Official Opening of the National Committee for Dimining & Rehabilitation
2 September 2004
Statement by Ms. Christine McNab
UNDP Resident Representative
The opening of the National Commission for De-mining and Rehabilitation is an important milestone in the history of mine action in Jordan. The leadership that Jordan demonstrates to the international community on the important humanitarian and development issue of de-mining is impressive. The work undertaken by Her Majesty Queen Noor is well known throughout the world, as is the dedication and professionalism of the Royal Engineering Corps. Perhaps less well known, but just as important, are the contributions made by the Jordan Red Crescent, the Royal Medical Services, the Landmine Survivors Network, and the ICRC to name but a few of the unsung heroes working to reduce the impact of mines in the country. UNDP is honoured to support de-mining in Jordan.
In May this year, Jordan hosted a regional seminar on the utility of landmines as strategic military weapon. The objective of the seminar was to demonstrate to non-state parties to the Ottawa Convention, in the Middle East and North Africa Region, that mines are no longer a viable military deterrent to modern armies. Your Majesty, the seminar clearly demonstrated that mines are not an obstacle to a determined 21st century army. But, as we know all too well, mines do cause untold trauma and difficulty for the non-combatant men, women, and children who of necessity move back into the mined areas once conflict has ceased.
In the worst scenario, the impact of mines can be death or disablement. Fortunately, in Jordan the number of accidents remains low due to the marking of mined areas, de-mining, and mine risk education. However, the impact in areas known to contain mines remains high from a socio-economic perspective. the land leads to increased opportunities for development. I recently had the opportunity to visit the Jordan Valley to view the positive impact of : I was impressed to see how it has contributed to the fostering of large-scale agricultural production; the securing of scarce water resources; and the opening up of the historic Baptism site.
There has been commendable progress in other areas such as the destruction of over 90,000 mines that had been stockpiled by the Army, and the provision of physical rehabilitation of those injured by land mines. However, there remains a major challenge and opportunity: to reach the 2009 mine clearance deadline called for in the Ottawa Convention. Recently the United Nations circulated a list of countries that it believes can – with modest levels of support – meet the 2009 target. I am happy to see Jordan on the list and I firmly believe that Jordan, working closely with its partners, can make this a reality.
As the UNDP Resident Representative, my role is to help promote the policies and activities that will help reduce poverty and move Jordan towards reaching its Millennium Development Goals. It is with this objective in mind that UNDP supports mine action including the work of the NCDR. The NCDR has a vital role to play in ensuring that the overall planning and coordination of mine action is conducted from within a development framework.
One of the most important tasks of the NCDR in the coming months will be to draft an integrated National Mine Action Plan that takes into account de-mining, mine risk education, survivor and victim assistance and places these activities within a broader development context. The work in Jordan to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, on which Your Majesty has spoken so eloquently in other contexts, provides an excellent context for mine action.
And a final comment on the National Commission for De-mining and Rehabilitation. As a new institution with a great deal of responsibility, the NCDR is faced by the immediate need to build in-house capacity so that it can perform to the level required. In this area UNDP is already active, and we hope that our other partners will join with us in making the NCDR and mine action a continuing Jordanian success story, well known around the world.
I thank you.