The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Ukraine: “Marshall Plan” approach needed to stop landmines from blighting country’s economy
Clearance of mines in Ukraine is urgent to put the country’s economy back on track and enable to grow food for the rest of the world, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said on Wednesday.
The agency has been mandated by Ukraine’s government to address the economic impact of mine contamination “in years, not decades”, UNDP’s Paul Heslop, who leads UN mine action in the country, told reporters in Geneva.
The process of getting rid of mines and remnants often takes decades and requires significant investment. “With the right resources and the right commitment from the international community and probably something similar to the Marshall Plan, we believe that, by 2028, we can help Ukraine remove 75 per cent of what is the economic impact of the conflict,” Mr. Heslop added.
Ukraine has become one of the world’s largest minefields. Their National Mine Action Authority estimates that more than 180,000 square kilometres, equivalent to a quarter of the country, has been exposed to conflict and potential contamination, putting over 14 million people at risk. Given the level of fighting and the types of weapons used, UNDP warned Ukraine is facing what Europe faced at the end of World War II.
For a swift and sustainable decontamination process, Mr. Heslop stressed it will require harnessing innovation like satellite imagery and drones alongside traditional demining techniques, investing in training and equipment for deminers, as well as working with international financial institutions to enable Ukrainian farms and energy firms to borrow money so that they can clear their land.
In a hopeful message to the international community, Mr. Heslop said: “make the commitment over the next five years and we will see Ukraine retake its place as an agricultural powerhouse and that will affect the world. It will bring down food prices for everybody.”
Mine Action Week is currently taking place in Geneva under the theme “mine action cannot wait”. Under the coordination of UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), UNDP organises humanitarian demining processes in different countries to ensure lasting peace and development. There are still more than 60 million people in close to 70 countries and territories who live with the threat of explosive ordnance.
Ends
Story: UN Mine Action in Ukraine – UNDP
Speaker:
- Paul Heslop, Head of UN Mine Action, UNDP Ukraine
TRT: 1’53
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 21 June 2023
UNMAS/UNDP Press Conference
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot: UN flag alley UN Geneva.
- Wide shot, Press room, UN Geneva
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Paul Heslop, Head of UN Mine Action, UNDP Ukraine:
“With the right resources, the right commitment and the right belief and a buy-in from the international community and probably something similar to the Marshall plan an investment in the Ukrainians to help the Ukrainians to solve the Ukrainian problem, -we're already asking that as much equipment as possible is bought in Ukraine- we believe that by 2028 we can help them remove 75 per cent of what is the economic impact of the conflict.” - Cutaway: medium shot journalists taking notes
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Paul Heslop, Head of UN Mine Action, UNDP Ukraine: “Recently, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Economy (name should actually be Ms. Svyrydenko) called me and said, “Paul, we need to solve this problem in years, not decades.” We need to get the country back on its feet as quickly as possible.”
- Cutaway: medium lateral shot
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Paul Heslop, Head of UN Mine Action, UNDP Ukraine: “Using innovative solutions such as use of drones, satellite imagery, survey in the population, non-technical survey teams, we will literally save billions of dollars and we will return hundreds of thousands of hectares of land, or millions of hectares of land to agricultural use as quickly as possible.”
- Cutaway: medium shot of speakers at podium
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Paul Heslop, Head of UN Mine Action, UNDP Ukraine: “I think it is very realistic for us to turn around and say to the international community: make the commitment over the next five years and we will see Ukraine retake its place as an agricultural powerhouse and that will affect the world. It will bring down food prices for everybody.”
- Various shots of Press conference room
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Funding and supply shortfalls for the UN World Food Programme (WFP)'s work in Ethiopia will halt lifesaving treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children at the end of the month. “We are at the breaking point,” it said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue to kill and injure civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure, raising concerns regarding the protection of civilians, the UN Human Rights Office warned today.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNWOMEN , UNDP
Sudan: Aid teams report massive displacement after latest Darfur atrocity; women’s bodies ‘turned into battlegrounds’
In Sudan’s North Darfur, tens of thousands of people have fled a displacement camp following the massacre of civilians and aid workers as the country enters the third year of a conflict marked by horrific levels of sexual violence, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITC
Global trade could shrink by three per cent as a result of the United States’ new tariff measures which in the longer term could reshape and boost as-yet untapped regional commercial links, a top UN economist confirmed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Warring parties in Sudan are overseeing a wholesale assault on human rights amid global inaction, the UN Human Rights Office said on Friday, as the conflict is about to enter its third year.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday said Israel’s increasing issuance of so-called “evacuation orders” for Palestinians in Gaza have resulted in their forcible transfer.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , UNHCR , UNWOMEN , WFP , WHO
Two years of war in Sudan have created epic suffering, aid agencies say
Two years since Sudan’s brutal conflict began, UN agencies warned that famine is spreading and civilians of all ages continue to suffer shocking abuse, including rape and gang rape.
1
1
Edited News | UNMAS
In Gaza, ongoing Israeli military operations and the aid blockade have continued to add to daily fears and hardships confronting those in the devastated enclave, the UN Mine Action Service, UNMAS, said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNDP
Dangers grow for Myanmar earthquake survivors, health system 'overwhelmed' - UNDP
In earthquake-shattered central Myanmar people are sleeping in the streets in fear of buildings collapsing, facing early monsoon rains and the risk of waterborne diseases, the UN Development Programme warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | ICRC , OHCHR , UNHCR
Myanmar’s military has continued to launch airstrikes and other attacks against opposition forces in the devastated country, one week since a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck and despite announcing a ceasefire, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif on Tuesday presented a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, detailing the continued violations of human rights as a result of the offensive launched by the Rwandan-backed M23 in eastern DRC.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , IFRC
UN humanitarians and partners on Tuesday expressed deep shock at the killing of 15 colleagues on duty in southern Gaza whose remains were recovered from a shallow grave after a week-long rescue operation, noting that one worker is still missing.