The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at the 8th Meeting of the State Party (8MSP) to the Ottawa Convention at Jordan last week, formally announced the successful destruction of all its known stockpiled anti-personnel landmines in Afghanistan, meeting the requirement of the stockpile-destruction benchmark of Article 4 of the Convention of the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines on their Destruction known as the Ottawa Convention. At the Stockpile Destruction Demonstration Event held at the Deh Sabz today, newly cleared anti-personnel landmines along with other explosive remnants of war were destroyed to symbolize the continuing efforts of the Government of Afghanistan's mine action program efforts towards a mine free Afghanistan.

The widespread and indiscriminate use of anti personnel mines during more than two decades of war has turned Afghanistan into one of the world's most heavily mined countries in the world. More than four million Afghans, around 17 percent of the population, are living in one of the 2,374 mined communities and are struggling to cope with the legacy of Afghanistan's brutal war. As the Government of Afghanistan became the 126 th Member State to the Ottawa Convention in March 2003, it fully committed itself toward destroying all the minefields by 2013. Hence, in the last four years of the operation, more than 500,000 stockpiled anti-personnel mines in Afghanistan have been destroyed. As a result of collaborative efforts of our donors, implementing partners and brave de-miners, the Government of Afghanistan has successfully completed the task for the first step of the Ottawa obligation and is fully committed to meet the next de-mining requirement by 2013.

Since 2003, Ministry of Defense has led the stockpile survey and destruction process through UNDP supported program known as the Afghanistan New Beginnings Program (ANPB). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been responsible for monitoring and reporting on the Ottawa Treaty obligations assisted by UN Mine Action Center in Afghanistan (UNMACA).

The Government of Afghanistan would like to express its appreciation to the donor community, implementing partners and the more than 8000 de-mining personnel for their hard work and generous support toward this monumental endeavor. We are also indebted to the European Union for their generous assistance for the coordination and financial support of this Stockpile Destruction Demonstration Event and continued support in all other areas of mine action program in Afghanistan. We also thank the Canadian Government and our valuable international donors in partners for their generous and long term support to the mine action programme in Afghanistan.