Cambodia has reaffirmed its stance on strictly adhering to the principles and norms of the Ottawa Convention Anti-Personnel Mine Ban, while clarifying that the Kingdom’s border areas remain dangerous due to landmines left over from past wars, posing risks to both civilians and military personnel.
The remarks were made by Senior Minister Ly Thuch, first-vice president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), at the 22nd Meeting of the States Parties to the Ottawa Convention, held on December 1, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Thuch told the assembled dignitaries that over the past three decades, Cambodia has transformed from one of the countries most severely affected by landmines into a leading nation in clearance, information management and victim assistance.
During this period, it has cleared thousands of square kilometres of mine-contaminated land and restored safety to communities. Cambodia’s mine action programme is implemented with transparency, professional verification and compliance with its obligations, he noted — principles that are essential to ensuring trust among the parties to the Ottawa Convention.
“In this regard, Cambodia wishes to reaffirm that it has adhered to the principles and norms of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, and the achievements of Cambodia’s mine action are well-documented and clearly verified internationally,” he said.
Thuch also shared a warning about the landmine situation in border areas.
“Cambodia acknowledges that border areas throughout our region continue to be affected by complex mine contamination left over from past wars, and these areas pose risks to both civilians and military personnel,” he said.
He noted that Cambodia has long been engaged in addressing these challenges, focusing on the humanitarian, economic and political consequences caused by decades-old minefields. It has chosen an approach based on cooperation, dialogue and technical considerations to ensure safety along the border and to avoid misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the facts on the ground.
“Cambodia remains fully committed to the goals of this convention and will continue to strengthen national capacity, support victims, share expertise regionally and provide support based on the needs and requests of other mine-affected countries,” he said.
In addition to this commitment, Thuch, on behalf of the government, said Cambodia also calls on all State Parties to uphold the norms and spirit of the convention. Cambodia believes that State Parties must not exploit the situation for advantage or engage in any activities contrary to the principles and humanitarian values that lie at the heart of the convention.
He also highlighted the Kingdom’s contributions to mine clearance under the UN peacekeeping framework, as well as the sharing of its experience and expertise globally through training, study visits and cooperation with other mine-affected nations.
