Assistance in Mine Action

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

Encourages all relevant multilateral and national programmes and bodies to include, in coordination with the United Nations, activities related to mine action in their humanitarian, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development assistance activities, where appropriate, bearing in mind the need to ensure national ownership, sustainability and capacity-building;

Encourages Governments, relevant United Nations bodies and other donors to take further action to promote gender- and age-appropriate mine-awareness programmes, victim assistance and child-centred rehabilitation, thereby reducing the number of child victims and relieving their plight;

Encourages the Secretary-General to develop further a comprehensive mine-action strategy, taking into consideration the impact of the landmine problem on rehabilitation, reconstruction and development, with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of assistance in mine action by the United Nations, emphasizes in this respect the importance of further multisectoral assessments and surveys, notes in this regard the ongoing development by the United Nations of standards and certification guidelines for such surveys, and emphasizes the need for an inclusive process to be followed in the development of such standards and guidelines;

Encourages, whenever appropriate, the use of the United Nations Office for Project Services by the United Nations, including in peacekeeping operations, in order to ensure the unity and continuity of implementation required for integrated mine-action programmes;

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

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

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

Encourages Member States and regional, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and foundations to continue to support ongoing activities to promote appropriate technology, as well as international operational and safety standards for humanitarian mine-action activities, and in this context welcomes the initiation of the revision of international mine-clearance standards and the development of guidelines for the use of mine-detection dogs and mechanical mine-clearance equipment, as well as the development of an international test and evaluation programme;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session a comprehensive report on the United Nations mine-action policy, including the progress achieved on relevant issues outlined both in his previous reports to the Assembly on assistance in mine clearance and mine action and in the present resolution, as well as the progress made by the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international and regional organizations as well as national programmes, and on the operation of the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action and other mine-action programmes;

Invites the Secretary-General to study how to secure a more sound financial basis for the Mine Action Service and to present options to this effect to the General Assembly;