Assistance in Mine Clearance, G.A. res. 50/82, 50 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 56, U.N. Doc. A/50/49 (Vol. I) (1995).



          
 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolutions 48/7 of 19 October 1993 and 49/215 of 23
December 1994 on assistance in mine clearance, both adopted without a vote,
 
      Reaffirming its deep concern at the tremendous humanitarian problem
caused by the presence of mines and other unexploded devices that have serious
and lasting social and economic consequences for the populations of
mine-infested countries and constitute an obstacle to the return of refugees
and other displaced persons, to humanitarian aid operations and to
reconstruction and economic development, as well as to the restoration of
normal social conditions,
 
      Reiterating its dismay at the high number of victims of mines,
especially among civilian populations, particularly children, and recalling in
this context Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/79 of 8 March 1995 on
the rights of the child,
 
      Deeply alarmed that the number of mines being laid each year, as well as
the presence of a large number of mines and other unexploded devices as a
result of armed conflicts, exponentially outweighs the number of such mines
that can be cleared during that time, and thus convinced of the necessity and
urgency of a significant increase in mine-clearance efforts by the
international community,
 
      Recognizing the importance of recording the location of mines and of
retaining all such records and making them available to concerned parties upon
cessation of hostilities, in accordance with international law,
 
      Bearing in mind 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,
 
      Conscious of the limited availability of safe and cost-effective mine-
clearance techniques, and the need for improvements thereof, and of the lack
of global coordination in the field of research to improve mine-clearance
technology and the urgent need to foster international technical cooperation
in this field,
 
      Aware that the rate of mine clearance needs to improve substantially if
the global land-mine problem is to be tackled effectively,
 
      Recalling its resolution 50/74 of 12 December 1995 on 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
and the convening by the Secretary-General of the Review Conference of the
States Parties to that Convention at Vienna from 25 September to 13 October
1995, taking note, in this regard, of the decision of the Review Conference to
continue its work in order to conclude negotiations on the strengthening of
the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps
and Other Devices (Protocol II), and welcoming in this regard the
additional ratifications of or accessions to the Convention,
 
      Recalling also its resolutions 48/75 K of 16 December 1993, 49/75 D of
15 December 1994 and 50/70 O of 12 December 1995 calling for a moratorium on
the export of anti-personnel land-mines, and welcoming in this regard the
export moratorium adopted by several States,
 
      Bearing in mind that significant progress needs to be achieved in these
fields,
 
      Recognizing that, in addition to the primary role of States, the United
Nations has an important role in the field of assistance in mine clearance,
 
      Noting with satisfaction the inclusion in the mandates of several peace-
keeping operations of provisions relating to mine-clearance work carried out
under the direction of the Department of Peace-keeping Operations of the
Secretariat in the context of such operations,
 
      Commending the activities already undertaken by the United Nations
system, donor and recipient Governments, the International Committee of the
Red Cross and non-governmental organizations to coordinate their efforts and
seek solutions to the problems related to the presence of mines and other
unexploded devices,
 
      Also commending the role of the Secretary-General, through the work of
the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat, in increasing
public awareness of the problem of land-mines and for the establishment of the
Central Land-Mine Database and its inventories of mine-awareness materials and
mine- clearance techniques,
 
      Commending in particular the outcome of the International Meeting on
Mine Clearance held at Geneva from 5 to 7 July 1995, in which notable
financial pledges were gathered for the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in
Mine Clearance and for the development of a de-mining standby capacity by the
United Nations,
 
      1.    Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for his
comprehensive report of 6 September 1995 on the activities of the United
Nations in providing assistance in mine clearance and on the operation of the
Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance, and takes note with
interest of the proposals contained therein;
 
      2.    Welcomes, in particular, the efforts made by the United Nations to
foster the establishment of national mine-clearance capacities in countries
where mines constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of the
local population, and urges all Member States, particularly those that have a
capacity to do so, to assist afflicted countries in the establishment and
development of their national mine-clearance capacities;
 
      3.    Expresses its appreciation to Member States, United Nations
organizations and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations that
participated in the International Meeting on Mine Clearance for their strong
expression of cooperation in the field of assistance in mine clearance, and
particularly to States and regional organizations for their financial
contributions to the Voluntary Trust Fund as well as for providing the
necessary means to establish a de-mining standby capacity within the United
Nations; 
 
      4.    Appeals to Member States as well as to intergovernmental
organizations and foundations to continue to contribute to the Voluntary Trust
Fund and to continue to supply the necessary means to the United Nations to
foster its de-mining standby capacity;
 
      5.    Invites all relevant multilateral and national programmes and
bodies to include, in coordination with the United Nations, activities related
to mine clearance in their humanitarian, social and economic assistance
activities;
 
      6.    Emphasizes again, in this connection, the importance of
coordination by the United Nations of activities related to mine clearance,
including those by regional organizations, in particular activities related to
information and training;
 
      7.    Welcomes the efforts of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of
the Secretariat to coordinate mine-related activities and, in particular, the
establishment, in cooperation with other relevant United Nations
organizations, of comprehensive mine-action programmes, and encourages the
Department to continue and enhance those efforts within existing resources
with a view to improving the effectiveness of assistance in mine clearance by
the United Nations;
 
      8.    Calls upon the Secretary-General to designate the Department of
Humanitarian Affairs, the focal point in the United Nations for coordinating
de-mining and related issues, as the repository of information and for
encouraging and facilitating international research to improve mine-clearance
methods; 
 
      9.    Urges Member States, regional organizations, governmental and
non-governmental organizations and foundations to continue to extend full
assistance and cooperation to the Secretary-General and, in particular, to
provide him with information and data as well as other appropriate resources
which could be useful in strengthening the coordination role of the United
Nations in the field of mine awareness, training, surveying, mine detection
and clearance, scientific research on mine detection and clearance technology,
and information on and distribution of medical equipment and supplies;
 
      10.   Calls upon Member States, especially those that have a capacity to
do so, to provide the necessary information and technical and material
assistance, as appropriate, and to locate, remove, destroy or otherwise render
ineffective minefields, mines, booby traps and other devices, in accordance
with international law;
 
      11.   Urges Member States, intergovernmental organizations and
non-governmental organizations and foundations that have the ability to do so
to provide, as appropriate, technological assistance to mine-afflicted
countries as well as to promote scientific research and development on
humanitarian mine- clearance techniques and technology so that mine-clearance
activities may be more effectively carried out at lower cost and through safer
means, and to promote international collaboration in this regard;
 
      12.   Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly
at its fifty-first session a report on the progress achieved on all relevant
issues outlined in his reports to the Assembly at its forty-ninth and fiftieth
sessions on assistance in mine clearance and on the operation of the Voluntary
Trust Fund;
 
      13.   Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-first
session the item entitled "Assistance in mine clearance".
      

 

 



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