land-mines on the economic and social activities of an affected area makes demining, as the Secretary-General has stated, an integral part of the post- conflict peace-building of a nation. To be successful and sustainable, demining operations need to address the totality of the problem in an integrated manner, and address all dimensions simultaneously. They therefore need to be viewed in the light of economic and social development activities to rehabilitate and improve living conditions of people in countries debilitated by the scourge of land- mines. It bears to re-emphasizing in this context that there are intrinsic and structural differences between peace-keeping operations and peace-building activities. A continuum is no doubt possible in some instances. However, in so far as the United Nations system is concerned, the responsibility for post-conflict peace-building activities has necessarily to pass to the General Assembly, given its overall mandate and responsibilities under the Charter. Tackling the land-mine problem, while on one level requiring the pooling of our resources to launch demining in a comprehensive manner, also requires, on other levels, the strengthening of the norms against land-mines through specific steps such as the prohibition of transfers and the prohibition of use in internal conflicts. Such collective and broad-ranging steps will cumulatively make it feasible to move towards our shared goal of confronting the challenges of this massive problem.

The next speaker is the representative of Malaysia. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

My delegation welcomes your initiative, Sir, in convening this formal meeting of the Council to discuss the issue of demining in the context of Alarming as these statistics are, they do not tell the entire tragic story. They do not tell us in graphic detail of the horrendous injuries and deaths mines inflict on their victims or of the tremendous social and economic costs they exact of these countries, most of which have already been impoverished by long years of conflict. In many of these countries the toll in terms of human deaths and injuries is enormous, indeed incalculable, and continues long after the conflicts have ended. Vast tracts of otherwise arable land lie fallow and uncultivated on account of these mines, even when, in many cases, there is a severe shortage of land for food production to feed the teeming millions. This pathetic situation has plunged many of the affected countries into even greater depths of poverty and dependence on foreign aid. The situation is made worse by the exorbitant cost of mine clearance, which imposes a heavy drain on the national treasuries of the countries concerned. With such vast numbers of these cruel and indiscriminate weapons strewn around the world, which by some estimates might take more than 1,000 years to be completely cleared, there should be a serious rethinking of existing military doctrines that legitimize the use of these land-mines. In addressing this problem, Malaysia joins others in calling for serious efforts to resolve the mines crisis which, in our view, is a catastrophe of global proportions requiring concerted and coordinated action by the entire international community. We would urge increased global awareness of the pernicious problems created by these devastating weapons so as to ensure that there will be no conspiracy of silence about the use and debilitating effects of these weapons. As a country which is becoming more involved in global peace-keeping operations, Malaysia is naturally However, Malaysia’s concerns go beyond those of a peace-keeping troop-contributing country. As a member of the international community, we empathize with the plight of those affected by land-mines — such as our close neighbour Cambodia, which is seriously afflicted by this tragedy — and wish to contribute towards ameliorating their hardships and to work together with the rest of the international community in finding an early solution to the problem. We can draw some encouragement from the fact that the international community is being sensitized to this problem, resulting in a surge of interest on the part of both Governments and the general public towards finding practical measures to bring the scourge of land-mines to an end. It is also gratifying to note that the issue had been addressed by the Review Conference of the States Paries 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, held in Geneva earlier this year, resulting in a revision of the Protocol pertaining to land-mines. Malaysia welcomes the adoption of the revised Protocol as a significant contribution towards improving existing laws pertaining to land-mines. However, welcome as they are, these constitute only half-measures which fall short of the ultimate goal of the complete elimination of land-mines. Malaysia is of the view that only a total ban on anti-personnel mines will put an end to the tragic In commending you, Mr. President, on your initiative in bringing this important issue to the Council for formal discussion, my delegation welcomes the seven-point action programme recently announced by His Excellency Mr. Klaus Kinkel, Foreign Minister of Germany. We consider the action programme an important contribution towards alleviating the effects of this global tragedy. We also welcome the initiative of the United States on this issue, as well as the positive roles played by other countries and international organizations — such as Canada, Japan and the International Committee of the Red Cross — in addressing this global problem. Malaysia wishes to associate itself strongly with these efforts and will work closely with the rest of the international community in the search for a lasting solution to the problem which, in our view, can only come about through an effective global ban on these weapons. Clearly, in this exercise the role of the major powers is pivotal. They should manifest clear leadership and seriousness in pushing the process forward. They should lead by example and demonstrate clear commitment to phase these weapons out of their arsenals. It is our hope, however, that this phasing-out process will involve not just low-tech land-mines, but also high-tech land-mines, culminating in a final ban on all land-mines in order to insure non-selectivity in the treatment of this subject.

In accordance with the decision taken earlier in the meeting, I now invite the representative of the Permanent Observer of Switzerland to the United Nations to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

The Permanent Observer of Switzerland would like to thank the President of the Security Council for taking the initiative for this meeting, one which enables States which so desire to express in this prestigious At the end of the twentieth century, thousands of human lives continue to be threatened by these deadly devices that kill and maim innocent people, often long after conflicts have ended. This situation is intolerable and cannot be accepted as inevitable. Only the unswerving political determination of States, allowing for the establishment of genuine international coordination in the area of mine clearance, will put an end to this situation. Aware of the crucial role the United Nations has played and is called on to play in this area, the Government of Switzerland would like here to pay tribute to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which as part of its humanitarian operations is faced every day with the ravages caused by mines. In view of the scope of the threat posed by the uncontrolled spread of some 110 million mines in more than 60 countries, mine- clearing assistance must necessarily become a priority task for international cooperation, as part of both peace-keeping and humanitarian assistance. This priority must given form in the establishment of large-scale demining activities. Indeed, no economic or social recovery is possible in areas where mines kill and maim on a daily basis. The responsibility of the United Nations within the framework of maintaining international peace and security makes it the natural body to ensure the coordination of such an endeavour. For that purpose the United Nations must have at its disposal a structure adopted to this task and obtain the financial resources enabling it to act wherever the situation requires and permits. It will be in a position to fulfil this mandate only when the international community decides to accord to mine-clearing assistance the urgent character and the global dimension that it has been lacking to date. With this in view, the Swiss Government will step up its contribution to the international effort for assistance in mine clearance. It will increase its voluntary financial contributions for the various mine-clearance programmes, the programmes that raise awareness of the mine problem, and the programmes for rehabilitating victims that it already supports. It will continue to support the development of humanitarian demining technology. It will also seek to make competent staff available to the United Nations Department of Peace-keeping Operations. For now, the Swiss Government is pleased to announce a voluntary Mine-clearance efforts may still be in vain if the rules of international law on the use of land-mines are not strengthened. Protocol II, relating to mines, to the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons has just been revised. Nevertheless, the improvements to the text are not completely satisfactory. In the view of the Government of Switzerland, only a total ban on anti- personnel mines will allow us to vanquish this scourge. In spite of the improvements of the revised version of Protocol II, the Swiss Government believes that the campaign for a total ban on anti-personnel mines must continue and must be intensified. It will therefore take part in any reasonable initiative along those lines, in accordance with the humanitarian objectives of its foreign policy. It is not enough, however, to express the intention to put an end to the use of anti-personnel mines. States must be prepared to proceed to action. This was done by the Swiss Government in November 1995, when it unconditionally renounced the use, production, laying and transfer of these mines. The unilateral renunciation, announced internationally, will soon be incorporated into Swiss legislation. Moreover, Swiss authorities are convinced that only an international regime banning anti- personnel mines — a regime strengthened by concrete and periodic surveillance measures — will make it possible for anti-personnel mines to be effectively eliminated. As a depository for the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the additional Protocols I and II to these instruments, Switzerland feels a special moral responsibility in the area of anti-personnel mines. Their use flouts basic principles of humanity and the requirements of public morality. A ban on anti-personnel mines must therefore become an essential component of international humanitarian law. The Swiss Government will do its utmost to see to it that this objective is achieved and its implementation guaranteed.

The next speaker is Mr. Peter Küng, Head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross to the United Nations, to whom the Council has extended an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement. With 64 countries affected by land-mines and approximately 24,000 victims of such mines every year, there is no doubt that mine clearance is a priority for the world community. Although the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) does not itself undertake mine clearance, it is often called upon to give advice as to the priority areas to clear in order to enable humanitarian relief to reach those in need and in order to enable a war-torn country to begin its reconstruction. We also undertake a number of mine-awareness programmes. However, the fact that we are present in these areas also means that we are fully aware of the total insufficiency of these measures. The extreme difficulties involved in mine clearance, which make it a very time-consuming, dangerous and expensive task, cannot be overestimated. The ICRC has seen that even establishing the presence of minefields frequently depends on anecdotal indications by locals of where an animal or a person was blown up by one. Mines are also frequently found in areas very far removed from their original point of emplacement due to the effects of rain or soil movements. Not only does the presence of mines hamper our efforts to bring relief to victims of war, frequently entailing expensive airlifts of relief supplies rather than the use of roads, but also Red Cross and Red Crescent personnel have been killed and injured by mines on roads which were supposed to be safe. The ICRC is convinced that major efforts must be made to clear the mines that have already been laid, a task which the Secretary-General has estimated will cost about $33 billion. However, although tens of millions of dollars are being spent each year on clearance, far more mines continue to be laid than can be removed. The ICRC is convinced that mine-clearance, although essential, can never be seen as the solution to the problem, for it will not significantly improve the present situation as long as mines continue to be used. The ICRC has very rarely called for the ban of a specific weapon, and therefore only does so if it is sure that very weighty reasons require such a step. First, our surgeons, who have had many years of experience in treating war wounds, have stressed that Then there are the profound economic consequences provoked by these weapons: whole regions needed to support and feed large communities of people, often located in the poorest parts of the planet, are closed to agricultural, social and economic development. A severe deprivation of resources can last for decades since the cost and time required to demine these areas is truly phenomenal. Land-mines also severely hamper the universally accepted need to provide aid to the victims of conflict, for the suspected presence of mines hinders humanitarian operations, depriving whole communities of access to essential emergency relief. The preponderant argument against a total ban is the military utility of anti-personnel land-mines, which is written into the military doctrine of most armies. As international humanitarian law is based on a balance between military and humanitarian needs, the ICRC has long had extensive contacts with the military in order to arrive at a balanced judgement on any issue. We therefore decided to commission a study by senior military officers, both retired and active, from a number of armed forces, to look specifically at the military use and effectiveness of such weapons. In studying some 26 post-Second World War conflicts, including all the international ones, this study found that mines could rarely be used, even by professional armies, in accordance with military doctrine and that their effect on the tactical situation was at best marginal. In many situations, their military effect was even counterproductive for the user. We would be pleased to provide a copy of this study to those of you who wish to have one. We are also aware that obstacles to solving the land- mine crisis include existing and prospective commercial contracts, the huge bulk of land-mines already laid or stockpiled and their continued manufacture. Unless firm The ICRC participated in the conference that led to the amendment of Protocol II of the 1980 United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. Although major efforts were certainly made to arrive at the best possible consensus, the ICRC fears that the amended Protocol will not significantly reduce the extent of the land- mine problem for reasons that were made known at the time by the ICRC, by a number of States themselves and by a large number of organizations. It is our view that anti-personnel mines must be banned and severe restrictions placed on anti-vehicle mines. In early October, at a conference in Ottawa, Canada, representatives from many countries will meet to debate new forms of action and determine new ways of achieving the common goal of eliminating anti-personnel mines. For the ICRC this is a most welcome development, and we are convinced that such national and regional initiatives will pave the way for achieving a genuine consensus in favour of a ban. The alternative will be countless new victims, further destruction of economic and development potential and endless pouring of truly enormous amounts of money for demining, the end result of which will be more mines and not fewer. We sincerely hope that the world community will take the only humane and the only logical decision.

The next speaker is the representative of Argentina. I invite her to take a place at the Council table and to make her statement.

The Republic of Argentina is pleased that the Security Council has taken the initiative of considering the problems of demining in peace-keeping operations. In the view of my delegation, this debate takes place in the framework of the various bilateral and multilateral initiatives taken by many States, including the Republic of Argentina, aimed at eradicating anti-personnel mines from the face of the Earth. We consider very timely the Secretary-General’s drawing attention to this issue in the “Supplement to An There are at present some 100 million active mines in the world, scattered throughout more than 60 countries, although some estimates give a considerably higher figure. Every month anti-personnel mines kill or wound about 60 people, 87 per cent of whom are non- combatants. Argentine personnel in peace-keeping operations have also suffered from the deadly effects of such mines. In 1993, Captain José Rojas lost his life in Croatia and Sergeant Sergio Valla was maimed when their vehicle ran over an anti-tank mine. We must add to the humanitarian consequences of mines the fact that they also constitute a considerable obstacle to the economic development of the peoples, as vast expanses of land cannot be used for agricultural or industrial purposes. At the regional level, and with the aim of trying to eradicate the 1 million mines in Central America, Argentina has actively supported the Organization of American States demining programmes in Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica. For all these reasons, and firmly convinced of the need to take specific action in this field, the Republic of Argentina, through decree 435 of 1995, adopted resolution 48/75 K, which had been adopted by the General Assembly on 16 December 1993, suspending the exportation, sale or transfer of all types of anti-personnel mines, without exception, for five years. The Republic of Argentina strongly and unambiguously maintains that the proliferation and the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel mines constitute problems whose very existence alone justifies that priority consideration be given to this item. In this context my country has carried out a series of actions designed to reverse this situation, in the framework both of the United Nations and of competent regional organizations. Argentina is therefore a party 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. This Convention was signed by Argentina in 1981, and on The Republic of Argentina has taken part in the three sessions of the Review Conference of that Convention. It took part as an observer State in the first two sessions and as a State party in the third session. In that context, we hailed the adoption of the new Protocol IV of the Convention, relating to blinding laser weapons, and the amended Protocol II on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices. With regard to measures adopted by my Government in the United Nations context, the Republic of Argentina has offered qualified personnel to the Department of Humanitarian Affairs office of mine clearance policies and activities, for possible participation in each of the stages of the mine-clearance activities undertaken by the Organization. The Republic of Argentina views with satisfaction the response of the international community to this serious problem. The presence of 100 States and 60 organizations at the International Meeting on Mine Clearance, held in Geneva from 5 to 7 July 1995, shows the will of States to increase their political and financial support to halt the proliferation of this scourge. In this context, my country announced that its contribution for clearing mines from the Malvinas Islands should be treated as its contribution to the Voluntary Trust Fund established under General Assembly resolution 48/7. We also took part in the international conference on mine clearance technology, which took place in Snekkersten, Denmark from 2 to 4 July 1996. That conference was organized with the support and cooperation of the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs. The Government of Argentina has traditionally co-sponsored every resolution dealing with this problem in the General Assembly. I should like to emphasize that my country, which is committed to the objective of a ban on the use of anti- personnel mines, has since 1993 provided a group of engineers to the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) who are entrusted with the job of clearing the explosives and mines laid during the Gulf war. This unit of engineers has been carrying out its hazardous mission in the demilitarized zone between Iraq and Kuwait. These operations are being conducted efficiently thanks to the cooperation of military observers and the inhabitants themselves, who very often report the presence of explosive devices. However, it has not been possible to avoid The Government of Argentina is also considering the possibility of taking part in the demining programme conducted by the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Assistance Coordination in Angola. On the bilateral front, the Republic of Argentina has made an offer to the United Kingdom to take charge of the removal of mines planted in the Malvinas Islands during the 1982 conflict. In recent years, the Security Council has become more aware of the specific problem represented by anti- personnel mines during and after armed conflicts. We believe that the mandates of peace-keeping operations should be more specific on this issue. We further believe that it would be useful for the Secretary-General’s reports to be more explicit on the kinds of demining tasks that the United Nations, through its various agencies, is carrying out in the field. In this way coordination between such agencies and Member States would be improved. We are convinced that this timely debate will contribute to greater awareness on the part of the international community of the scourge these mines represent and will allow for renewed cooperation in demining between our Organization and its Member States. In conclusion, the Argentine delegation would like to say that it agrees with the delegations of New Zealand and Chile that it would be useful for the Security Council, through a presidential statement, to require a review of mine-clearance activities in peace-keeping operations.

The next speaker is the representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

The next speaker is the representative of Panama. I invite her to take a seat at the Council table and to make her statement.

I am grateful to you, Sir, for your initiative in convening this meeting of the Security Council. The delegation of Panama sees today’s debate as a good opportunity to express its support for including the question of anti-personnel land-mines in the consideration of peace-keeping, in both conceptual and operational terms. It is an urgent duty for us to consider and act upon the problem of land-mines. The ongoing threat on lands that are no longer a battlefield is that at any time land- mines can explode and claim men, women, children and the elderly as their victims: civilians one and all, who are defenceless and unaware of the threat to their lives. This threat poses a challenge to the human intellect: that of dealing with this senseless situation and eliminating the land-mines, whose existence in more than 65 countries is cause for shock — and the cause of pain and death. This situation, which is repugnant to human logic, must be eliminated. Many in the United Nations, on many occasions, have denounced anti-personnel land-mines and have called for international cooperation for rapid, urgent, effective and complete demining. During today’s debate in this Chamber, speakers have also stressed the relationship between the issue of anti-personnel land- mines, political disarmament issues, humanitarian issues, and development issues. That relationship has also been sharply underscored by the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, in “An Agenda for Peace” and in the Agenda for Development. One historian of the Spanish colonization of the Americas relates that at one point the political and military authorities of the people indigenous to an area colonized by the Spaniards took the decision to make no more poisoned arrows. It was the view of that historian that the fields of battle against the colonizers and against enemy tribes were littered with poisoned arrow-heads, which posed a particular threat to the indigenes, who went barefoot. Whether or not one agrees with that interpretation, my delegation considers that the story illustrates many dimensions of the problem of the existence of so many millions of anti-personnel land- Last May the revised Protocol II on land-mines was adopted as part of the 1981 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. The provisions of that Protocol and the restrictions it sets out are insufficient. My delegation wishes to put on record that the Government of Panama agrees with those who favour the total prohibition of the production, export and use of anti-personnel land- mines. The General Assembly of the Organization of American States, which met in Panama some three months ago, adopted a resolution supporting mine clearance in Central America; we hope that the General Assembly of the United Nations will echo that position at its forthcoming fifty-first session. In May 1996, the European Union, through its then Chairman-in-Office, the delegation of Italy, expressed the conviction that “it is constant, broad and persistent efforts that are needed to achieve all the fundamental humanitarian goals”. My delegation sees in that statement a firm promise to carry out efforts of all kinds, including legal and financial efforts, and we hope that will be the case. A few days ago we learned of the seven-point action programme on anti-personnel land-mines presented by Mr. Klaus Kinkel, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, on 18 June 1996. The seventh point of the German programme was by way of a supplementary invitation to today’s Security Council meeting, to which Panama is happy to respond by means of the present statement. We note important efforts on the part of a number of countries to engage in a task that should involve us all. At the risk of omissions, I want to thank the European Union, Canada, the United States of America, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia, Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina. On behalf of the Government of Panama, I reaffirm our readiness to contribute our determination and resources to bring about the elimination of anti-personnel land-mines and to ensure that the complete eradication of these horrible tools of suffering is a goal we reach as soon as possible.

There are no further speakers on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. Before adjourning the meeting, I should like to thank all speakers for the interesting and lively debate. We have heard quite a number of concrete ideas and proposals for improving demining efforts in the context of peace- keeping