Mine Ban Campaign Cautions Governments on Iraq

Author/Origin: ICBL media@icbl.org

(Monday 16 September 2002 Geneva, Switzerland) With discussions about possible military action in Iraq increasingly dominating the international arena, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) today cautioned governments not to stray from their obligations under the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. The week-long Fourth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty opens today in Geneva.

“As the world seems relentlessly driven to the brink of war, we are increasingly concerned that some governments that have banned antipersonnel mines will find themselves engaged in joint military operations with U.S. military forces using mines. The last time the United States used antipersonnel mines was against Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War,” said Jody Williams, co-recipient of peace prize with the ICBL.

The U.S. has not joined the Mine Ban Treaty, though its current policy is to try to do so by 2006. All other members of NATO are party to the treaty except Greece (which has signed) and Turkey, which are on the verge of fulfilling their promise to join simultaneously. Other likely military partners, such as Australia and New Zealand, are also States Parties.

The ICBL believes that participation in joint operations with an armed force that uses antipersonnel mines is clearly against the spirit of the Mine Ban Treaty, and possibly a violation of the treaty obligation not to assist in any way with the use of antipersonnel mines by anyone else. The ICBL calls on State Parties to insist that non-signatories do not use antipersonnel mines in joint operations, and to refuse to take part in any joint operations that involve use of antipersonnel mines.

“The United States should not use antipersonnel mines in Iraq or elsewhere. At the least, it should pledge now not to use antipersonnel mines in joint operations with Mine Ban Treaty countries, thereby putting them at risk of violating the treaty,” said Ms. Williams.

ICBL Press Conference, with participation Government and UNIDIR representatives.

The ICBL also expressed concerns about the antipersonnel mines that the United States has stockpiled in five States Parties (Germany, Japan, Norway, Qatar, and the United Kingdom at Diego Garcia), and the possibility of the U.S. transiting mines across the territory of States Parties for possible use in Iraq. Qatar has been identified in media reports as a likely headquarters for future U.S. military action in Iraq.

In its opening speech to the annual meeting of States Parties, the ICBL congratulated governments for the tremendous progress made in the five years since the Mine Ban Treaty was negotiated in Oslo in September 1997. It said that the overall record of compliance with and implementation of the treaty has been very good.

The head of the ICBL delegation, Stephen Goose of Human Rights Watch, stated, “On 18 September 1997, when President Selebi of South Africa gaveled the negotiations closed, the ICBL hailed the Mine Ban Treaty as a ‘gift to humanity.’” Since that day, three-quarters of the world’s nations have formally committed to the Mine Ban Treaty, and many other nations are poised to join in the near future. Since that day, some 30 million stockpiled antipersonnel mines have been destroyed. Since that day, not a single nation has openly traded antipersonnel mines, and it appears that fewer than a dozen countries have produced antipersonnel mines. Far fewer governments are now using antipersonnel mines. Global funding for mine action programs over the past five years totaled more than $1 billion, or more than three times that of the previous five years. The number of new mine victims each year has significantly decreased, from an estimated 26,000 per year to an estimated 15-20,000 per year. We have changed the reality on the ground, which is of course the most meaningful measure of the success of the Mine Ban Treaty.”

Among the other concerns and challenges highlighted by the ICBL were:

• Universalization: 126 countries are now States Parties, with Afghanistan joining on 11 September 2002. Another 18 have signed but not yet ratified. Still, 50 nations are outside the treaty, including the U.S., Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and Egypt.
• Non-state actors (rebel groups) are now responsible for much of the mine use around the world, including in at least fourteen countries since May 2001. Much more needs to be done by governments and non-governmental organizations to educate and convince NSAs on banning antipersonnel mines.

• Takijistan, a State Party since April 2000, has not been meeting its treaty obligations. Russian forces have laid mines inside Tajikistan, on the Tajik border with Afghanistan, with the apparent consent of the Tajik government.

• Rwandan forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been cooperating closely with RCD rebels, who have admitted to mine use in 2002; this raises questions about possible joint military operations that would not be consistent with the Mine Ban Treaty.
• States Parties have not adequately addressed the issue of antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling devices, which should be considered banned under the terms of the Mine Ban Treaty. Some States, such as the UK, Germany, and France, insist the weapons are not prohibited.
• Some States Parties, including Djibouti, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, appear to be in danger of not meeting their deadlines for completion of stockpile destruction in early 2003.
• In 2001, global funding for mine action programs stagnated, totaling $237 million. This was the first time since 1992 that funding did not increase substantially. It is imperative that donors reaffirm their commitment to eradicate antipersonnel mines with renewed multiyear funding pledges.
• At current levels of funding and demining, many of the mine-affected States Parties will not meet the ten-year deadline to complete mine clearance. Funding for mine victim assistance programs has been woefully inadequate.

Contacts:

For more information or media interviews with Stephen Goose, Jody Williams and other campaigners, deminers, landmine survivors and researchers from dozens of different countries, please email media@icbl.org or contact:

• Sue Wixley, ICBL, in Geneva at +41 (079) 470-1637
• Liz Bernstein: + 41 (079) 470 1634 or +1 202 352 7950;
• Sylvie Brigot (français): + 41 (079) 470 1643;
• Charlie Avendaño (español): + 41 79 470 16 35; and
• Mary Wareham (Landmine Monitor): + 41 (079) 470 1642 ot +1 202 352-2968.

See: http://www.icbl.org/lm/2002 for Landmine Monitor Report 2002 (released 13 September) and http://www.icbl.org/4msp for more about the Fourth Meeting of States Parties.