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Monday 02 June 2008
The Cluster Munitions Convention's signing ceremony will take place in Oslo, Norway, from 2-3 December 2008. That is only two months to ensure that countries ? your country ? will be ready to sign the treaty! To keep pressure on governments, sign the People's Treaty now.
Canadian parliamentarians Jack Layton and Alexa McDonough sing the People's Treaty on 28 May 2008. (c) Mines Action Canada
Ten years ago on 3 December 1997 in Ottawa, Mines Action Canada, in collaboration with campaigners from around the world, launched the first ?People?s Treaty?. While inside the conference hall 122 governments signed the historic Mine Ban Treaty banning antipersonnel mines, outside ordinary citizens demonstrated their personal commitment by signing the People?s Treaty.
The People?s Treaty was born out of the tremendous ground-swell of support from citizens around the world who wanted to stop the suffering caused by antipersonnel landmines. The People?s Treaty provided a vehicle for ordinary people to also ?sign? the treaty committing themselves? to ensuring the goals of the Mine Ban Treaty are realized and ensuring their government meets its obligations.
The Cluster Munition Coalition, in collaboration with Mines Action Canada and Handicap International, re-launched the People?s Treaty on 30 May 2008 ? the final day of the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions.
There are two ways to sign the treaty! As an individual citizen or as a community leader representing a group, constituency, congregation or organization. On the People's Treaty website, you will find all the information you need to sign the treaty and promote it to friends, colleagues, schools, and like-minded groups. Tools to organize activities and educate yourself or others on the issue are also available.
Anyone can sign the People?s Treaty and everyone should. All signatures count!