PRESS STATEMENT
Six years and Still Going Strong: On the Road to a Mine Free World

(Wednesday 03 December 2003 Cyprus) On the sixth anniversary of the signing of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and the award to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and Jody Williams of the Nobel Peace Prize, activists vowed to continue their work to eliminate antipersonnel mines.

The Mine Ban Treaty, officially titled the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and On Their Destruction, was opened for signature in Ottawa, Canada just six years ago. Now, the Mine Ban Treaty has the support of 141 States Parties and nine signatories. Widespread backing in every region of the world and a high rate of compliance makes the treaty the most successful agreement of its kind today.

In an event in Cyprus today, the ICBL’s founding Coordinator and Ambassador, Jody Williams, will join the President of Cyprus and the President-Designate of the treaty’s First Review Conference to launch the preparatory process for the 2004 Nairobi Summit on a Mine Free World. Nicosia is a newcomer to the treaty and will commemorate the occasion with a bang – it begins the destruction of stockpiled antipersonnel mines this afternoon in a first step to comply with the Mine Ban Treaty.

“We are making progress on the ground”, said Jody Williams, pointing to the worldwide reduction of the use of antipersonnel mines, the de facto export ban, the demolition of more than 50 million stockpiled antipersonnel mines and the positive results of mine clearance and victim assistance efforts in many countries.

“This success confirms that partnership between civil society and governments can make a difference and save lives,” said Williams.

“Despite these accomplishments, landmines are still an ugly reality in too many countries and they claim thousands of new victims every year”, said ICBL Coordinator Elizabeth Bernstein. “Of the 15,000 to 20,000 new landmine casualties each year, the vast majority are civilians. A shocking 23% of reported casualties last year were children.”

Concerns: victim assistance, 'hold out' countries

According to Bernstein, assistance for landmine victims is often lacking. “Some victims die after their accident because there are no emergency services, while others could wait years for artificial limbs. Other gaps include psychological support and socio-economic programmes to help integrate survivors back into their communities,” commented Bernstein.

Additional concerns include ongoing mine use in some parts of the world and the fact that several dozen countries, including Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland as well as China, India, Pakistan, Russia and the USA, remain outside the Mine Ban Treaty.

The ICBL is geared to fully participate in the 2004 Nairobi Summit on a Mine Free World, a key milestone in the life of the treaty, which will take place from 29 November to 3 December. It is urging States Parties to the treaty to send Ministers to the Summit and use the preparatory process to boost membership of the treaty and reinforce their commitment to clear mines and assist landmine victims.

Busy year ahead for global campaign

Six years on, the campaign is still going strong. Anniversary activities will take place throughout the world today, from Cyprus to Thailand and from Canada to Nepal.

Research is currently underway for the ICBL’s next annual Landmine Monitor Report, which will be released on 18 November 2004 and will include a special five-year review of progress in implementing the treaty. International meetings in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Burundi, Colombia, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates are also scheduled for the busy year ahead.

Contacts

• Write to media(insert 'at' sign)icbl.org.
• Contact: Elizabeth Bernstein, Coordinator, +1-202-352-7950 or 1-202-547-2667 or Sue Wixley, Press Officer, + 387 33 764 481 or mobile: + 387 61 347 305.