Q&A with Jody Williams

(Thursday 19 February 2004 ) This interview was published by the Georgian News Agency in December 2003 for the anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty's opening for signature and the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Jody Williams and the ICBL.

Q: What has been achieved in the six years since the Mine Ban Treaty (or Ottawa Convention) was signed and you were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)?

A: There’s been incredible progress in the last six years! Today, three quarters of the world’s governments have signed up to the landmine treaty and embraced a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel mines. Each year more countries come on board -- just in the last few months, Belarus, Greece and Turkey have joined up.

These member countries now have international support and cooperation for mine clearance and victim assistance programmes. Indeed, large tracts of mine-infested land have already been demined and put back into productive use once more.

Another important achievement is the stigmatisation of the weapon. It is now unacceptable to manufacture, sell, stockpile or use antipersonnel mines and anyone violating this code can expect harsh criticism.

Overall, there’s been a reduction in landmine use worldwide. According to the ICBL’s fifth annual report, Landmine Monitor Report 2003: Toward a Mine-Free World, at least 6 governments used antipersonnel mines last year. This is less than half the number of governments using mines in 2000. Also, fewer armed opposition groups are now laying mines -- 11 groups used mines last year compared with at least 14 in the last reporting period.

Production too is down and global trade in antipersonnel mines has almost dried up completely. Last year there were no confirmed cases of antipersonnel mine transfers and several countries tightened their ban on exports of the weapon, including China, Israel, Russia, South Korea and the US.

More than 50 million stockpiled antipersonnel mines have been destroyed in recent years. Even non-signatories are doing this, and thus ensuring that these mines will never ever get into the hands of users.

In addition to these many achievements I believe the landmine treaty provides a model for dealing with global and humanitarian problems. The ICBL works closely with international organisations, UN agencies and governments to promote and implement the Mine Ban Treaty and this partnership has paid off. We have show that multilateralism can and does work.

Q. What remains to be done?

A. Despite all the successes I’ve spoken about, landmines are still killing and maiming people in every region in the world. We estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 people fall victim to mines each year. So, there is still a great deal of work to be done.

Countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia have an enormous mine problem. Last year, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, plus the regions of Abkhazia, Chechnya and Nagorno-Karabakh, suffered mine casualties.

Unfortunately, ongoing landmine use in some places is making matters worse. Abkhazia’s top military official stated last year that both Abkhazian and Georgian troops used mines around the Marukh mountain pass. There were reports of use by Georgian forces in the Kodori Gorge in mid-2002. Georgian officials have however denied any antipersonnel mine use. Elsewhere, Russian forces and Chechen fighters continue to lay mines.

Sadly, it is civilians rather than military personnel who bear the brunt of the horror. It is truly shocking that 23% of the reported casualties last year were children.

We hope ultimately there will be no more mines and no more victims. In the meantime, we’re are working for a drastic reduction in the number of mine victims. This can be achieved by stopping new mine use and by increasing mine clearance and mine risk education.

It is also important that comprehensive assistance is provided to landmine victims. They need treatment immediately after a mine incident as well as long-term care, rehabilitation and other support. Of course this is a big challenge in some countries where war has destroyed infrastructure and economies are ruined… But with commitment and cooperation, progress can and must be made.

Next year is particularly significant because the first Review Conference of the treaty, the 2004 Nairobi Summit for a Mine Free World will take place then. We’re hoping that world leaders will be there to celebrate the progress to date and chart the way forward to fully implement and universalise the treaty. Hopefully we’ll see a renewal of political will and financial commitment to finish the job of eradicating antipersonnel mines the world over.

Q. Why, in your opinion, has Georgia not yet joined the Mine Ban Treaty?

A. In the past, authorities in Georgia have pointed to the government’s lack of jurisdiction over mined areas in Abkhazia and Samachablo as a reason for not joining the treaty. The previous Georgian government also said that it could not join without technical and financial support for clearing mines.

At the same time there have been some positive statements and developments, which we’ve found encouraging. For example the First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, David Aptsiauri, has stated Georgia’s support for the goals of a mine-free world, as have other officials. It is also positive that Georgia has had a moratorium on mine use in place since 1996.

There are issues to consider, since joining the treaty is a strong, long-term commitment. However, I do not believe that any of the concerns we’ve heard from Tbilisi are true obstacles to joining the treaty. In fact an issue such as the need for technical assistance will be addressed precisely if Georgia joins up to the agreement. Also, we hope that the recent political changes in Georgia offer the possibility of new perspectives on the landmine ban.

Q. Why should Georgia join the Mine Ban Treaty?

A. We are hopeful that, with the recent political changes in Georgia, a total ban on landmines is not too far away.

There are several reasons why Georgia should embrace the ban and join the Mine Ban Treaty. The main motivation should be a moral and humanitarian one. By acceding to the treaty Tbilisi commits to protecting its citizens from antipersonnel mines by never again using or stockpiling this abhorrent and inhumane weapon.

Another incentive is an economic one. It would boost the international support and cooperation available for Georgia to clear its mined areas and deal with its landmine stockpiles.

There are also political motivations. It could help the situation with Abkhazia, for example. Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt from countries like Greece and Turkey. Athens and Istanbul joined the Mine Ban Treaty simultaneously as a confidence building measure. There may be something to be learnt from a country like Sudan, where the landmine issue is an important part of peace talks between the government and the armed opposition group. There, the two sides shared maps of minefields and mounted plans to clear minefields as part of their peace-building process.

The Georgian government has the opportunity to demonstrate moral and humanitarian leadership on this issue by declaring a firm policy of no more antipersonnel mine use starting from now. The landmine issue need not be so strongly linked with the situations in Abkhazia and Chechnya.

At the same time, the ICBL urges Abkazia and all other armed opposition groups to stop the use and stockpiling of mines and to make a unilateral declaration banning antipersonnel mines.

At a minimum we hope the Georgian authorities will reaffirm the moratorium on antipersonnel mine use and take steps to reinforce this, such as removing mines from stockpiles near the frontline and re-training military personnel not to use antipersonnel mines. Tbilisi must also address the humanitarian affects of mines in Georgia by increasing efforts to clear mines and assist mine victims.

Q. Why are countries like Russia, China and the USA, still outside the treaty and doesn't that weaken it?

It is true that support for the treaty is not yet universal and ‘hold out’ countries include world powers like China, India, Pakistan, Russia and the United States.

However, even these countries are increasingly bound by the international norm that outlaws landmines. Take the example of the United States, which has not signed the treaty but did not end up planting antipersonnel mines in the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. We believe this is because US military allies, most of which are signed up to the treaty, put pressure on the Pentagon not to use mines.

Still, support for the treaty is overwhelming and growing. The whole of the western hemisphere bar Cuba and the USA has joined the treaty, most of the European Union, all of NATO except the US, all of sub-Saharan Africa except Somalia… The list goes on and on.

As long as there are still States not Party to the Mine Ban Treaty and the landmine problem still exists in the world, we will continue our work.

We are committed to building a mine-free world, one country at a time.

END

• Jody Williams was the founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and is now ICBL Ambassador. Williams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with the ICBL in 1997. She is one of only eleven women who have received the prize and only the third woman in the U.S.
• 3 December 2003 marks the sixth anniversary of the signing of the Mine Ban Treaty in Ottawa in 1997 and the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the ICBL and Jody Williams in Oslo. 3 December is also International Day for Disabled People.
• International Campaign to Ban Landmines: http://www.icbl.org