State Secretary, Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen is at the Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World and confirms Norwegian support for a new mine clearance project in Sudan

“The Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention has proved to be an effective answer to a humanitarian crisis,” said Mr Helgesen at the first Review Conference of the Convention in Nairobi today. The countries that have adopted the Convention, which was negotiated in Oslo in 1997, have agreed to stop all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines. They have also agreed to destroy all existing stockpiles and to provide assistance to mine victims.

“The Mine Ban Convention has given good results. During the first five years since it entered into force, at least 37 million stockpiled landmines have been destroyed, and important agricultural areas in poor countries have been cleared,” said Mr Helgesen. “As a result, the number of new mine victims is dropping. This is particularly important because most of the remaining mined areas are in developing countries. Mines often injure those who have the fewest resources to deal with the effects of such tragic accidents. Most mine survivors are civilians, and many of them are children. In our view, it is of key importance to ensure better support for mine victims and their families. At the same time, it is essential to clear all minefields everywhere. The only way of preventing more people from becoming victims of mines in the future is by ridding the world of mines completely.”

Norway will, together with Nicaragua, chair the Convention’s Standing Committee on Victim Assistance in the coming year.

Mine clearance can also serve as a contribution to peace. Norwegian People’s Aid is now starting to clear important roads in South Sudan. Once the roads have been opened, the World Food Programme will be able to get food supplies through to returning refugees. This will help to stabilise and normalise a region that has been torn by conflict. Yesterday, Mr Helgesen chaired a meeting in Nairobi on mine action in Sudan.