The Mine Ban Treaty: A Success in Progress

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of the world’s countries have recognized that the humanitarian impact of these weapons far outweighs their limited and outdated military utility.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.”

Indonesia – one of the 122 states that originally signed the treaty in Ottawa, Canada, on 3-4 December 1997 – was the latest country to become a full party to the treaty on 20 February 2007. Another two of the original signatories, Poland and the Marshall Islands, have to date failed to ratify the treaty.

“Ten years is a long time to make good on a commitment made,” said Simona Beltrami, ICBL Advocacy Director. “Such a delay really casts doubts on the sincerity of Poland and the Marshall Islands in signing the treaty.”

While the global stigma created by the treaty on these weapons has led to a virtual halt in the global trade in antipersonnel mines, a sharp drop in the number of producers and a startling reduction in the number of governments laying mines, there are still numerous causes for concern. Burma/Myanmar, Russia and Nepal were confirmed to have used antipersonnel mines in 2006 – with Nepal ceasing use in May last year in the context of an ongoing peace process with Maoist insurgents. Moreover, Israel was alleged to have laid new mines in South Lebanon during the summer 2006 conflict, and in December of the same year Pakistan threatened to mine the border with Afghanistan to stem militant infiltrations.

A dozen countries – including China, India and Pakistan –still retain the right to produce these weapons and the United States is considering producing new weapons systems that are equivalent to antipersonnel mines, despite attempts by Congress to block this.

“Countries remaining outside the Mine Ban Treaty continue to put dubious military concerns before clear humanitarian needs,” remarked Brigot, noting that most of these states are also resisting efforts to address the humanitarian consequences of cluster munitions. “In most instances, these supposed military concerns are clearly preposterous, as in the case of Finland and Poland, the only two members of the European Union who are still refusing to become parties to the Mine Ban Treaty when the regional security context clearly does not warrant further delays in joining.”

Since the treaty entered into force, it has compelled States Parties to demine and return to productive use large tracts of land, to educate mine-affected communities about the dangers of antipersonnel mines, to provide support to and protect the rights of landmine victims, and to destroy millions of stockpiled antipersonnel mines, ensuring they can never be planted in the earth again.

“While the Mine Ban Treaty has undeniably been a success, it is a work in progress. States Parties need to stay committed and continue providing the political leadership and financial resources to ensure we can declare final victory in the battle against landmines,” said Brigot.

When it was negotiated ten years ago, the Mine Ban Treaty established a model which may now be used in other disarmament processes, including the recently launched initiative on cluster munitions.

“The Mine Ban Treaty set the standard by combining disarmament and humanitarian goals in one comprehensive and water-tight treaty. Its effectiveness over the past eight years has been remarkable, and a direct outcome of the tireless work and commitment of the international community,” said Tamar Gabelnick, ICBL Treaty Implementation Director.

“At the same time, States Parties to the treaty cannot afford to lower their guard, as the job is not done yet. At least 45 States Parties must still clear their mined areas, over 10 States Parties have millions of stockpiled mines remaining to be destroyed, and most States Parties with landmine survivors have not yet guaranteed they can receive proper assistance and be fully reintegrated into society. The treaty can only be declared a success when these duties have been fulfilled,” Gabelnick concluded.

Background

• The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer or Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction – also known as the Mine Ban Treaty - was opened for signature in Ottawa, Canada, on 3 December 1997. It had been the result of an unprecedented diplomatic process which saw governments and civil societies work together to negotiate a treaty outside traditional diplomatic channels, paralysed by the mechanism of consensus. The treaty became binding on 1 March 1999 – after being ratified by 40 states - doing so more quickly than any treaty of its kind in history.
• Seventy-four States Parties have completed stockpile destruction, and another 64 never possessed mines, leaving approximately 10 States Parties with stocks to destroy. States Parties collectively have destroyed more than 39.5 million antipersonnel mines.
• At least 13 of 29 States Parties with mine clearance deadlines in 2009 or 2010 appear not to be on course to meet them: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, Croatia, Denmark, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, Tajikistan, Thailand, the United Kingdom (Falkland Islands), Yemen, Zimbabwe.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact the ICBL office at +41 (0)22 920 0320 or ICBL Advocacy and Communications Director Simona Beltrami at +39 333 7142251 or simona@icbl.org.