KARACHI (NPTV/UN): United Nations General Assembly (noticing that one person is killed or injured due to mines each hour,) declared that 4th April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s message for 2026 International Day for Mine Awareness: “Landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices exact a devastating toll on civilians, especially children. As conflicts multiply and military spending skyrockets, these dangers are deepening.
“These weapons do not disappear when the fighting is over. They lurk in fields in Colombia, Ethiopia, Lebanon and Myanmar; amid the rubble in Gaza; and in communities across Syria. They kill thousands each year and injure a great many more – often long after conflict ends.
“Mine action plays a critical role in places where peace is fragile, the humanitarian response urgent, and development precarious. It allows the UN and its partners to work in greater safety and enables ravaged communities to recover and rebuild.
“On this International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, I call on all Member States to join and adhere to the relevant instruments – including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention – and urge those that have withdrawn to rejoin. Failing to preserve these vital instruments will only weaken civilian protections and add to the 100 million innocent lives already in peril.
“This year’s theme – Invest in peace, Invest in mine action – highlights the need to accelerate mine clearance, enhance risk education, expand victim assistance, reduce weapons stockpiles and advocate for a mine-free world.
“We must eradicate the threat posed by these weapons – so all people everywhere can live in safety and with hope.”
Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action: In 2026, the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action has been commemorated under the theme Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action. This theme draws out the foundational importance of lands being cleared from explosive threats and communities living in the absence of fear from these indiscriminate weapons for peace to be able to prosper.
Reclaiming land for climate-resilient livelihoods: When land cannot be safely accessed, households are forced to rely on smaller, often degraded areas for farming, grazing or fuel. This concentrates pressure on already limited resources, accelerating environmental degradation and increasing the risk of tensions in fragile settings where land and livelihoods are closely tied to stability.
Mine clearance helps reverse this dynamic by restoring safe access to land, reducing pressure on already overused areas and enabling more sustainable use of natural resources. This allows soils to recover and supports more resilient agricultural livelihoods. It also enables the development of infrastructure such as roads and bridges, strengthening connectivity and helping communities better withstand climate extremes while reducing the risk of tensions.
Newspakistan.tv
Professor at Iqra University, writes on UN activities, health and social issue.
