Take action now to urge Poland to ratify the treaty!

(Wednesday 14 July 2004 ) Please take a few minutes to join our action urging the Polish authorities to join the Ottawa Treaty before the Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World this coming November. This is a critical moment as a special task force created within the Polish Ministry of Defence is drafting a new policy on landmines. The first draft is this policy is due at the end of this month, so the time is ripe to let our voices be heard!

Poland's First Lady, Mrs Jolanta Kwasniewska, speaks to the media at the opening of the photographic exhibition, "Landmines - deadly legacy: Over 5 years after adoption of the Ottawa Treaty", 1 March 2003. Photo: Zdecia z Wystawy

Three easy steps to join the action:

1. Sign the sample letter (or adapt it to create your own)
2. Fax the letter to the Polish Ministry of National Defence on +48 22 845 5378
3. Contact the Polish embassy in your country to let them know about this action and why we wish to see Poland ratify the Treaty and/or send them a copy of the letter to the Ministry of Defence

A few useful facts:

• Poland signed the Ottawa Treaty on 4 December 1997
• Poland is one of only three EU member states that remain outside the Treaty (the other two being Finland and Latvia - the latter, however, has started the accession process)
• Most of Poland's neighbouring countries are already State parties and Ukraine is taking steps to enable ratification
• The increased stability in the region and decrease in conventional threats to national security (ie armed invasion) have been acknowledged by the Polish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
• Lobbying initiatives undertaken so far to urge the Polish authorities to ratify the Treaty include:
  • a letter from ICBL Ambassador Jody Williams to the Polish President
  • a letter from the Italian Senate's Human Right Commission to the Polish PM
  • letters from the Italian CBL to Polish authorities and embassy in Rome
  • a joint Handicap International -ICRC-ICBL lobbying visit to the Polish Embassy in Brussels