UN Holidays - International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

At the initiative of the UN, since 2006, April 4 has been recognized as the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action The emergence of such a day was facilitated by the initiative coming from the UN Secretary General The underlying message behind the day's significance is that landmines are "invisible killers" Despite the fact that large-scale wars and conflicts affecting the interests of the world community have long since sunk into oblivion, they sometimes make themselves felt Every year, about 15 thousand people die when they involuntarily set off mines left behind decades ago As a rule, civilians who are not properly aware of such echoes of war die In addition to other activities carried out by the United Nations, the existence of April 4th will be able to attract the necessary amount of attention not only to the problem of mine clearance, but also to the problem of the existence of landmines and their direct use Unfortunately, not all mines set in motion are relics of past wars Such weapons are actively used in third world countries and terrorist organizations This is due to the fact that the latter do not have the proper military potential And mines, due to their simplicity of design and ease of handling, have a low cost Such a weapon can be in a state of waiting not only for months, but also for years At the same time, without requiring care, maintenance and constant maintenance Their use is not affected by the economic climate, as well as the armed training of other states In other words: the mine lies and waits to be activated The existence of this day is dedicated to this problem Along with the proclamation of April 4, the UN General Assembly called on states and state-like entities not only to create, but also to develop national means to combat mine danger in those countries where remnants of war pose a direct threat to the life, health and safety of the population, as well as social and economic development of society Despite the current age of high technology, mines have not gone into the shadows and remain a serious threat to civilians Measures taken by the UN, including the establishment of the International Day, as well as the adoption of Conventions and programs, annually reduce the number of victims of mines