FORUM: "Safe Ground. Safe Steps. Safe Home." International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2022.
In 2022 the United Nations Mine Action Service marks the Day under the theme “Safe Ground, Safe Steps, Safe Home.” The focus of the observance is on the impressive achievements of the global mine action community and on highlighting the work that remains to be completed.
“Safe Ground” is the name of the global campaign “turning minefields into playing fields,” which was launched by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in 2019, and the concept of clearing the Earth of landmines and other explosive hazards to make it safe for development.
“Safe Steps” brings attention to the trepidation that too many people experience when they move about, not knowing if they will detonate an explosive that could maim or kill them at any moment. “Safe Steps” also describes the procedures that deminers use when approaching contaminated areas and includes application of new technology to safely removing explosive hazards.
“Safe Home” is about restoring the personal security of individuals and communities in post-conflict settings. There is no place like home, and it is difficult to feel at home without security and community.
The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action reminds us how far we have come in clearing the world of explosive remnants of war – and how far we still have to go.
Exactly thirty years ago, civil society activists came together to launch the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
Within five years, the Mine Ban Convention was opened for signature.
Today, more than 160 states have signed the Convention and landmines have become almost universally unacceptable.
Over 55 million mines have been destroyed, more than 30 countries across the world have been declared mine-free, and casualties have dramatically decreased.
But the world is still rife with millions of stockpiled landmines and over 50 countries remain contaminated with these abhorrent weapons.
Mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices continue to kill or injure thousands of people every year – many of whom are children.
We must do more to protect people living under the shadow of explosive ordnance, from Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan to Myanmar, Cambodia, and beyond.
In Ukraine, the legacy of a single month of war – in the form of unexploded ordnance, landmines, and cluster munitions – will take decades to tackle, threatening lives long after the guns fall silent. Already today, they restrict emergency humanitarian aid delivery and prevent people fleeing to safety.
I call on all states to accede to the Convention without delay. Permanent members of the Security Council in particular have a special responsibility.
Mine action is an investment in humanity. It is a prerequisite for humanitarian relief efforts and the foundation of lasting peace and sustainable development.
On this International Day, let us build on past progress and rid the world of the scourge of landmines once and for all.
António Guterres; UN Secretary-General.
A cluster munition is a conventional munition that is designed to release multiple explosive submunitions (in some cases called ‘bomblets’) over a large area. The general definition describes both the container (also in certain circumstances called a dispenser, ‘parent munition’ or carrier) and the submunitions it holds. The number of explosive submunitions varies from as few as ten to up to many hundreds. The size of the individual submunitions may vary considerably. They can be dispersed or released from aircraft, rockets, artillery projectiles, and mortar rounds.
EVENTS: The Mine Awareness Day 2022 Event is organized in collaboration with the United Nations Mine Action Service, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and UN Member States.
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