8/10/2004
Improvements In Tackling Scourge Of Landmines

Progress is being made in ridding the world of landmines, says the UN's latest report measuring the progress achieved on the issue. The work of United Nations agencies has helped many mine-affected countries to respond more effectively and quickly to the problem, says Secretary-General Kofi Annan. From Cambodia and Colombia to Uganda and Bosnia and Herzegovina, states are becoming much better at planning and implementing their programmes to reduce or eliminate the threat of landmines. Even so landmines continue to kill and injure between 15 and 20,000 people each year, according to UN figures.

In Afghanistan, for example, about 78 square kilometres of land were cleared and more than 22 square kilometres returned to local communities as a result of work by the UN Mine Action Service. Another 160 square kilometres were surveyed.

Mr. Annan says countries are now more willing to work collaboratively against landmines, consulting and sharing information not just with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society groups but with other nations as well. Donors also increasingly recognise the value of supporting mine action work from development and reconstruction budgets, instead of only through humanitarian and emergency budgets, he says.