Press Release
Government of Japan Provides more Support to UNMAS Humanitarian Mine Action Work in Africa
NEW YORK, New York, 22 May 2013 — The Government of Japan donated an additional six million US dollars in April to the UN Trust Fund in support of the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) to support United Nations humanitarian mine action activities in Mali. Earlier this year Japan gave 18 million dollars to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action for mine action work in Africa and in Afghanistan.
The six million dollar donation will be used to lay the groundwork for the implementation of the civilian humanitarian mine action in support of United Nations Security Council resolution 2100. UNMAS established an office in Mali in January of this year and has been advising, training and mentoring Malian and African Union personnel in addressing landmines, unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices.
As the United Nations prepares to deploy the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), UNMAS will continue to coordinate and support humanitarian mine action organizations and build the national capacity in the country to ensure that the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war are dealt with quickly. This grant will help the people of Mali by allowing for the voluntary return of refugees and of internally displaced persons and will help to provide humanitarian organizations safe access to all Malian communities.
“The Government of Japan continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to humanitarian demining. This generous and timely contribution will be disbursed to our programme in Mali immediately. It will help ensure that all preparations are on schedule for the deployment of MINUSMA, and that Malians and peacekeepers are able to safely navigate the terrain,” explained Agnès Marcaillou, the Director of UNMAS who will be travelling to Tokyo in June to attend the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V).
Japan has consistently supported the United Nations efforts to eradicate the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war and over the last five year has been the largest contributor to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Mine Action.
UNMAS supports mine action programmes in Afghanistan, Chad, Colombia, Cote D’Ivoire (UNOCI), Cyprus (UNFICYP), Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Lebanon (UNIFIL), Liberia (UNMIL), Libya (UNSMIL), Mali, Republic of the Congo, State of Palestine, Somalia (UNSOA), South Sudan (UNMISS), Sudan (UNAMID), Syria and Western Sahara (MINURSO).