Mr. President,
I would like to extend congratulations to you on your election as the President of this conference. The Chinese delegation is willing to cooperate with you and other delegations to ensure the success of the conference. China appreciates you and the coordinators from Austria and the Philippines for organizing informal consultations on the Protocol V, and supports all parties to continue using the expert group as a forum to exchange experiences on victim assistance, clearance of explosive remnants of war (ERW) and technical assistance.
Mr. President,
The Protocol V has struck a balance between national defense needs and humanitarian concerns, and has played a positive role in addressing humanitarian issues caused by ERWs. All countries have continuously promoted the implementation of the Protocol, made positive progress in victim assistance, and steadily advanced relevant international cooperation. On the other hand, ERWs still exist in large quantities world-widely. Currently, there are frequent armed conflicts and the ongoing armed conflicts continue to generate new ERWs, which have presented a post-conflict humanitarian hazard. In this regard, there is still a long way to go to achieve the objective and purpose of the Protocol.
China attaches great importance to the clearance and destruction of ERWs. Since the ratification of the Protocol in 2010, China has faithfully fulfilled its relevant obligations, and submitted its annual report on time. China has also attached importance to strengthening relevant mechanism building on protocol implementation. In the past year, Chinese public security department has closely cooperated with the military and disposed of 17, 000 ERWs of various types such as artillery shells and aerial bombs. At the same time, the Chinese military has focused on capacity building, including conducting training for soldiers and military officerson the detection and removal of ERWs and unexploded ordnance underwater.
As a former victim of war, China empathizes with the practical difficulties faced by other victim countries, and has actively promoted international cooperation and assistance. Up to now, China has provided explosive disposal and victim assistance support for many countries such as Peru, Ethiopia, Laos, Cambodia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Jordan, etc. This year from June to September, China has provided a 3-month mine-clearance and explosive disposal training for 40 trainees from Cambodia and Laos. During the training, new technologies and methods such as drone reconnaissance, laser destruction, and robot disposing were utilized.
Mr. President,
At present, dozens of countries around the world are still facing the threat by ERWs.According to current progress, it will take decades or even hundreds of years for some countries to eradicate ERWs within their borders. There are still a large number of various types of explosives abandoned by foreign aggressors in China, posing a serious threat to the safety of people's lives and property. China has always believed that the international community should adhere to the principle of "who uses, who clears", and that countries which abandoned explosive remnants in other countries must effectively shoulder their historical responsibilities by providing necessary financial, technical and other forms of support for the clearance and destruction work.
Mr. President,
The resolution of the ERW issue cannot be achieved in one day and requires long-term attention and unremitting efforts from all parties. As long as there are armed conflicts, there will always be new ERWs. There are no winners in conflict and war. The fundamental way to solve the issue of ERWs is to resolve differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation in a peaceful manner. At the same time, all parties concerned should strictly abide by the law of armed conflict, including the Protocol V, and take effective measures, including post-war clearance, protection of civilians, preventive measures, etc., to guard against and address humanitarian concerns that may be caused by ERWs. China will uphold the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, and continue to enhance the universality and effectiveness of the Protocol. China will strengthen international cooperation with relevant countries and make greater contributions to the complete elimination of hazard caused by ERWs for the international community.
Thank you, Mr. President.