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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published
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Africa: Landmine Treaty Ratified
Africa: Landmine Treaty Ratified
Date distributed (ymd): 980917
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +security/peace+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains the press release from the International Campaign
to Ban Landmines. Burkina Faso became the 40th country to ratify to 1997
Mine Ban Treaty, ensuring that the treaty will enter into force on March
1, 1999. 42 African countries have signed the treaty, and nine, including
Burkina Faso, have completed the ratification process.
The African countries that have ratified the treaty are Burkina Faso,
Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, South
Africa, and Zimbabwe. For more information on individual African countries
and their stance on the treaty, see the Mines Action Canada web site (http://www.minesactioncanada.com/region.cfm?region=Africa).
For additional links see the Africa Policy Web Site (http://www.africapolicy.org/action/lmine.htm).
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thursday, 17 September 1998 08:00 GMT
LANDMINE TREATY RATIFIED BY FORTY COUNTRIES IN RECORD TIME
The global movement to eradicate antipersonnel landmines reached a major
milestone when Burkina Faso became the fortieth nation to ratify the 1997
Mine Ban Treaty late last night. The treaty will now enter into force-become
binding international law - on 1 March 1999 after a six month waiting period.
"It is fitting that this treaty will enter into force faster than
any other major treaty in istory," said Jody Williams, Ambassador
of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). "This accomplishment
underscores the urgency of dealing with the global landmine crisis and
the strength of the new international standard against this insidious weapon."
The Mine Ban Treaty (formally the Convention on the Prohibition of the
Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and On
Their Destruction) has been signed by 130 nations since last December.
Among the forty ratifying thus far are not only nations that led the Mine
Ban Treaty negotiations (such as Austria, Canada, Ireland, Norway and South
Africa), but also nations that ed to be major producers and exporters of
landmines (such as France, Germany, United Kingdom, and Hungary) and nations
where mines have been used most extensively (such as Bosnia, Croatia, Mozambique
and Zimbabwe). Quick entry into force is vital for the crucial treaty deadlines
- destruction of stockpiled mines within four years and of mines already
in the ground within ten years - to go into effect.
The ICBL expresses grave concern about reports of the continued laying
of mines in a number of countries that have signed but not ratified the
treaty, such as Angola, Cambodia, Senegal and Sudan. ICBL condemns the
use of mines in non-signatory states such as in Kosovo, FR Yugoslavia.
At a recent meeting of the non-aligned movement, the ICBL criticized Cuba,
Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan and yria -- all non-signatories-for blocking
a resolution in support of the ban treaty. Other non-signatories, including
China, Iraq and Libya, remain openly hostile to the ban. The ICBL is also
concerned that some signatory countries where the U.S. has mines stockpiled
have not ratified-Greece, Japan, Italy and Spain. The ICBL believes that
it would be a violation of the treaty to permit the U.S. to maintain those
mines indefinitely.
"The test of the treaty is the difference it makes to countries
where mines have victimized the population," said Tun Channareth,
ICBL Ambassador and landmine survivor from Cambodia. "At least eight
children and nine adults have died from starvation in villages in Battambang
province in the last month. Some villages are heavily mined and others
are made up of displaced people who have fled the minefields." The
ICBL is placing increased emphasis on mine action and mine victim/survivor
assistance initiatives to ensure greater effectiveness of these vital operations.
The ICBL calls on all those governments that have signed the treaty
but not yet ratified to do so without delay because to sign but not ratify
sends a signal of insincerity and lack of commitment. The ICBL believes
that the Mine Ban Treaty provides the framework for the overall solution
to the landmine crisis in that it not only bans the weapon comprehensively,
it also requires mine clearance and urges mine victim assistance programmes.The
ICBL expresses great concern over the lack of adequate resources allocated
for humanitarian mine action programmes.
While appropriate demining technology would be useful, resources are
being allocated for dem ing technology research and development programmes
which do not seem appropriate (practical, affordable and sustainable) to
the needs of communities suffering from mines.
The forty governments that have ratified are:
Andorra, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Djibouti, Equatorial
Guinea, Fiji, France, Germany, Grenada, Holy See, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica,
Macedonia, Mauritius, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Mozambique, Niue, Norway, Peru,
Samoa, San Marino, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan,
United Kingdom, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
The 130 signatories include:
All of the Western Hemisphere except the U.S. and Cuba, all of NATO
except the U.S. and Turkey, all of the European Union except Finland, 42
African countries, and 17 in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan.
The ICBL is currently holding an international meeting in Dublin, Ireland
15-18 September to develop the ICBL's "Landmine Monitor" system
for tracking and evaluating implementation of and compliance with the treaty.
For additional information: Call your local campaign contact or in Dublin
contact:
- Stephen Goose (Human Rights Watch), Chair, ICBL Treaty Working Group
- Abdouramane Boly (Burkinabe Campaign to Ban Landmines)
Tel. +353-(0)-87-272-3028, +353-1-677-7608, or +353-1-677-7683 Fax: +353-1-677-7566
Liz Bernstein
International Campaign to Ban Landmines PO Box 2189
Maputo, Mozambique
Tel 258 1 49 39 81/2; Fax 258 1 49 39 80
email: [email protected]
http://www.icbl.org
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the Africa
Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary objective is to widen
the policy debate in the United States around African issues and the U.S.
role in Africa, by concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant
information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups and individuals.
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