Letter to Polish President

H. E. Mr. Radoslaw Sikorski
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Al. J.Ch. Szucha 23
00-580 Warsaw
Poland

3 December 2007

Dear Mr. Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), a worldwide network of organizations working for the eradication of landmines and their devastating humanitarian effects, which in 1997 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its efforts towards a safer world for all.

Today's date is very significant: on 3rd December 1997 exactly ten years ago, 122 countries from across the globe, including Poland, gathered in Ottawa, Canada, to sign the Convention for the Prohibition of the Use, Production, Stockpiling and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines, and for their Destruction.

That was a historic moment: for the first time ever, governments came together to ban a conventional weapon on account of its indiscriminate nature. This was the result of years of intense work by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other agencies, to bring to light the humanitarian crisis caused in dozens of countries by these weapons that could not distinguish between a foot of a soldier and a child, nor recognize cease-fire agreements or peace accords.

During the past 10 years since adoption of the Mine Ban Treaty - enormous progress has been made on the road to a truly mine-free world. 156 countries - more than three quarters of the world's states have become parties to the Treaty and renounced the use, production, and transfer of these weapons. Millions of stockpiled landmines have been destroyed, more contaminated land has been cleared than ever before, fewer new landmine casualties occur each year. This success is, however, still in progress and can only be declared complete once each and every state has joined the Mine Ban Treaty.

Your country was one of the 122 courageous states determined to take bold steps to protect humanity from the suffering caused by landmines, when signing the Mine Ban Treaty in 1997. Unfortunately until today Poland has not fulfilled its commitment and has not ratified the treaty yet. This makes Poland one of only two original signatories (besides Marshall Islands) that have failed to ratify the treaty ten years after its adoption and signature.

During these 10 years, Poland has behaved as a de facto member of the treaty: it has not used, produced or transferred anti-personnel; it has begun to destroy its stockpiles; and appreciably it has submitted voluntarily the transparency reports in accordance with the Mine Ban Treaty provisions. However, ratification is not just a formal act. It is a sign of accepting and sharing responsibility for making the world a safer place for all. Only when ALL states in the world have made this irrevocable commitment can we ensure that antipersonnel mines will not claim lives or limbs of innocent civilians again, nor disrupt development and reconstruction.

We are aware that the Polish Ministry of Defense has bee claiming that the time is not right to ratify the treaty yet. We would like to, however, remind Poland that in 2004 after years of our dialog and mutual efforts, it announced publicly its full readiness to ratify the treaty by 2006. This took place at the Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World - the First Review Conference of the Convention, on 3 December 2004, which was witnessed by representatives of the international community. To our regret and surprise not only has Poland not fulfilled its promise but seemed to have backed away from the decision of 2004.

Poland is a country that has experienced the horror of landmines first hand: after the World War II over 80% of the country's territory was contaminated with landmines and other explosive remnants of war and over 80 million of mines have been cleared in the post-war period. Since 1945 mines have claimed life of over 4,000 Polish civilians and caused injury to more than 8,000. Till today mines and other explosive remnants of war continue to maim and kill Polish citizens. Moreover, Polish troops serving abroad in peacekeeping and stabilization missions, in particular in Afghanistan and Iraq, are exposed to this threat and fall victim to mines and other explosive devices.

The fact that except Poland and Finland all EU member states, and most of Poland's neighboring countries, including Belarus and Ukraine, have joined the treaty is also not without significance.

The ICBL as well as the international community and Polish civil society are of the opinion that ten years since signing of the treaty, and in the new, more secure regional context Poland is at the moment, there are no compelling reasons why Poland should not make the final step of ratification and join the majority of the world's nations.

As we are now on the road toward the Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in 2009, we need Poland to fully join the efforts to end the landmine era without delay.

We look forward to congratulate Poland on becoming a party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Yours sincerely,

Sylvie Brigot
Executive Director
International Campaign to Ban Landmines

CC: Mr Donald Tusk, Prime Minister
Mr. Bogdan Klich, Minister of Defense