“Landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices disproportionally affect the vulnerable, the forcibly displaced, the dispossessed, and children. They impede peaceful solutions, hinder humanitarian responses and are an obstacle to sustainable, inclusive development,” said?Secretary-General?António Guterres in on?4 April.
The Secretary-General made clear that?finding and removing?explosive?ordnance is an essential precursor for?humanitarian?assistance and?sustainable?development.?
The longer?contamination?remains,?the more it will affect the?most?vulnerable.?The?wealthy?and powerful?can?move away from dangerous areas, or they?can?ensure?their?neighbourhoods?are?made safe.??
The primary goal?of United Nations?mine action?is?to?work with national authorities?and other stakeholders?to?ensure that?no one is left behind?when prioritizing clearance, capacity development, risk education, and assistance to survivors.??
The UN?multi-media?exhibition, “Perseverance, Partnership, Progress”,?shows the?actions taken?by?the?UN?mine action community to find?and destroy?the deadly detritus of?war.
It is uncomfortable,?and?at times,?dangerous?work, demanding?patience, and?adherence to?strict operational procedures.?
In 2020,?COVID-19 added?an additional?layer of complexity?to?our efforts.?The exhibit?captures the?perseverance that?pervades?all?UN mine?action?operations and?draws attention to the need to?make progress towards?our?goal of a?world?free from the threat of explosive?ordnance.?
The exhibit includes?pictures taken by renowned photographers?and?several?short original videos.?
“[T]he United Nations Charter does not ?charge?us to support campaigns. It calls us to complete?the work,” the Secretary-General?said.
“Let’s make this the last decade when we need to survey, clear, and?destroy?these?deadly?devices.”
