Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention - Intersessional meeting - EU Statement on Victim Assistance

Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

Intersessional Meeting

Geneva, 18-20 June 2024

EU Statement on Victim Assistance

Madam Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The candidate countries Türkiye, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina[1] align themselves with this statement.

The European Union would like to thank the Committee on Victim Assistance members for your work, and for the update on your activities.

Madam Chair,

The European Union has been resolutely engaged in favour of mine victims and persons with disabilities through its policies and assistance, in particular in the implementation of the Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/257 which provides for national stakeholder dialogues to encourage parties responsible for the wellbeing of mine‐affected communities and survivors to better address the challenges they face through strengthened dialogue and partnerships. Those dialogues will seek to support States Parties in strengthening their multi-sectoral efforts in ensuring that the victim assistance implementation is in line with relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). In this context, the EU welcomes the ISU efforts in the frame of victim assistance, among others study visit to Jordan to explore venues for a dialogue with Yemen.

The EU was also proud to support financially the Third Global Conference on Assistance to Victims of Anti-Personnel Mines and Other Explosive Ordnance, hosted by Cambodia in October last year. In the same vein we support Regional Victim Assistance Dialogue, hosted by Slovenia, which will take place the last week of August.

As long as anti-personnel mines, including those of an improvised nature and explosive remnants of war, continue to affect the lives of millions of civilians across the world, the European Union will continue to engage. The European Union recognizes the social, economic and developmental impact of those weapons, and will continue to work through mine clearance, victim assistance, international cooperation and assistance, and universalisation efforts among others to achieve a world free of anti-personnel mines.

The EU encourages all international stakeholders to continue to provide funding and support to State Parties with reported mine victims for building of their capacity and a sustainable implementation of victim assistance. Only 4 percent of international mine action assistance is directed to victim assistance.

As long as there are victims, we will provide sustained and continuous assistance to victims in order to fulfil their rights. The EU encourages to develop policies to best assist mine victims and survivors in a non-discriminatory manner addressing the specific needs of all, including mental health and psychosocial support.

The EU encourages commitments by all States Parties to fully implement and complete their obligations under the Convention, including by taking appropriate assistance measures, when they are in a position to do so, beyond mine clearance, to ensure social and economic rehabilitation of mine victims.

The European Union also supports full, equal, effective, and non-discriminatory participation of mine victims in society as a key component of victim assistance, based on respect for human rights, gender equality, inclusion and non-discrimination in line with relevant provisions of the CRPD, and recognising the essential contributions of the United Nations Women, Peace and Security Agenda, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In this regard, mainstreaming a gender perspective into its mine action work, supporting the work of stakeholders and taking the diverse needs and experiences of people in affected communities into their humanitarian mine action policies remains a top priority for the EU.

Thank you, Madam Chair

[1] North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.