Five NAM Members Block Landmine Ban Resolution
For Immediate Release
3 September 1998
For Further Information Contact:
Noel Stott: (Durban, South Africa) 083-303-7435
Alex Vines (Durban, South Africa) 083-303-7435 (mobile)
Five NAM Members Block Landmine Ban Resolution
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), co-laureate of the
1997 Nobel Peace Prize, condemns India, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, Iran
and Cuba for their blocking of a proposed Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
resolution in support of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use,
Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on
Their Destruction (the Ottawa Treaty).
"It is ironic that India, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Iran and Cuba are
all mine-affected but do not see fit to join the two-thirds of the
world's nations, and two-thirds of NAM members, that have signed the
international treaty banning antipersonnel mines. These governments
know that they are meeting in the world's most affected continent,
Africa, and that thousands of civilians are maimed by mines each
year," said Noel Stott, spokesperson of the International Campaign to
Ban Landmines. "They are out of touch with global sentiment and their
position is unacceptable. The international community has
overwhelmingly concluded that the horrendous humanitarian costs of
antipersonnel mines far outweigh their limited military utility. At a
minimum the final NAM resolution should have welcomed the Treaty and
urged all members to sign it," said Mr. Stott.
Seventy-four of the 113 NAM members have signed the Mine Ban Treaty
and 14 NAM members have ratified it in the eight months since it was
first signed. Nearly all of the nations most plagued by mines are NAM
members. Some members of NAM, including South Africa and Peru have
been among the global leaders in support of a ban. Botswana,
Mozambique and Mauritius highlighted in their Plenary speeches the
humanitarian crisis caused by landmines. But a relatively small number
of NAM states are thwarting the will of the great majority. Countries
such as India, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria, Iran and Cuba have been openly
hostile to the Treaty.
"After refusing to bow to pressures from the traditional powers such
as the US, China and Russia, we are now seeing NAM members held
hostage to a few of their own membership," said Stott. The movement to
ban mines has been praised as a new type of international diplomacy in
which small and medium sized countries, many from the developing
world, together with non-governmental organizations, took the lead on
an urgent humanitarian matter and achieved great success without the
support of big powers.
NAM members who have thus far not signed the treaty include
Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Central African Republic, Comoros,
Congo, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, India, Iran,
Iraq, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Liberia,
Libyan Arab Jamahirya, Maldives, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal,
Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia,
Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab
Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
At least seven NAM states - Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, North Korea,
Pakistan, and Singapore - continue to produce antipersonnel mines. NAM
members Iraq and Vietnam are the only countries in the world known to
have exported antipersonnel mines in the past that have not publicly
declared a halt to mine shipments.
A total of 129 countries have signed the Convention on the Prohibition
of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel
Mines and on Their Destruction (Mine Ban Treaty) and 33 have ratified.
The treaty is on track to enter into force more quickly than any
other treaty in history. The treaty becomes binding international law
six months after the 40th ratification, and the crucial deadlines for
destruction of stockpiled mines within four years and destruction of
mines already in the ground within ten years go into effect.
The ICBL calls on all NAM members to sign and ratify the 1997
Convention banning antipersonnel mines immediately.
