3 April 2016
On Sunday 3 April, 2016, during his Sunday sermon at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and following an initiative from the GICHD, Pope Francis called for a renewed engagement for a world without mines.
Pope Francis stated:
"E mentre pregiamo per la pace, ricordiamo che domani ricorre la giornata mondiale contro le mine antiuomo. Troppe persone continuano ad essere uccise o mutilate da queste terribili armi. E uomini e donne corraggiosi rischiano la vita per bonificare i terreni minati. Rinnoviamo per favore l'impegno per un mondo senza mine."
"And whilst we pray for peace, we remember that tomorrow we celebrate the world day against anti personnel mines. Too many people continue to be killed or maimed by these terrible devices. And courageous men and women risk their lives to clear mined land. Please let's renew the engagement for a world without mines."
Video of Pope Francis' Statement
Monday, 4 April is the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. To mark this day, the GICHD launched the #TogetherAgainstMines campaign that asks organisations, world leaders and individuals around the world to lend their support for keeping mine action on the international agenda and getting to a mine-free world. This campaign has received tremendous support from the mine action community and beyond.
The social media feed and a detailed description of the campaign, can be found at www.togetheragainstmines.org.