Minister Coveney addresses the UN Security Council on the issue of mines
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD, today spoke at the UN Security Council Open Debate on mine action and sustaining peace. He welcomed the agreement by the Council of a Presidential Statement on mine action to mark the occasion.
Addressing the online meeting of the Council, Minister Coveney highlighted the threat posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war: Mines claim a victim almost every hour of every day, threatening the poorest communities and affecting their rhythm of life. They undermine post-conflict recovery, and restrict vital opportunities for development.
At Security Council Debate, Speakers Call for End to Indiscriminate Use of Improvised Explosive Devices (S/PRST/2021/8)
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Presidential Statement Urges Including Mine Action in Ceasefire, Peace Agreements
Expressing deep concern over the high number of civilian casualties caused by landmines, explosive war remnants and improvised explosive devices, the Security Council today reiterated its call on belligerents to “immediately and definitively” end the indiscriminate use of such weapons, as senior Government officials debated ways to rid the world of a pernicious legacy.
In a presidential statement (S/PRST/2021/8) issued by Viet Nam’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, who presided over today’s virtual ministerial debate as Council President for April, Governments called for strengthened implementation of resolution 2365 (2017), the 15-member organ’s first stand-alone text on mine action.