Campaign Urges Meeting To Aggressively Address Landmine Use - A Terror Less Visible

(Wednesday 19 September 2001 Managua - Nicaragua) At the opening of a major diplomatic meeting on antipersonnel landmines, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate, urged government delegates to aggressively address continued use of the weapon.

“The Mine Ban Treaty is strong and our collective efforts are having a major impact but the news is not all good by any means,“ said Jody Williams, co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize together with the ICBL. “Too many governments and rebel groups continue to use antipersonnel mines, with too little outcry from the rest of the world. The manner in which States Parties deal with this matter is crucial to the credibility of this treaty, “ she added.

The ICBL’s Landmine Monitor Report 2001 reports that it is likely that there was new use of antipersonnel mines in 23 conflicts by as many as 15 governments and at least 30 rebel groups or non-state actors. Landmine Monitor also reports destruction of millions of stockpiled antipersonnel mines, fewer mine producers, virtually no exporters, more land cleared of mines, and perhaps most importantly, a decreasing number of mine victims.

“The campaign has come to this meeting with heavy hearts in the wake of last week’s tragic events,” said Stephen Goose, Human Rights Watch, head of the ICBL delegation to the meeting. “But it is important that we all -- NGOs, governments and international organizations -- collectively demonstrate our resolve to continue our fight against what we have long called a weapon of terror. The antipersonnel landmine commits daily acts of terror in dozens of countries around the world. By holding this meeting we reaffirm the importance of international law.”

The four day-long Third Meeting of States Parties to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty opened on Tuesday 18 September in Managua, Nicaragua, a mine-affected country. More than eighty governments and over 100 campaigners are attending the meeting. 141 countries have joined the Mine Ban Treaty, including thirteen since the last meeting of States Parties in September 2000.

See ICBL Statement to the Meeting, Summary of Day One of the Meeting and Landmine Monitor Report 2001.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact:

• Charlie Avendaño, ICBL, tel. 505 (0) 88 135 47 (Español)
• Sylvie Brigot, ICBL, tel. 505 (0) 88 01 721 (Français)
• Sue Wixley, ICBL, tel. 505 (0) 88 81 868 (English)
• Email media@icbl.org and go to www.icbl.org/3msp