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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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The ICBL welcomed today the recent destruction of 392 antipersonnel landmines by the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), in Koya, northern Iraq. The news was announced by Swiss-based NGO Geneva Call in a press release on 1 September 2008.
After admitting use, Georgia must sign global treaty banning weapon
(Geneva, September 2, 2008) – A network of 250 non-governmental organisations across 70 countries has condemned Georgia’s use of cluster munitions, just three months after 107 nations agreed to ban the weapon. In a letter to Human Rights Watch, the Georgian Defense Ministry stated that cluster bombs were “used against Russian military equipment and armament marching from Roki tunnel to Dzara road [sic],” but that they “were never used against civilians, civilian targets and civilian populated or nearby areas.” The majority of the world's nations that have banned the weapon have declared any use of any cluster munition in any location unacceptable, because of the harm they cause to civilians during and after conflict.
On 25-27 August, Prince Mired Raad Al-Hussein of Jordan, President of the 8th Meeting of the States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, visited Poland to urge Polish authorities to ratify the treaty without further delay.
In 2008, U.S. Federal employees can support the ICBL through the Combined Federal Campaign - the world's largest workplace fundraising drive.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) today condemned the recent kidnapping of a group of Afghan deminers and called for the immediate release of the six men still being held captive. Unfortunately, attacks on deminers are not infrequent in Afghanistan and, if action is not taken to curb them, they risk jeopardising vital clearance operations.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) strongly condemned Russia today for the use of cluster bombs in Georgia which resulted in at least 11 civilians being killed and dozens injured.
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.