In a letter to President Obama, the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines has welcomed the U.S. declaration of intent to join the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty in the future and the commitment not to produce or acquire antipersonnel landmines ever again as positive steps in the right direction. But the nationwide coalition says additional measures are needed to ensure that landmines are never used again.
The U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines suggests a number of steps the Obama administration should undertake as it concludes the review. This includes an explicit moratorium on use and accelerated destruction of existing stocks of antipersonnel mines, a vote in favor of the annual non-binding United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Mine Ban Treaty, and preparing the accession documents for President Obama to send the Mine Ban Treaty package to the Senate for its advice and consent before he leaves office on January 21, 2017.
Campaign chair Human Rights Watch has issued a Questions and Answers document reviewing the main elements of the new U.S. landmine policy.
