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News from the ICBL and its members, plus external news items. Members can also access our Media Reports: weekly internet scans of news on landmines. Articles here date back to 1998 when the ICBL website was first launched.
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On 24 July 2008 in Somalia, the Puntland Mine Action Centre, with technical support from Mines Advisory Group, destroyed 48 stockpiled antipersonnel mines near Garowe. This was the first officially recorded destruction of antipersonnel mine stocks in Puntland.
The reports of antipersonnel mine use by the Taliban received over the past 18 months are very worrying as – if confirmed – they would signal a shift from the Taliban’s publicly declared policy of endorsing the mine ban.
On 21 May, the Polisario Front destroyed 2,000 antipersonnel mines at Tifariti in Western Sahara. According to data provided by Polisario, this included mines of Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, Belgian, Romanian, former Yugoslav and Soviet manufacture.
This issue, published on the occasion of the Intersessional Standing Committees Meeting held in Geneva from 2 to 5 June 2008 contains articles on the process to request extensions for clearance deadlines; the new Cluster Munitions Convention; celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty; the Miss Landmine initiative; universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty; mine-related news and updates from ICBL members around the world.
Activities updates from ICBL members and supporters in countries including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Greece, India, Iraq, Italy, Nepal, Poland, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, USA and more.
Mine-related news from around the world.
The 1997 Mine Ban Treaty was the result of efforts of individuals and groups around the world, committed to changing a vision into reality. To celebrate these efforts and commitment the ICBL launched the 10th Anniversary Support Program to support national campaigns in the organization of anniversary events and further advocacy work at the national level.
Between 28 November and 9 December Mines Action Canada coordinated a series of events celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the signing of the Ottawa Treaty.
While government officials continue to repeat that Poland’s ratification of the Mine Ban Treaty is conditional upon the emplacement of “alternative means of defence”, for which a deadline is set in 2015, the ICBL believes that accession is possible even before the set date.
Amid the glamour, camera flashes, anticipation and nerves typical of beauty pageants, the first “Miss Landmine” was crowned in the Angolan capital, Luanda, on 2 April 2008.
On 30 May 2008, after two weeks of intense negotiations, 111 states adopted the text of a new Convention banning cluster munitions because of their unacceptable humanitarian consequences.
Interview with Tamar Gabelnick, ICBL Treaty Implementation Director
As the world welcomes the adoption of a new convention banning cluster munitions, the Mine Ban Treaty enters a critical phase that will test the real determination of States Parties to continue to turn the words of the treaty into real change for affected communities.
The Cluster Munitions Convention's signing ceremony will take place in Oslo, Norway, from 2-3 December 2008. That is only six 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.
Dublin, May 30th, 2008: Cluster bomb survivors and campaigners today welcomed the formal adoption of the Cluster Munitions Convention by over 100 countries. This historic treaty bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of all existing and future cluster bombs.