ICBL Campaigners in 60 Countries Call on the U.S. to join the Mine Ban Treaty!

Campaign members including a landmine survivor meet with U.S. representatives in South Korea. Photo: Global Peace Sharing in Korea

"A mine took both my legs and cut my dreams short when I was a teenager. Now I have to use a wheelchair ‘to walk’. My country went through a long civil war that left dozens of thousands of people dead and injured, many by mines. I am happy that my country has joined the Mine Ban Treaty. But we want all Americas and all the world to be free of landmines. And this is why we want the U.S. to join the treaty now. The U.S. has many times proven its leadership and support to humanitarian causes and now is the time it can and should prove it again. Using mines for defense purposes is not effective and causes only pain and poverty. We do not want these anymore!"
Jesus Martinez, Red de Sobrevivientes, El Salvador

Starting on 1 March 2011, which marked the 12th anniversary of the entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty, ICBL campaigners have been contacting U.S. embassies in 60 countries/areas around the world to request meetings to talk about the ongoing U.S. policy review on landmines and to urge the U.S. Administration to join the Mine Ban Treaty without delay.

The ICBL's global action on the United States complements ongoing domestic advocacy efforts of the United States Campaign to Ban Landmines.

Meetings already held or scheduled at U.S. embassies:

Meeting with U.S. representatives in Sarajevo. Photo: Landmine Survivors' Initiative (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Australia
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Burundi
Cambodia
Colombia
Denmark
El Salvador
France
Georgia
Guatemala
Indonesia
Japan
Kenya
Kosovo
Mozambique
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Peru
Serbia
Sierra Leone

Meeting at the American Institute in Taiwan. Photo: Eden Social Welfare Foundation

South Africa
South Korea
Taiwan
Turkey
Uganda
United Kingdom
Vietnam

Meetings requested with U.S. embassies or U.S. Administration:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Chile, D.R. Congo, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Fiji, India, Iraq, Italy, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal, Somalia, Switzerland (Geneva), Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, U.S., and Zambia.

What you can do:

Meeting at the U.S. General Consulate in Istanbul. Photo: Initiative for a Mine-Free Turkey

Tell President Obama to ban landmines (Human Rights Watch's online action)
Tell the U.S. Administration to join the Mine Ban Treaty (USCBL's online action)
Show your support on Facebook and Twitter

More information:

1 March 2011 Press Release - United States Campaign to Ban Landmines
1 March 2011 Press Release - International Campaign to Ban Landmines
Nobel Peace Laureates Call on President Obama to Ban Landmines

The United States and the International Ban on Landmines: Experts discuss their first-hand experiences with landmines and their mission to convince the United States to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. Audio recording of a panel discussion held on 1 March 2011 at Georgetown University and featuring Ken Rutherford, Director of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at the James Madison University, Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and Steve Goose, Director of the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch.