Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Thank you, Mr President
New Zealand is committed to supporting mine action around the world, and we are proud of the progress we have made alongside our partners over the last three decades.
New Zealand has a long history of providing direct mine action assistance to Cambodia, dating back to 1991, when the New Zealand Defence Force began work alongside the United Nations on clearance and the establishment of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre. Our support continues today, and we wish to congratulate Cambodia on your impressive journey, including as Cambodia is now able to share your learnings in support of other affected states.
Globally, New Zealand is supporting mine risk education, victim assistance, survey and clearance in Southeast Asia, South America, the Middle East, and in Ukraine.
The New Zealand Defence Force also provides support in our home region, the Pacific, and beyond. This includes joint activities with regional security partners, like the Australian-led Operation RENDER SAFE, and bilateral clearance and capacity building projects.
We call on all States Parties in a position to do so to engage with affected States Parties and mine action organisations and to provide assistance. Further, while the scale of contamination in new and protracted conflicts demands our attention, we must not forget about legacy contamination.
We also wish to highlight the importance of advocacy. Civil society advocates, survivors, and their communities play an essential role in upholding and strengthening our Convention and the norms it embodies. We were pleased to support the participation of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines at this Conference. It was the efforts of these groups that brought the Convention into existence, and it is their efforts that continue to push us all forwards to full compliance and a strong global norm against these indiscriminate weapons.
Finally, we acknowledge the challenges that many affected states experience in accessing funding. We look forwards to working with States Parties and civil society to understand how these challenges can be effectively addressed, including potentially through the establishment of a new Voluntary Trust Fund.
Thank you.