The Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World was the most momentous world event in the life of the Treaty:
· the timing was significant: the Summit was scheduled to coincide with the seventh anniversary of the treaty’s birth. On 3 December 1997 Foreign Ministers, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the ICBL gathered in Ottawa to witness the treaty’s opening for signature. It also marked the halfway point between the treaty’s entry-into-force and the deadline for clearance of minefields by the first States that joined the Convention. 3 December is also International Day of Disabled Persons. 10 December 2004 was be the anniversary of the ICBL’s award of the Nobel Peace Prize.
· the outcome was expected to be forward looking; to chart the way forward for the full implementation and universalisation of the treaty. Jody Williams noted, “it is of critical importance because it sets part of the framework of action as we move into the next five years of the life of the Mine Ban Treaty. It will help reaffirm our joint commitment to ensuring that the words of the Mine Ban Treaty continue to be transformed into concrete reality, improving the lives of landmine survivors around the world and continuing to reduce the number of people victimized by this weapon of terror.
· the preparatory process on the road to Nairobi was a rallying point for civil society involvement and mobilization in the landmine issue. It provided an opportunity to focus media and public attention, to ensure that all governments were living up to their commitments, prepared to increase those commitments, and adopt a strong declaration and action programme that would ensure that the job started in 1997 is indeed completed in the coming period.