United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
Following the release of the United Nations
Secretary-General’s report on “Renewing the United Nations: A
Programme for Reform” (A/51/950), the United Nations under the
leadership of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), developed a
concerted, coherent and transparent UN Policy on Mine Action. In discussion with
UN partners, the policy determined that “UNICEF is the focal point on
mine awareness education. In this capacity it will provide appropriate guidance
of all mine awareness programmes, liaising closely with concerned partners?
UNICEF, in collaboration with WHO, ICRC and other partners? will ensure
comprehensive rehabilitation? and advocate for the promotion of a total ban on
anti-personnel landmines and the ratification of the Ottawa Convention”.
UNICEF is currently undertaking mine action programmes in 10 countries
world-wide and seeks to utilise the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
as the framework for developing a ‘rights based approach’ to
programming. Programmes supported by the agency are based on sustainable,
long-term local capacity building initiatives. In dealing with the problem of
landmines, UNICEF undertakes advocacy and mine awareness education, and
occasionally assist its partners with victim assistance.
Advocacy
In early 1998, all UNICEF Regional Directors, country Representatives and
National Committees were instructed to approach and lobby the responsible
Ministries to support the Ottawa Convention and promote early ratification.
Staff were informed that should they require additional assistance, the
Government of Canada and the NGOs in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
(ICBL) would be rallying their supporters in this endeavour. UNICEF Executive
Director Carol Bellamy stated that “the quest for ratification is a matter
of such importance that any member of senior management will be ready to
intervene (even, if absolutely necessary, to travel) in order to facilitate
success”.
The Organisation for African Unity (OAU) and UNICEF announced a cooperative
effort, on 10 February 1998, to press for ratification at the earliest possible
date and pledged to work with donor countries and other partners to ensure
comprehensive and complementary programmes on demining, destruction of
stockpiles and rehabilitation of victims.
The Permanent Mission of Canada, the OAU and UNICEF held a Tripartite Meeting
on African Ratification of the Landmines Convention in April 1998.
In mid-June, a joint press release was issued by the Secretary-General Kofi
Annan and UNICEF announcing the halfway mark to final ratification. Constant
pressure was exerted with parliamentarians, popular opinion leaders and policy
makers throughout the process.
In September 1998, the Ottawa Convention became the quickest ratified treaty
in history.
UNICEF continues to support the activities of the Government of Canada and
International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) in their endeavours towards
achieving universalization of the Ottawa Convention. All mine-related issues
will be integrated into UNICEF’s regular programming efforts and a manual
will be developed to educate both staff and the donor community on this
comprehensive range of activities being undertaken by the agency.
Mine Awareness Education
UNICEF organised a third workshop to finalise the International
Guidelines for Mine Awareness Education in Florence, from 13-15
December, 1998. The Guidelines have been developed in close consultation with
major international and national NGOs, the ICRC and UN partners. The Guidelines,
once concluded, will serve to guide the planning, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of all United Nations mine awareness programmes. Based on these
Guidelines, and in collaboration with its NGO partners, UNICEF will develop
training modules to undertake a ‘training of trainers’. An initial
group of UN and NGO staff will participate in a Training of Trainers Workshop,
following which the training module will be further refined. Over the next three
years UNICEF will continue to build its own capacity and that of its local
implementing partners to undertake mine awareness programmes world wide.
UNICEF has participated in all UNMAS-lead Inter-Agency Assessment Missions to
mine-affected countries, and in cooperation with its NGO partners, has prepared
and developed additional mine awareness programmes based on these assessments.
Since 1998, missions have been undertaken to Ethiopia, Somalia, Burundi, Yemen,
Azerbaijan and Jordan, Lebanon.
A major travelling exhibition on anti-personnel landmines was produced for
purposes of advocacy and mine awareness education, and will be displayed both
within the US and internationally.
UNICEF will work closely with the Geneva International Centre for
Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) to develop modalities of cooperation in data
gathering and data dissemination for planning it mine awareness and victim
assistance strategies.
UNICEF cooperated with DC Comics and the US Departments of State and Defence
in developing a Superman/Wonder Woman mine awareness comic book for children in
the Central American countries of Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Victim Assistance
UNICEF cooperates closely with its UN and NGO partners to support the
physical and psychosocial rehabilitation of mine survivors and their
reintegration within the communities. Support has been provided for the
development of low-cost, locally produced prosthetics, orthotics and other
assistive devices. Economic and social rehabilitation for the disabled is being
undertaken through psychosocial counselling, referrals to prosthetic workshops,
physiotherapy, community-based rehabilitation, vocational training, and the
provision of grants or loans to start up small businesses. This programme also
ensures that disabled children go to school and encourages the creation of
self-help groups of disabled persons. In collaboration with the appropriate
Ministries of Health, UNICEF also supports the construction of Rural Health
Centres in heavily mined areas.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) and UNICEF assisted the Swiss Government through the provision of
technical assistance in the formulation of the Berne Manifesto on victim
assistance. This initiative was developed to gain the support of like-minded
countries for the provision of assistance to mine victims.
UNICEF Country Programmes
UNICEF plans to undertake a range of activities during 1999 in the following
10 countries:
Angola
UNICEF will continue to incorporate mine awareness messages into the
educational system targeting school children in affected provinces and preparing
training materials in collaboration with the National Institute for Mines Action
(INAROEE) and the Ministry of Education. Mine awareness will be provided for the
local population through national and International NGOs, radio broadcasts,
media campaigns, theatre group training and field monitoring exercises. Mine
incident data will be gathered from all affected provinces and training
programmes for local health professionals utilising child-centred prosthetics
and orthotics, and physical therapy for affected children will be introduced.
Educational materials for prosthetic and orthotic training courses will be
developed in cooperation with the NGO community.
Bosnia & Herzegovina
UNICEF will continue to
develop mine awareness education kits for training teachers and educators and
undertake monitoring and evaluation of UN and NGO activities. Training
programmes through the NGO, “Spirit of Soccer” will disseminate mine
awareness through coaching clinics. The use of theatre, radio and TV will
augment programmes and technical support for implementation of mine awareness
education.
Cambodia
Child-centred mine awareness programmes will
continue to be undertaken in cooperation with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and
the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) and activities such as survey, permanent
marking, awareness and selective limited clearance will be undertaken with
community participation. UNICEF will continue to support the CMAC Integrated
Database and the CRC Mine Incident Database to collect comprehensive
information on mine incidents and to improve the planning, monitoring and
evaluation of mine action activities. Prosthetics, orthotics and other assistive
devises will be provided in support of programmes in cooperation with Handicap
International (HI) , Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) and the Ministry of Health.
Croatia
Based on the results of a KABP Survey
(knowledge, attitude, behaviour and practise) undertaken in 1998, UNICEF will
develop appropriate mine awareness materials targeting the most vulnerable
sections of the population in order to alter risk-taking behaviour. Mine
awareness and teacher training will continue in collaboration with the Ministry
of Education, the Police Academy, the Ministry of the Interior and national
NGOs.
Guatemala
A survey and the development of a national database and registry of
rehabilitation resources will be initiated in Guatemala. Training will be
provided in prosthetics/orthotics, occupational and physical therapy,
psychosocial counselling and rehabilitative equipment will be provided for mine
victims. Community-based education, information and communication programmes
will be developed.
Laos
Community awareness and the increase in technical
capacity at field level, support for material development, production, and
assistance to strengthen community awareness management and on-the-job training
is planned. Monitoring and evaluation components will be further refined.
Mozambique
UNICEF plans to support the National
Demining Commission for data gathering of mine accidents and undertake a
national assessment of mine victims to ensure access to existing health and
social service structures. Assistance will be provided for physical and
psychosocial rehabilitation through orthopaedic workshops and trauma counselling
and for training of school teachers, social and health workers on mine awareness
education. Monitoring and evaluation of local and community level mine
awareness programmes will be on-going.
Nicaragua
Mine awareness materials will be developed
and child broadcasters trained in coordination with the Nicaraguan Red Cross.
Community-based solutions will be formulated following discussions with 600
communities.
Somalia
Mine awareness training to be undertaken
through local schools, women’s groups and NGOs. Reporting systems on mine
accidents will be strengthened and the development of appropriate communication
tools (toys, puppets, games, posters, videos, etc) by local and international
counterparts will be supported. UNICEF will undertake a ‘training of
trainers’ on mine risk education and provide technical assistance to UN
staff, local authorities and NGOs on the design and implementation of survey
instruments.
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