Statement by the Delegation of Ukraine under agenda item 46 “Assistance in mine action” of the Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly

(23 October 2025, New York)

Mr. Chair,

Ukraine remains deeply concerned by the grave humanitarian risks posed by mines and explosive remnants of war to the safety, health, and lives of civilian populations, as well as to those participating in humanitarian, peacekeeping, reconstruction, and mine clearance operations.

We acknowledge the crucial role of the United Nations Mine Action Service and the broader UN system, including UNDP, UNICEF, international partners and other relevant stakeholders, in mitigating the dangers posed by explosive ordnance. Their tireless work in Ukraine and around the world saves lives every day, often at great personal risk.

Mr. Chair,

Mine action remains one of Ukraine’s top national priorities, not only for the protection of civilians but also for restoring livelihoods, rebuilding communities, and ensuring sustainable development.

As a result of the war of aggression by the Russian Federation, 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory have been potentially contaminated with mines and explosive remnants of war. To date, over 37,000 square kilometres have been returned to productive use, largely through non-technical survey.

However, an estimated 137,000 square kilometers, roughly 23% of Ukraine’s war-affected territory – remains at high risk of contamination. This prevents farmers from cultivating their fields, threatens livelihoods, and puts communities at constant risk of injury of death.

Ukraine’s goal is ambitious but clear: to return 80% of affected territories to productive use within the next ten years. To achieve this, the Government of Ukraine has adopted the National Mine Action Strategy until 2033 and a three-year Operational Plan, now nearing completion of its second year. These efforts demonstrate that Ukraine not only remains committed to its objectives but also possesses the institutional capacity and determination to achieve them — thanks to strong national systems and unwavering international support.

We are profoundly grateful to all our partners, governments, international organizations, and NGOs, for their steadfast support and solidarity in this life-saving work. We recall with appreciation the Ukraine Mine Action Conferences held in Zagreb (2023) and Lausanne (2024), which helped strengthen coordination and mobilize resources for humanitarian demining.

Today, as we speak, the Ukraine Mine Action Conference in Tokyo, the third in this series, is bringing together partners from across the world, united by a shared goal: to free Ukraine’s land from explosive ordnance contamination. We are both proud and deeply grateful for this growing global coalition and its unwavering commitment to saving lives and enabling recovery.

Mr. Chair,

Ukraine’s experience in mine action is one that no nation would ever wish to have. Yet, after more than eleven years of Russian aggression, and since the full-scale invasion in 2022, the level of explosive ordnance contamination in our country has become unprecedented in the world.

As of October 2025, 1,332 civilians have been killed or injured by explosive ordnance. These are not just numbers — they are lives, families, and futures cut short. These crimes serve as a stark reminder that accountability must remain an integral part of any conversation on mine action.

However, Ukraine refuses to be defined by tragedy. We have become a hub of innovation in mine action by advancing drone-assisted surveys, cost-effective demining technologies, and innovative financing models. Our goal is not only to clear our land but also to share knowledge and expertise with other nations facing similar threats. Because, at the end of the day, we are all guided by a common purpose: to protect civilians, restore land to productive use, and rebuild resilient communities.

Today, over 120 certified mine action operators work across Ukraine, a number that continues to grow. We are making our certification processes more accessible and transparent, including through the introduction of the world’s fully digital certification systems, reducing bureaucracy and increasing efficiency.

Ukraine has an established mechanism for providing compensation and assistance to victims of explosive ordnance. Together with our international partners, we are working to make this mechanism more efficient, effective and victim oriented. 

We are also developing a new National Mine Action Standard on Explosive Ordnance Risk Education to ensure coherence and quality across all EORE activities. Our goal is to make risk education inclusive, innovative, and accessible to all communities — including children, persons with disabilities, and those living in high-risk areas.

At the national level, Ukraine has taken concrete steps to ensure that mine action is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. In particular:

Established a Working Group on Gender Equality and Inclusion in Mine Action;

Developed recommendations on employing persons with disabilities in mine action;

Introduced programmes to train and employ veterans, enabling them to contribute their skills to rebuilding our nation;

Launched media campaigns aimed at increasing awareness regarding mine action as a professional sector for women and veterans;

Mr. Chair,

We wish to emphasize that explosive ordnance contamination in Ukraine is not only Ukraine’s problem. Because of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the world continues to face a pressing challenge of food insecurity.

Before the war, Ukraine produced enough food to feed 400 million people worldwide, much of it going to vulnerable countries. Now, much of our agricultural land remains unused, and Russia’s aggression has caused severe economic and humanitarian consequences across global markets.

Thousands of hectares of farmland remain unsafe and unproductive due to explosive ordnance contamination. Each hectare of our land could feed eighteen people for a year, yet Russia continues to use drones to scatter new mines over cleared fields in the Kherson region of Ukraine.

To conclude, Mr. Chair, for Ukraine, mine action is not only about removing explosives from the ground, but also about restoring hope, rebuilding trust, and laying the foundations for peace.

Thank you.