States Parties 161 States Not Party 36
A number of studies have been made on why the campaign succeeded in getting a Mine Ban Treaty drawn up in such a short period of time and the successes in its implementation. Here is what worked for us.
A total ban of antipersonnel mines was something straightforward for everyone to rally around. In addition to having a simple message, we also framed our argument in a particular way. We focused on humanitarian as opposed to disarmament issues when motivating for a ban. The campaign’s message was backed up with strong visual images and the support of well-known personalities. This in turn helped to get the issue into the media, capturing the public's imagination.
This allowed for speedy decision-making and implementation. This flexibility meant we could work outside the UN system when we participated in the Ottawa process and within the UN later on when the Mine Ban Treaty came into force.
Alliances were built among and between NGOs, governments and international organizations. This was in part facilitated by improved electronic communication (first faxes and then emails) and also by the personal relationships between those involved.
The context in which the treaty was negotiated was most favourable: the Cold War had ended, small and medium-sized states took the lead, governments provided strong leadership and used non-traditional diplomacy. Importantly, the treaty negotiations took place outside of UN institutions -- so there was provision for voting rather than a reliance on consensual procedures and NGOs were formal participants -- and this in turn ensured that the treaty remained focused and strong.
