Mr. Chairman,

In recent years, with the joint efforts of the international community, the international mine action has achieved positive progress. Distress of landmine problems in some countries and regions has been alleviated. The Chinese delegation would like to take this opportunity to express its high appreciation for the work done by the United Nations in this field.

The Chinese Government, pursuing the people-oriented policy, attaches great importance to the humanitarian concerns caused by landmines and is supportive to relevant international legal framework. As a State Party to the Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, China implements APII faithfully and fulfills its obligations. China actively takes part in the work of the Group of Governmental Experts under the APII framework and submits annually national report to the meeting of High Contracting Parties accordingly.

China appreciates the humanitarian spirit enshrined in the Ottawa Convention, endorses the purpose and objective of the Convention and maintains communications and exchanges with State Parties to the Convention. China supports the resolution entitles “Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction” at the First Committee of the UN General Assembly, and attends relevant meetings of the Convention as an observer. China also established contacts and exchanges with many NGOs in the field of international mine action.

Mr. Chairman,

In many countries and regions suffering from wars or armed conflicts, landmine still poses serious threat to civilian lives and properties and hinders economic development and social rehabilitation. China is of the view that it remains an important task before us to strengthen international assistance and cooperation and to push forward international mine action.

China upholds that the cooperation on international mine action should take into consideration the following principles: Firstly, the specific national conditions and requirements of the recipients should be taken into full account and mine and ERW clearance assistance and cooperation should be carried out in accordance with these specific situations. Secondly, capacity building of mine-affected countries should be enhanced. We should endeavor to help them accomplish the transition from depending on external assistance to building on their own capacity, so as to achieve the sustainable development of mine action. Thirdly, we should focus on improving the concrete effect of the mine and ERW clearance assistance and cooperation and explore new approaches of international cooperation on mine action.

Mr. Chairman,

As a former mine-affected country, China fully understands the concerns and fully shares the feelings of other mine-affected countries. Proceeding from international humanitarianism, China actively participates in international demining assistance and help relevant countries get rid of the landmine problem. Since 1998, China has established a long-term and systematic program of international demining assistance. Since then, China has provided demining assistance to nearly 40 countries from regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America to support the mine action in these countries in various forms, including offering funds, donating demining equipment and hosting demining technique training, etc.

In 2011, the Chinese Government held a demining training course for 30 personnel from Sri Lanka. Currently, a humanitarian demining training course is undergoing in China for the Sudan and the South Sudan, in which total 20 demining personnel from these two countries participated. In addition, China positively responds to the call for international demining assistance issues by UN Secretary-General and provided mine and cluster munition victim assistance to countries like Peru, Ethiopia, Laos, etc. Practice has proven that Chinese demining techniques are safe and reliable and its demining equipment is cost-effective and efficient. The unremitting efforts of China in support of international mine action have gained highly appreciation from the recipients and relevant international organizations.

China will continue to cooperate closely with all parties and make new contributions to resolving the humanitarian concerns caused by landmine.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.