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Campaign to Ban Landmines In this edition. . .
1) The Mine Ban Treaty: A Success in Progress International Campaign to Ban Landmines Press Release Eight years after its entry into force on 1 March 1999, the Mine Ban Treaty has emphatically made a difference to the lives of individuals and communities in mine affected areas, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) said today. A total of 153 states have taken the courageous step of joining the treaty which bans the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines, and prescribes the destruction of all stockpiled mines within four years of joining the treaty, and the clearance of all known mined areas within ten. "The Mine Ban Treaty provides the only legal framework to ensure that antipersonnel landmines will never be used again and that past use will be addressed too – through mine clearance and victim assistance," said Sylvie Brigot, ICBL Executive Director. "Nearly 80% of the world’s countries have recognized that the humanitarian impact of these weapons far outweighs their limited and outdated military utility. While 42 states – including global and regional powers such as China, India, Pakistan, Russia, the United States as well as most countries in the Middle East – are still dragging their feet, the vast majority of the world is moving steadily towards a world free of landmines and the suffering they cause," Brigot continued. "These weapons definitely have no place in a world in which the protection of human lives should be a primary concern and responsibility for governments." To read the entire press release, go to: http://www.icbl.org/news/march1_pr 2) Just ahead of the 1 March Anniversary, Indonesia Becomes the 153rd State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty International Campaign to Ban Landmines Press Release Parliament approved the bill on 7 December 2006, and President signed it into law on 29 December. But this final step at the UN was necessary before Indonesia could officially become a State Party. The treaty will enter into force for Indonesia on 1 August 2007. Indonesia was one of the original signatories of the Mine Ban Treaty in 1997. There are now only two remaining signatories that have not yet ratified: Poland and the Marshall Islands. Discussions about ratification of the convention between the Indonesian Campaign to Ban Landmines and the government of Indonesia began in 2002. Indonesia has declared that it is not a mine-affected country, but there have been some reports of injuries from mine-like improvised exposive devices and booby-traps in Ambon and Aceh, two regions affected by conflict in the recent past. It may also have a stockpile of antipersonnel landmines, which if verified, would need to be destroyed no later than 1 August 2011. To read the full article, go to: <http://www.icbl.org/news/indonesia_sp> . 3) Landmine Treaty Has Made Significant Difference, Say Supporters By Joe De Capua Eight years ago on March 1st, the international landmine treaty took effect. The treaty bans the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of the anti-personnel weapons. Currently, 153 nations have joined the treaty. The United States, so far, has not. The Bush administration says it has not been able to reconcile the treaty with US national security interests. It says the issue of anti-vehicle landmines should also be addressed. The United States provides aid for mine clearing and humanitarian programs for mine victims. The Bush administration adds the United States has already ratified a landmine treaty – the "Amended Mines Protocol to the Convention on Conventional Weapons." Simona Beltrami is the advocacy director for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. From London, she spoke to VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua on the effectiveness of the treaty so far. "The treaty has been a great success in trying to put an end to the human suffering caused by landmines. We can see that already over 80 percent of the world’s countries have signed up to the treaty, have become full partners to the treaty…however, as long as there are states that stay outside of the Ottawa treaty club…there will be no guarantee that no more landmines can be used again." she says. To read the full article, go to: http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2007-03-01-voa21.cfm . 4) Historic Process Launched to Negotiate New Treaty Rejecting Cluster Bombs Cluster Munition Coalition Press Release A historic process to develop, negotiate and conclude a new treaty prohibiting cluster munitions that have unacceptable consequences for civilians was launched at a successful conference hosted by the Norwegian Foreign Minister in Oslo at a meeting of 49 states, the Cluster Munition Coalition said today. The group of states, meeting after the failure of arms talks in Geneva last year, agreed to a clear declaration committing them to conclude by 2008 a new instrument prohibiting cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. Of the states meeting in Oslo, only Japan, Romania and Poland did not support the declaration. "Cluster munitions have killed and injured civilians for 40 years. Today the international community took a historic step today to put an end to that once and for all. The strong political will, common purpose and sense of urgency in the conference give us confidence that this new process will succeed in bringing about a meaningful new treaty in 2008," said Thomas Nash, Coordinator of the international Cluster Munition Coalition. The states also agreed to a clear roadmap for the way forward with follow up meetings in this process in Lima in May or June, Vienna in November and Dublin in early 2008. To read the entire press release, go to: http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/news.asp?id=51 .
5) UK Moves Closer to Cluster Bomb Ban, but Keeps Unacceptable Weapons for Use Landmine Action UK Press Release (London) – Less than a month after joining 45 other countries in a commitment to ban cluster munitions by 2008, the UK has announced it is banning the use of `dumb' cluster munitions with immediate effect. However the UK has said that it will retain the use of its Israeli manufactured M85 bomblets with self-destruct mechanisms, and is claiming that these are "smart" despite the fact that the same munitions failed in huge numbers in Lebanon in 2006. "This new step adds the UK to the growing list of governments taking action to back up their commitment to a new treaty banning cluster bombs," said Thomas Nash Coordinator of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), the London-based global alliance of 200 NGOs campaigning against these weapons. "These weapons have been killing and injuring civilians for decades and every step like this one today from the UK brings us closer to ending that suffering forever." In Oslo last month the UK joined allies Germany, France, Italy, Canada and others in committing to conclude an international treaty to "prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians." The new process to achieve this international treaty was spearheaded by Norway after the failure of arms talks at the Convention on Conventional Weapons in Geneva last November. The next meeting on the road to a cluster bomb treaty will be held in Lima, Peru from 23-25 May 2007 where discussions are expected to begin on the shape of the new legal instrument. To read the entire press release, go to: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/459411/117431151437.htm . 6) Cambodia Announces Support for New Treaty Banning Cluster Munitions Cluster Munition Coalition Press Release (Phnom Penh, 14 March 2007) – On the eve of the first regional forum on cluster munitions in Southeast Asia, Cambodia announced support for banning cluster munitions. Cambodia’s declaration comes three weeks after the launch in Oslo of a process to negotiate a new international treaty prohibiting cluster munitions that cause unacceptable humanitarian harm. Governments, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations are gathering tomorrow, 15 March, at the first regional forum on the issue in Southeast Asia. The forum will take place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, sponsored by the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). "Cambodia supports this Oslo appeal to ban cluster munitions which cause unacceptable harm to civilians, and will become an active participant in the process," said Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sok An at the closing of a regional conference on mine action on 14 March. This is the first time Cambodia has publicly endorsed the new international process aimed at rapid negotiation of a binding treaty on cluster munitions. To read the entire press release, go to: http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/news.asp?id=54. 7) Adopt-a-Minefield's Night of a Thousand Dinners in New York City PRNewswire NEW YORK -- The Adopt-A-Minefield(R) Campaign will host its 2nd Annual New York City culinary-themed benefit dinner on April 4, 2007 at the United Nations. On this night -- recently recognized by the United Nations as International Day for Mine Awareness -- Adopt-A-Minefield will also pay tribute to some of the program's biggest proponents and long- time friends, Ted Turner and the Better World Fund, Adopt-A-Minefield Chair Former Ambassador Nancy Rubin and Culinary Humanitarian Daniel Boulud. The theme for this celebration is the Night of a Thousand Dinners. This annual initiative of Adopt-A-Minefield encourages individuals from around the world to help clear deadly landmines by hosting fundraising dinners. The annual New York dinner is the center piece for this campaign. "We are not done ridding the world of landmines," said Timothy E. Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation and the Better World Fund, partners in the Adopt-A-Minefield campaign. "This annual event is an important way for us to continue to help fund the crucial work of those in the field. We hope that people will join us on this special evening." To read the full press release, go to: http://sev.prnewswire.com/food-beverages/20070320/NYTU06020032007-1.html.
For more information on the US Campaign to Ban Landmines, go to www.banminesusa.org U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines To make a donation to the US Campaign to Ban Landmines go to: www.banminesusa.org/support/body.html and click on Donate. |
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