ALGIERS – Tuesday, 30 May 2023 (APS) – Participants at an international conference on mines held in Algiers on Tuesday praised the commitment of African countries to remove anti-personnel mines, while congratulating Algeria for its “pioneering” and “effective” role in this field.
At this international conference organized by the Ministry of Mujahideen and Rightful Claimants, under the theme “For a safe and mine-free Africa,” the Deputy Secretary General of the UN Conference on Disarmament, Melanie Regimbal called, in a recorded speech, on States to comply with the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel landmines, stressing that the UN is making significant efforts to ensure compliance with this document and guarantee the well-being and safety of people.
“Last year, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on anti-personnel landmines, which has now become an essential element in our security policy and is making an effective contribution to saving lives,” said the UN official.
In this respect, Regimbal said that an international legal framework had been established, and that as a result, the risk associated with anti-personnel mines had been greatly reduced.
“More than 55 million anti-personnel mines have been destroyed worldwide,” said Regimbal, a figure that “proves the willingness of States to respect conventions aimed at making the world safer.”