FALLMUNC II
UN General Assembly:
SPECPOL
Land Mines
So long as there is war and conflict in the world, there will be
humanitarian emergencies. So long as there are landmines in the ground,
people will be deprived of their basic right to a decent life; communities
will be denied the opportunity to prosper; nations will be depleted of
resources needed to rebuild and develop. Yet with the continued support of
Member States, we have the means to end this suffering. To that
end, the United Nations Mine Action Service is one of our most precious
resources.
-Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Landmines are
explosives placed under the ground as a weapon that explodes when triggered
by motion, specifically by footfall. Landmines have been used in warfare
for almost 2,500 years. New technologies have allowed landmines to develop,
becoming more powerful and dangerous, but not more accurate. Landmines can
be triggered by any motion, whether it be the steps of an invading army or
the steps of a child going to school. Landmine blasts can kill or maim
victims, causing unspeakable terror and treachery to an entire community.
Those who survive the blast are unlikely to live long after; landmine
victims need 2-3 times as much blood as do other war victims because of the
nature of their injuries. The cost of caring for these victims is enormous
on countries that are often already struggling or in conflict.
Perhaps the most
terrible fact of landmines is their particular danger to children.
Children, attracted to the strange shiny object, are more likely to
unknowingly pick up a landmine trigger. Children too young to read wander
into minefields despite warning signs. Ultimately, children are less able
to survive and recover from a mine blast.
Still today, there
are an estimated 15-20 thousand casualties each year as a result of
landmines. Mines can last up to 50 years in the ground, so most casualties
occur in countries now at peace, where mines are left over from past
conflicts. Landmines also hamper growth in countries rebuilding after
conflict because they render land unusable and are accidentally triggered by
livestock. The threat of landmines slows the aid process because aid
workers are slowed or stopped by mined land. A mine can halt an entire
village from gaining access to drinking water or food. Landmines cripple
countries hoping to recover after conflict, particularly third world
countries where conflict is continual and cheap weapons of terror are
rampant.
Almost 80
countries are still infected by landmines; no region in the world is without
landmines. Though mines, at roughly $1 a piece, are inexpensive weapons to
make and plant, they can cost between $300-5000 to remove. Even when land
is demined, for every mine removed, there are an average of 56 mines
planted. Though 125 countries have ratified the International
Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and
Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (commonly known as
the Mine Ban Treaty), there are still 13 states still holding stockpiles of
landmines and/or using mines.
Some
Useful Sources to Begin Your Research:
http://www.icbl.org/
http://www.landmines.org/
http://www.landmines.org.uk/
http://www.mineaction.org/
http://www.stoplandmines.org/slm/index.html
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/banmines/facts.asp
