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Articles here date back to 1998 when the ICBL website was first launched.
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Geneva, 16 March 2011 -- The landmine hazard in Israel will remain until all mined areas are cleared and the government bans any new use of mines, said the Nobel Peace Prize laureate International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) today. The Knesset adopted on 14 March 2011 legislation that plans for Israel's "non-operational" mined areas to be cleared, while "operational" mined areas will be kept. The ICBL welcomes this legislation as a first step, but notes that any landmine is a potential threat for civilians, be it in an operational minefield or not.
The Mine Ban Treaty's Intersessional Standing Committee Meetings will take place in Geneva from 20 to 24 June 2011 and the Convention on Cluster Munitions' Intersessional Meetings will take place in Geneva from 27 to 30 June 2011. The ICBL-CMC is running a sponsorship programme to support the participation of active campaigners, particularly from affected and low-income countries.
I lead one of world's largest national demining organizations. I have visited almost all contaminated areas in Afghanistan. Having spent half of my life taking landmines out of the ground, I believe I have the moral right if not duty to urge the United States to join the Mine Ban Treaty. This will push the big producers to give up the weapon and enable Afghans and other affected nations to put a real end to their landmine tragedy. -- Prof. Shohab Hakimi, Director, Mine Detection Center
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced on 15 March 2011 that ICBL member Handicap International will receive the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize of US$1.5 million. A co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in the early nineties, Handicap International is the world's largest non-governmental organization providing assistance and advocacy for people with disabilities.
Geneva, 1 March 2011 - Civil society groups worldwide are calling on the United States to ban antipersonnel landmines immediately, said the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) today, as the Mine Ban Treaty turned twelve. Campaign members will meet today and throughout the month with U.S. representatives in dozens of countries to urge the U.S. to join the Mine Ban Treaty. "It is absurd that the U.S. continues to cling to a weapon that is so horrific that only a country like Myanmar still uses it," said Sylvie Brigot, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
Are landmines indispensable to protect borders? Does assisting landmine victims only mean providing them with artificial legs and crutches? In the March 2011 issue of the ICBL newsletter, we debunk the myths on landmines! We also call on the U.S. to join the Mine Ban Treaty, and we provide an update on the activities of ICBL members in 15 countries and areas: Australia, Burundi, Canada, India, Nigeria, Syria, Taiwan, and more.
2011 is another important year for the movement to eradicate landmines. The major milestone of the year will occur in November-December, when the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty is held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tuesday, 1 March 2011 will also mark 12 years since the treaty entered into force. This Action Plan by the ICBL details priorities and activities for our campaigning in 2011.
The ANZCMC is greatly saddened by the death of Pacific campaigner Andonia Sema Piau-Lynch. Andy passed away peacefully on Saturday, 29 January 2011 in Port Vila, Vanuatu after a painful battle with cancer. In addition to her crucial work advancing the rights of persons with disabilities and women in Vanuatu and across the Pacific, Andy made important contributions to the ICBL and Cluster Munition Coalition.
Development programs often address health systems, governance systems and local authorities, education and work or employment. In all these areas, landmine survivors have the right to be part of the development of their countries, making contributions in the implementation and as beneficiaries of these programs. Additionally, the inclusion of survivors helps to ensure that, as systems are designed and progress, they are being adjusted in ways that are accessible to all persons with disabilities, including landmine survivors.
Many students and other young people across the globe are already involved in the campaign against landmines. You too can take action in your community, at school or on campus! Start or join a letter-writing campaign, make a presentation to your class or community, and help us spread awareness.
In a recent TEDWomen talk, ICBL Ambassador Jody Williams recalled that in the ICBL, it is collective action that made change possible. "One of the things that made this campaign work is that we grew from 2 NGOs to thousands in 90 countries, working together in common cause to ban landmines… It was the actions together of all of us that brought about that change. In my view what we need today is people getting up and taking action…" she said. Find out here how you can take action now for a mine-free world!
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Cluster Munition Coalition are devastated by the loss of our dear colleague and friend Rachid Dahmani from Handicap International in Algeria. A compassionate and dedicated campaigner, Rachid promoted the rights of landmine and cluster munition survivors and other persons with disabilities in Algeria, and passed on advocacy knowledge to new activists.
Geneva, 24 November 2010 - Record-breaking progress in implementing the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty was made in 2009. Use and production of the weapon, as well as casualty rates, were the lowest on record, while more contaminated land was cleared than ever before according to Landmine Monitor 2010, released today at the United Nations. In 2009, 3,956 new landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties were recorded, the lowest number for any year since the Monitor began reporting in 1999.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) are global campaigns in over 90 countries with more than 350 member organizations. Their main offices are currently in Geneva and London. The ICBL, recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, is recognized as the driving force behind the achievement and ongoing success of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. The CMC played the key role in the creation of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, and now works for its universalization and implementation.
Geneva, 2 December 2010 - Despite significant advances, hundreds of thousands of landmine and cluster munition survivors worldwide still struggle to see their rights respected, said two global civil society campaigns as they marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December. Landmine and cluster munition survivors can and should be active contributors to their societies, not passive aid recipients.