Landmine Treaty Ratified by Forty Countries in Record Time

For Immediate Release -- Thursday, 17 September 1998 08:00 GMT

LANDMINE TREATY RATIFIED BY FORTY COUNTRIES IN RECORD TIME

The global movement to eradicate antipersonnel landmines reached a
major milestone when Burkina Faso became the fortieth nation to
ratify the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty late last night. The treaty will now
enter into force -- become binding international law - on 1 March
1999 after a six month waiting period. "It is fitting that this
treaty will enter into force faster than any other major treaty in
history," said Jody Williams, Ambassador of the International Campaign
to Ban Landmines (ICBL). "This accomplishment underscores the urgency
of dealing with the global landmine crisis and the strength
of the new international standard against this insidious weapon."

The Mine Ban Treaty (formally the Convention on the Prohibition of
the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines
and On Their Destruction) has been signed by 130 nations since
last December. Among the forty ratifying thus far are not only
nations that led the Mine Ban Treaty negotiations (such as Austria,
Canada, Ireland, Norway and South Africa), but also nations that
ed to be major producers and exporters of landmines (such as France,
Germany, United Kingdom, and Hungary) and nations where mines have
been used most extensively (such as Bosnia, Croatia, Mozambique and
Zimbabwe). Quick entry into force is vital for the crucial treaty
deadlines - destruction of stockpiled mines within four years and of
mines already in the ground within ten years - to go into effect.

The ICBL expresses grave concern about reports of the continued
laying of mines in a number of countries that have signed but not
ratified the treaty, such as Angola, Cambodia, Senegal and Sudan.
ICBL condemns the use of mines in non-signatory states such as in
Kosovo, FR Yugoslavia. At a recent meeting of the non-aligned
movement, the ICBL criticized Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan and
Syria -- all non-signatories -- for blocking a resolution in support
of the ban treaty. Other non-signatories, including China, Iraq and
Libya, remain openly hostile to the ban. The ICBL is also
concerned that some signatory countries where the U.S. has mines
stockpiled have not ratified -- Greece, Japan, Italy and Spain. The
ICBL believes that it would be a violation of the treaty to permit
the U.S. to maintain those mines indefinitely.

"The test of the treaty is the difference it makes to countries where
mines have victimized the population," said Tun Channareth, ICBL
Ambassador and landmine survivor from Cambodia. "At least eight
children and nine adults have died from starvation in villages in
Battambang province in the last month. Some villages are heavily
mined and others are made up of displaced people who have fled the
minefields." The ICBL is placing increased emphasis on mine action
and mine victim/survivor assistance initiatives to ensure greater
effectiveness of these vital operations.

The ICBL calls on all those governments that have signed the treaty
but not yet ratified to do so without delay because to sign but not
ratify sends a signal of insincerity and lack of commitment.
The ICBL believes that the Mine Ban Treaty provides the framework for
the overall solution to the landmine crisis in that it not only bans
the weapon comprehensively, it also requires mine clearance
and urges mine victim assistance programmes. The ICBL expresses great
concern over the lack of adequate resources allocated for
humanitarian mine action programmes. While appropriate demining
technology would be useful, resources are being allocated for demining
technology research and development programmes which do not seem
appropriate (practical, affordable and sustainable) to the needs of
communities suffering from mines.

The forty governments that have ratified are:
Andorra, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Croatia, Denmark,
Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, France, Germany, Grenada, Holy
See, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Macedonia, Mauritius, Malawi, Mali,
Mexico, Mozambique, Niue, Norway, Peru, Samoa, San Marino, South
Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, United
Kingdom, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

The 130 signatories include:
All of the Western Hemisphere except the U.S. and Cuba, all of NATO
except the U.S. and Turkey, all of the European Union except Finland,
42 African countries, and 17 in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan.

The ICBL is currently holding an international meeting in Dublin,
Ireland 15-18 September to develop the ICBL's "Landmine Monitor"
system for tracking and evaluating implementation of and compliance
with the treaty.

For additional information:
Call your local campaign contact or in Dublin contact:
* Stephen Goose (Human Rights Watch), Chair, ICBL Treaty Working
Group
* Abdouramane Boly (Burkinabe Campaign to Ban
Landmines)
Tel. +353-(0)-87-272-3028
+353-1-677-7608 or +353-1-677-7683
Fax: +353-1-677-7566