Author(s):
Chayer Amelie <amelie@icbl.org> .
Friday 23 October 2009
Participate in Milestone Meeting of the Mine Ban Treaty
A minefield in Ta Phraya, Sa Kaew province, Thailand. Photo: Mary Wareham
New York, 23 October 2009 -- Governments that have still not joined the international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines should participate in a forthcoming global summit and join the agreement without delay, said the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) today at an event at the United Nations in New York.
“Almost all of the governments that have not yet joined the Mine Ban Treaty have pledged their support for the elimination of antipersonnel landmines,” said Sylvie Brigot, Executive Director of the ICBL. “They should participate in the upcoming treaty summit and announce their intent to join the agreement.”
Most of the 156 governments that have joined the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty are expected to attend the Second Review Conference, which will be held in Cartagena, Colombia, from 29 November - 4 December 2009. This milestone event, also known as the “Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World,” is open to all states regardless of their position on banning antipersonnel mines.
“The unprecedented way in which the Mine Ban Treaty was agreed and the past decade of productive implementation have demonstrated that multilateral diplomacy can be done differently,” said ICBL spokesperson Steve Goose of Human Rights Watch. “Those aspiring to tackle arms transfers, nuclear disarmament, and other disarmament and humanitarian priorities would do well to consider the lessons learned from this collaborative process.”
Agreed over an eighteen-month period through a fast-track initiative known as the “Ottawa Process,” the Mine Ban Treaty was created through a process characterized by strong partnership between governments, UN agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) organized under the banner of the ICBL. Aspects of this model have been seen since in the development of international law relating to child soldiers, the International Criminal Court, and, most recently, the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions.
The Mine Ban Treaty comprehensively bans antipersonnel mines, requires destruction of stockpiled mines within four years, requires clearance of mines already in the ground within 10 years, and urges assistance to victims of landmines. On 1 March 2009, the Mine Ban Treaty celebrated ten years since its entry into force.
The ICBL, a global network in over 70 countries and 1997 Nobel Peace Co-Laureate, is calling on states to participate in the Cartagena Summit at the highest level and to announce the actions they will take to achieve a mine-free world in which the needs of survivors and affected communities are better met.
Switzerland and the ICBL, together with Colombia and Norway, are holding a special event at the UN in New York to brief diplomats and the media on preparations for the Cartagena Summit. Goose is speaking at the treaty event, which will start at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, October 23 in UN Conference Room IV.
CONTACT
In New York, Steve Goose, Human Rights Watch: +1-202-290-7535
In Paris, Amelie Chayer, ICBL: +33-6-89-55-12-81, media@icbl.org
