International Campaign to Ban Landmines

Update for Landmine Monitor Report 1999

I. Structure and Membership

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), launched in 1992, is presently comprised of over 1,400 organizations in 90 countries worldwide. It brings together human rights, humanitarian mine action, children's, peace, disability, veterans, medical, development, arms control, religious, environmental and women's groups who work locally, nationally, regionally and internationally to ban antipersonnel (AP) landmines. The ICBL is coordinated by a committee of 14 member organizations and two co-coordinators, one based in Maputo, Mozambique and the other in Minneapolis, USA implement the day-to-day work of the campaign. A resource center in Oslo, Norway serves campaigns and the public by providing materials, documents, images etc to facilitate campaign activities.

II. Objectives and Priorities

The ICBL met just one of its objectives when the Mine Ban Treaty was signed in December 1997 and entered into force 1 March 1999. The campaign commits itself to seeing words turned into action and ensuring not only universalization but implementation of the treaty so that it makes a difference for those affected by landmines by bringing the casualty rate to zero, assisting survivors and safely restoring the land to the people who depend on it. The national campaigns and member organizations which form the General Meeting establish the priorities of the campaign which the coordinating committee and coordination team then carry out. In a February 1998 General Meeting it was agreed that priorities of the ICBL, in keeping with the campaign pillars of the ban, mine action and victim assistance, included:

to increase signatures and ratifications, as well as to universalize the Mine Ban Treaty;
to develop the Landmine Monitor;
to promote/ensure increased funding for mine action programmes;
to promote/ensure increased funding for comprehensive victim assistance programmes;
to explore ways to engage Non State Actors to commit to a ban;
to focus on moral and legal responsibility issues

III. Working Groups

Working groups were formed on these themes: The Treaty Working Group, the Survivor Assistance Working Group, the Mine Action Working Group, the Non State Actors Working Group and the Moral and Legal Responsibility Working Group. The Working Groups thus lead efforts to address all aspects of the humanitarian landmines crisis. The Coordinating Committee later agreed to focus on two geographical regions - the Middle East/North Africa and Russia/CIS,in addition to the USA, China and Russian Federation, throughout 1999.

IV. New Campaigns

Since January 1998 new campaigns have been launched in several regions of the world, most notably in the Middle East/North Africa, Russia/CIS and Central America. New campaigns include those launched in Abkhasia, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Chechnya, Croatia, Egypt, Georgia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Mexico, Palestine, Republic of Djibouti, Ukraine and Yugoslavia, and working groups/contact people established in Argentina, Bulgaria, Guatemala, Israel, Jordan, Latvia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Russian Federation, Tunisia, Uruguay, among others.

V. Activities

Since January, 1998 some of the major events and activities of the ICBL and member campaigns/organizations include:

1/98 AAR Japan and the Japan Campaign to Ban Landmines hosted their Second NGO Conference.

2/98 Korea Campaign to Ban Landmines hosted meetings, including a visit to the heavily mined demilitarized zone by Jody Williams.

2/98 The call for a ban on landmines was a centerpiece of the Nagano Peace Appeal at the Winter Olympics, which featured the Opening Ceremonies torch run by landmines survivor Chris Moon. Funds were raised for demining in Cambodia.

2/98 In Amman, Jordan, a national workshop on landmines was held for NGOs and the government.

2/98 The ICBL held its General Assembly in Frankfurt, Germany, which opened with a demonstration at Rhein Main Air Base to demand that the United States remove its antipersonnel landmines that are stockpiled in Germany, other NATO states and Japan.

3/98 Eritrean landmine survivor Abraham Gabreyesus accepted the Reebok Human Rights Award.

3/98 ICBL, ICRC and Hungarian Government hosted a Regional Conference on Landmines in Budapest for participants from 19 countries. The President of Hungary, in an unannounced opening ceremony, officially signed Hungary's ratification document for the Ottawa Treaty.

3/98 In Khartoum, Sudan, a national workshop on landmines was held.

5/98 Southern African Regional Meeting on Mine Action and Development was held in Johannesburg hosted by the South African Campaign to Ban Landmines and Mines Advisory Group.

5/98 Landmine meetings between government and ICBL held in Kiev, Ukraine. Ukraine signed the Mine Ban Treaty in February 1999.

5/98 IPPNW/ICBL Conference on "New Steps for a Mine Free Future" held in Moscow, Russia. Following the conference, campaigns and activities were launched or increased in Abkhasia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Chechnya, Georgia and the Russian Federation.

6/98 Landmine Monitor and ICBL Coordination Committee meetings were held in Oslo, Norway.

6/98 UIDH and ICBL hosted a regional NGO meeting parallel to the Organization of African Unity meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The Burkinabe Campaign to Ban Landmines was launched. Report on the OAU and landmines was produced by Human Rights Watch.

6/98 Roundtable was hosted by the Yugoslav Campaign to Ban Landmines in Belgrade, Yugoslavia FR.

6/98 South East Asian Regional meeting "Beyond Ottawa…" was organised by the Thai and Australian Campaigns. Representatives from government and campaigns/NGOs participated.

7/98 Conference on Landmine Injury and Rehabilitation in the Middle East was held in Amman, Jordan. It was hosted by Landmine Survivors Network and under the patronage of HE Queen Noor. At the meeting Jordan announced it would sign the treaty, and later in the year did sign and ratify. Human Rights Watch published report "The Mine Ban Treaty and the Middle East/North Africa".

8/98 National Conference of Landmine Survivors and Other Persons with Disability was hosted by Landmine Survivors Network in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

8/98 Workshop with parliamentarians on the "Role of Parliamentarians in Banning Landmines" was organized by the Landmines Campaign Nepal (NCBL) in Kathmandu.

8/98 - 9/98 Afghan Mine Action Month was held including poster contests in Afghan schools, collection of signatures and various activities in major cities.

8/98 Non-Aligned Movement Summit and NGO-Forum took place in Durban, South Africa. A report was launched entitled "The Non-Aligned Movement and the Global Campaign Against Anti-personnel Landmines".

8/98 Albanian Week of Activities Against Landmines was organized in commemoration of the death of Princess Diana and Mother Theresa.

9/98 Burkina Faso became the 40^th country to ratify the Mine Ban Treaty, ensuring that it would enter into force 1 March 1999. Campaigns organized events and media work worldwide.

9/98 Landmine Monitor meeting was held in Dublin, Ireland and hosted by the Irish Government.

9/98 National day of action against landmines around shoe pyramids was held in 12 cities throughout France.

9/98 W.H.O. (OMS) conference on "Public Health Aspects of Landmines" was held in Kampala, Uganda. Representatives from African campaigns and medical NGOs participated.

10/98 Seminar on landmines in Azerbaijan.

10/98 International Demining Conference "Towards Zero Victims" hosted by CMAC in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

10/98 Various landmine-related events throughout Australia for Refugee Week.

11/98 Workshop on Care and Rehabilitation of Landmine Victims was organized by IPPNW-Kenya in Nyeri, Kenya. A handbook was produced as a result of the workshop.

11/98 Premiere of "Life After Land Mines - Survivor Stories" (Video by Karen landmine survivors) in Bangkok, Thailand.

11/98 "Antipersonnel Landmines: The War Doesn't Stop in Peacetime" seminar was held in Pescara, Italy sponsored by the Italian Red Cross.

11/98 Conference on Landmines and Children of the Universe in Peshawar, Pakistan to coincide with Universal Children's Day.

11/98 The Third NGO Tokyo Conference on Anti-Personnel Landmines was hosted by AAR Japan.

12/98 Second Landmine Monitor Meeting for researchers was held in Ottawa, Canada.

12/98 On the one year anniversary of the Treaty signing 3 December, campaigns organized actions and media events throughout the world.

1/99 Regional Seminar on AP mines was hosted by the Governments of Mexico and Canada. Before the conference, Jody Williams visited Nicaragua and Honduras at the invitation of the OAS, and the Nicaraguan government pledged to destroy its stocks in March. Interest and campaign activities was increased by organizations in several regional countries. The Mexican Campaign was launched in March.

1/99 "Towards a mine-free Africa Inter-Maghreb" NGO workshop on anti-personnel mines in Tunis, Tunisia was held by Observatory of Arms Transfer (France) and Arab Institute of Human Rights (Tunisia). Addendum to the Human Rights Watch report "The Mine Ban Treaty and the Middle East/North Africa" was published in English and Arabic.

2/99 "Regional Conference on the Menace of Landmines in the Arab Countries" took place in Beirut, Lebanon, hosted by the Army of Lebanon and the Landmine Resource Center of the University of Balamand.
ICBL Ambassador Jody Williams was invited by the Canadian Government to visit Georgia, Lebanon and Egypt. In Georgia she held meetings with President Eduard Shevardnadze, the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, the Archbishop and the three regional campaigns. In Beirut, in addition to addressing the conference and media, she met with the Prime/Foreign Minister and members of parliament. In Egypt she and ICBL co-coordinator met with the Minister of Social Welfare, Deputy Minister for Disarmament, Mrs. Mubarak, the media and members of the Egyptian Campaign, as well as accompanied Ministry of Defense officials to El Alamein.

3/99 Mine Ban Treaty Entered into Force, and was celebrated by bell-ringing and campaign events and demonstrations in more than 30 countries worldwide.

3/99 Landmine Monitor Meeting was held in Oslo, Norway.

3/99 Southern African Regional Landmines Campaign Meeting entitled "Benchmarks to Ottawa Compliance in the SADC Region" was held in Johannesburg, South Africa

VI. Future Activities

Important upcoming events for the ICBL include the First Meeting of States Parties in Maputo 3-7 May 1999, followed by the ICBL General Assembly 8-9 May in Maputo. The ICBL will take advantage of the First Meeting of States Parties to listen, participate, analyze the results and then strategize for the next year at the General Assembly immediately following it. Other upcoming events include participation in the Hague Appeal for Peace, regional conferences in Bangladesh, Croatia and Egypt and Bad Honnef 2 in Germany. See the ICBL Calendar of Events for further information.