Since the conclusion of the Oslo negotiations of the Mine Ban Treaty, the ICBL has asked States Parties to reconfirm that according to the definitions in the treaty, antivehicle mines equipped with antihandling devices or sensitive fuzes that as a result function like antipersonnel mines -- exploding from an unintentional act -- are banned by the treaty. Several States Parties have done so, but a small handful do not share this view.
The ICBL urges States Parties to publicly acknowledge that antivehicle mines with anti-handling devices or sensitive fuzes that explode from an unintentional act are banned by the Mine Ban Treaty. The ICBL calls on States Parties that have a different understanding to make their views known publicly.
In response to concerns raised by the ICBL and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the ICRC convened an experts seminar in March 2001 attended by 14 governments as well as representatives of the ICBL. With regard to antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes, the experts reached some important conclusions, namely that antivehicle mines with tilt rods and trip wires in all cases would function as antipersonnel mines. Most, though not all, breakwires were judged in the same way. Most of the experts also recommended a pressure threshold of at least 150 kilograms for antivehicle mines.
The ICBL asks States Parties to recognize explicitly that antivehicle mines with tilt rods and antivehicle mines with tripwires are captured by the definition of antipersonnel mine contained in the Mine Ban Treaty and are therefore prohibited. The ICBL also asks governments to evaluate any mines used with breakwires, and to recognize the need for a high pressure threshold for antivehicle mines.
With regard to antivehicle mines with antihandling devices, the experts did not identify types of antihandling devices or methods of deployment that would pose no danger, or a lesser danger, to civilians.
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