Some of the participants in the UNSC open debate, held both virtually and in person on April 8 (Photo: VNA) Ilene Cohn, Officer-in-Charge of the UN MineAction Service (UNMAS), told the Vietnam News Agency that Vietnam put forwardthe issue at the right point of time, expressing her delight at Vietnam, asCouncil President, choosing the unexploded ordnance (UXO) issue as the topicfor one of the main debates in April.
She noted that the meeting held great importancesince the UNSC is the body responsible for resolving issues to maintain theworld’s peace and security, especially when bombs and landmines remain threatsto people around the globe.
Cohn said Vietnam has obtained much progress inmine action, but there remains much to do for a world free of lethal weapons.
Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, PermanentRepresentative of Vietnam to the UN, said UXOs are always “silent killers”, buttwo new issues have emerged in recent years: the increasingly widespread use ofcontrolled improvised explosives and the use of these improvised devices toattack peacekeeping missions.
Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have also madethis issue even more serious, he noted.
Quy added that the UXO issue has been rarelydiscussed at the UNSC as it was not supported by countries’ previous policies.Therefore, Vietnam’s chairing of the signature debate about mine action has metthe international community’s concern.
Sudan, one of the countries hit hard byconflicts and UXOs, also spoke highly of Vietnam’s selection of the mine actionissue for the open debate.
Chargé d’affaires Mohammed Elbahi from theSudanese mission to the UN said there remains much UXO aftermath in Sudan thathas considerably affected the country’s development process and caused muchpain for its people.
He also affirmed his country’s commitment toexerting efforts to finish the settlement of the remaining UXOs in the nearfuture.
At the meeting, the UNSC adopted a presidentialstatement viewed as “unprecedented” in four years that stresses theimplementation of the existing legal framework, particularly UNSC Resolution2365, points out new challenges, and sets up new measures the internationalcommunity needs to take to promote mine action./.
VNA
