Mr. Chairman,

With the collaborative efforts of the international community, the international mine action has made significant progress in recent years, which has, to greater extent, resolved the humanitarian concerns caused by landmines in mine-affected countries and regions. The Chinese Delegation would like to express its appreciation for the fruitful work accomplished by the United Nations in this regard.

China upholds the following three principles in terms of the international mine action: Firstly, taking into full consideration of the specific national conditions and requirements of the recipients, and carrying out demining cooperation according to local conditions. Secondly, enhancing capacity building for mine-affected countries to make transition from relying on foreign assistance to improving their own ability for the purpose of sustainable development. Thirdly, exploring new approaches and modes in order to improve the effectiveness of international demining cooperation.

As a High Contracting Party to the Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, China implements APII faithfully and fulfills its obligations. China actively participates in the work of the Group of Governmental Experts under the APII framework and submits annual national reports.

Mr. Chairman,

As a mine-affected country in history, China fully understands the concerns and shares the same feelings of other mine-affected countries. China actively participates in international humanitarian demining assistance and provides due help to relevant countries for their mine action. Since 1998 China has established a long-term and systematic program of international demining assistance, and provided demining assistance to more than 40 countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America by various forms, including financial donation, providing demining equipment, hosting training courses and field demining guidance, which enjoys favorable comments from the international community.

In September 2015, H.E. Xi Jinping, the president of the People’s Republic of China, announced that China would carry out 10 demining assistance programs in the coming 5 years at the UN Peacekeeping Summit. And now we have delivered on this promise in advance. This year, the Chinese government held demining training courses for totally 70 personnel from Kingdom of Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and donated some demining equipment and humanitarian materials for the two countries. In future, China is willing to make continuous contributions together with the international community to resolving the humanitarian concerns raised by landmines and other unexploded ordnance.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.