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General Assembly Resolution 53-33
Committee: Special Political Committee
Topic: Landmines
Cognizant of the fact that any solution to the landmine problem requires significant funding;
Realizing that the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance, established in 1994, had received over $40 million in contributions from over 40 countries between 1994 and 1998;
Appreciative of the contributions made to landmine programs such as:
the USA appropriating $85 million, Canada $70 million and Japan $16 million for the year 2000;
Realizing that the estimated cost of removing all 110 million active mines in over 70 countries is $33 billion provided no additional mines were planted;
Further realizing that, at current rates, it would take more than 1100 years to clear the entire world of landmines, provided that no additional mines were planted;
Emphasizing the fact that surgical care and the fitting of artificial limbs cost about $3000 per amputee in developing countries, which is more than the per capita income in most devloping countries;
Further emphasizing that it would take a total expenditure of $750 million to service the approximately 25,000 amputees registered worldwide by the United Nations;
Acknowledging that the most dire need is the treatment of those who have become casualties to the landmines;
Affirming that with limited funding, the vast majority of the money must be spent ont
the current victims, not on preventing future victims;
Recognizing that the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs (UNDHA) creates the landmine programs, and coordinates the funding of landmine programs;
1. Recommends the following distribution of monies:
60% : care and rehabilitation of victims
5% : education/awareness programs
10%: training/research in demining
5%: demining efforts
5%: peacemaking efforts
5%: development and distribution of "smart mines" as an alternative to the "dumb mines" which constitute the majority of landmines emplaced
10%: administration of the programs
2. Encourages the following nations, which historically produced most of the world’s landmines, to increase their voluntary contributions by 500% to the UN Voluntary Trust for Landmine Clearance:
Austria, Belgium, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, North Korea, South Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Russia, Sweden, UK, Ukraine, USA, Vietnam, Yugoslavia