UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF), Landmine Monitor Report 2005
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF began its mine action programmes in El Salvador and Somalia in 1993,
and in Angola and Cambodia from 1994, extending mine action projects to 34
countries/areas in 2005, including:
Afghanistan
Lao PDR
Albania
Lebanon
Angola
Liberia
Azerbaijan
Mauritania
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Nepal
Burundi
Nicaragua
Cambodia
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Chad
Panama
Colombia
Russian Federation
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Senegal
Eritrea
Somalia
Ethiopia
Sri Lanka
Georgia
Sudan
Guatemala
Syria
Guinea-Bissau
Thailand
Iraq
Vietnam
Indonesia
Zambia
In 2005, UNICEF’s global financial requirements for mine action are
around 23,000,000 US dollars. Foremost among UNICEF’s current donors
include the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Canada, UNICEF National
Committees, the European Commission, Australia, Italy, Germany, among others.
As a part of a coordinated UN programme, UNICEF’s action focuses on
mine risk education, humanitarian advocacy and assistance to the survivors of
accidents.
In 2001 UNICEF developed the UNICEF Mine Action Strategy 2002-2005,
which outlines the roles and responsibilities of UNICEF’s headquarters,
regional and country offices. The Strategy is based on the 1998 UN Mine Action
Policy on effective coordination, the UNICEF Mission Statement, its Core
Commitments for Children in Emergencies, its Peace and Security Agenda, the
World Fit for Children Outcome Document, UNICEF’s Medium Term Strategic
Plan and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The role of UNICEF’s country office in relation to mine action is to
incorporate landmine impact into regular situation assessments, raise awareness
of the problem, and support government and other partners in planning and
providing appropriate responses to reduce risk. This is done as part of an
interagency approach. The country office also undertakes rapid mine risk
assessment, and plays a coordinating role for mine risk education in
emergencies.
The regional office is the main monitoring mechanism for Strategy
implementation, including the incorporation of landmine action into emergency
preparedness and response plans. The regional office coordinates UNICEF’s
landmine action responses on regional, sub-regional and cross-border programmes,
and carries out advocacy at these levels.
The headquarters is responsible for policy, desk and direct technical support
to country and regional offices. The headquarters has global responsibility for
evaluating strategy implementation, and for global advocacy.
In undertaking mine action, UNICEF strives to ensure the survival,
protection, and development of women and children, and recognises that landmines
and other explosive remnants of war directly and indirectly threaten
children’s rights to life, survival and development.
UNICEF works with and support states, UN agencies and like minded civil
society partners and international organisations to help children, their
families and their communities understand how to reduce mine risks, through mine
risk education, and advocates for and with them on mine related issues.
UNICEF views its mine action work as a crucial supporting element of the
broader humanitarian, development and peace building agenda. Mine action is a
public health issue, a rights issue, and an issue of social justice requiring
flexible and often diverse solutions that not only target the direct threat of
mines, but view the problem in light of wider social considerations.
The Nairobi Summit on a Mine Free World reviewed the progress in the
implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty and paved the way for action in the coming
five years. During the Summit, Carol Bellamy reinforced UNICEF’s
commitment to mine action.
UNICEF has reiterated that the elimination of landmines can and must be
completed through the universalisation of the Mine Ban Treaty and the successful
implementation of mine action programmes in the coming years.
In 2005, the UNICEF Mine Action Strategy will be evaluated and reviewed to
reflect UNICEF’s ongoing commitment to mine action. A new Strategy will
be developed for the period 2006-2009 in line with UNICEF’s new Medium
Term Strategic Plan and the 2005-2009 Mine Action Plan endorsed by States
Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty at the Nairobi Summit.
In 2005, the United Nations launched a revised inter-agency policy on mine
action. Within this policy UNICEF has committed itself to continue and
diversify its work to combat the threat of landmines.
Over coming years, UNICEF will focus on the development and implementation of
MRE projects and associated activities, consistent with its capacities and
priorities at country level. In situations of emergency, UNICEF may also
support the national coordination of MRE with UNMAS, and in the absence of UNMAS
or the UNDP, UNICEF may accept responsibility as the United Nations focal point
for mine action in any given country. Such arrangements are to be determined by
the United Nations’ Country Team and coordinated with the Mine Action
Interagency Coordination Group.
Generally speaking, following the identification of humanitarian needs,
UNICEF will support the following types of activities with its partners:
Developing landmine injury surveys and surveillance systems
Monitoring and evaluating UN-led MRE programmes and projects
Monitoring the humanitarian impact of landmines and ERW
Developing and implementing public information campaigns, education and
training projects, and community liaison projects
Survivor assistance projects, integrated in public health and social
services programmes
Supporting hazardous area marking projects
In exceptional circumstances, supporting the implementation of quick
response mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal
activities.
In all its work UNICEF will seek to build the capacity of its local and
international partners to undertake effective mine action projects. UNICEF will
continue to work to develop effective mechanisms to coordinate MRE projects,
such as establishing national MRE working groups, undertakes MRE and associated
training activities for practitioners, in addition to providing direct technical
assistance to government and other national partners.
To promote best practice, UNICEF will continue to support the development of
national and international MRE policy, tools and techniques, guidelines and
standards. Through outreach activities, UNICEF will disseminate and promote the
adoption of the practices identified in the standards, policies and guidelines,
and undertakes periodic evaluations of their effect.
UNICEF will continue to promote ratification and implementation of the Mine
Ban Convention: helping to ensure that states and non state actors are aware of
the threat and fully conscious of their terrible effects; that existing
landmines are destroyed, hazardous areas marked; that new landmines are neither
procured, manufactured nor laid; and that services are in place for survivors -
particularly women and children.
Included in UNICEF’s advocacy efforts is a commitment to address
problems associated with other explosive remnants of war, such as cluster
munitions, to work for the further development of international law in relation
to ERW and weapons that have indiscriminate effects. In addition UNICEF will
continue to be an advocate for the promotion of the rights of persons with
disabilities.
UNICEF will work with national governments to integrate MRE into school
curricula, emergency education programmes and life-skills training. In
collaboration with WHO, ICRC and other partners UNICEF will ensure the
integration of landmine survivors in its broader public health, education and
other development programmes, and advocates for similar inclusive strategies by
other organisations.
UNICEF would like to express thanks to governments of affected and
non-affected states for the support they have given UNICEF in realising its mine
action work, in providing access, technical and financial assistance.
About Us
Our Research Products