Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam commits to joining actions in addressingconsequences of bombs and mines left over from the war, according to Maj. Gen.Tran Trung Hoa, Director General of the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre(VNMAC).

Addressing a New York debate session within the framework ofthe Mine Action Week held by the United Nations on the occasion of the InternationalDay for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on April 4, Hoa said thatVietnam is among the countries most affected by unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Today, unexploded bombs and mines are hidden underground inalmost all provinces and cities, with around 5.6 million hectares of  land contaminated, equivalent to 17.71% of the country’s natural land area.

Since 1975, more than 40,000 Vietnamese have been killed and60,000 injured due to landmines left over from the war, he stressed.

With joint efforts of the Vietnamese government and people, and the support ofthe international community, over the past 50 years, since the Paris Agreementon Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam was signed on January 27,1973, Vietnam has cleared nearly 2.5 million hectares of contaminated land toserve resettlement, ensure safety for people, and build economic works.

Many projects on the settlement of UXO consequences fundedby foreign countries like the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the UK, Norway,Germany and Australia, as well as UN bodies and foreign non-governmentalorganisations have been carried out successfully in Vietnam, Hoa stated.

In the coming time, Vietnam pledges to continue improvingthe system of legal documents in overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines,especially in building an ordinance on overcoming UXO consequences,participating in the development of international standards and perfectingnational standards and regulations in line with international standards, and perfecting a national database system to speed up the settlement of UXO consequences.

Vietnam continues to carry out surveys and demining activities,step up disseminations to raise people's awareness of accident preventionand provide support for UXO victims, he added.

While in New York, the VNMAC Director General is scheduledto meet UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for DisarmamentAffairs Izumi Nakamitsu and Director of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) Ilene Cohn todiscuss cooperation activities to overcome UXO consequences in Vietnam in thecoming time./.