THE MINE BAN TREATY AND THE AMERICAS

I. SUMMARY

II. BACKGROUND

III. COUNTRIES THAT HAVE RATIFIED THE TREATY

IV. TREATY SIGNATORIES

V. TREATY NON-SIGNATORIES

VI. OTHER

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I. SUMMARY

As of 7 December 1998, 133 countries have signed or acceded to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and On their Destruction (also known as the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty) and fifty-eight have ratified it. This comprehensive treaty prohibits, in all circumstances, any use of antipersonnel landmines. It also requires that stockpiles be destroyed within four years of the treaty's entry into force, and that mines already in the ground be destroyed within ten years. It calls on governments to provide assistance for the care and rehabilitation of mine victims.

The Mine Ban Treaty has received considerable support in the Americas and the Caribbean, but the pace of ratification has been disappointingly slow. Thirty-three countries in the region have signed the treaty (only the U.S. and Cuba have not signed) and fourteen have ratified it: The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Canada, Grenada, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. The nineteen states that have signed but not yet ratified the treaty include Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela, of which at least six are mine-affected.

This report was prepared for the first regional conference on landmines in the Americas, co-hosted by Mexico and Canada, in Mexico City on 11-12 January 1999. The meeting should be a launching point for other nations to push through their ratifications of the Mine Ban Treaty. Human Rights Watch calls on the U.S. and Cuba to sign the Mine Ban Treaty and calls on those countries which have signed but not ratified the treaty to do so by the first meeting of the states parties in Mozambique in May 1999. Human Rights Watch urges all nations in the hemisphere to implement the treaty and destroy their stockpiles of landmines.
 
 

II. BACKGROUND

Landmines have been a problem in several countries in the Americas; most notably in Central America and along the Peru/Ecuador border. The Caribbean countries are mine-free. At least six countries in the Americas are former producers and exporters of antipersonnel landmines, but only the U.S. and Cuba are still producing landmines. The U.S. has an export moratorium in place. It is indicative of the widespread support for the Mine Ban Treaty that former producers have renounced antipersonnel landmines and have pledged no further production or use.

A key country in the ban movement is, of course, Canada. A critical event in the global march toward a ban on antipersonnel landmines was the Canadian government-sponsored strategy conference held in Ottawa, 3-5 October 1996, which brought together fifty pro-ban governments, as well as twenty-four observer states, dozens of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and other international groups. In Ottawa states agreed to a Final Declaration committing themselves to "seek the earliest possible conclusion of a legally-binding agreement to ban production, stockpiling, transfer and use of antipersonnel mines." In a dramatic announcement at the end of the conference, Canada's Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy stated that Canada would host a ban treaty signing conference in December 1997. The conference also featured perhaps unprecedented cooperation between governments and NGOs, which has continued to the present day.

Mexico has also played a key leadership role globally and in the Americas by pushing for a ban treaty. Mexico was one of the first nations to call for a ban on landmines and was a member of the core group of states which moved the "Ottawa Process" forward. Colombia later joined the core group.

There were several important regional initiatives in 1996. The Organization of American States adopted a resolution to declare the region a mine free zone by 2000. Their efforts have been hampered, however, by the devastation of Hurricane Mitch which hit Central America in November 1998, unearthing landmines and scattering them to places unknown. Also in 1996, the ICRC and Nicaraguan Red Cross organized a seminar at which the six Central American states and Mexico came out in favor of a total ban on antipersonnel mines. Then in September 1996, the Council of Central American Foreign Ministers passed a resolution which resolved that Central America should be a mine-free zone and asked other governments outside the region to undertake similar initiatives. It was signed by the governments of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

The success of this Ottawa Process has been stunning. On 10 December 1996, the U.S. and Canada sponsored U.N. General Assembly Resolution 51/45S, which urged all states to pursue vigorously an international agreement banning antipersonnel landmines. It passed 156-0, with ten abstentions. Cuba abstained and the Dominican Republic was absent; all others in the Americas voted in favor of the resolution.

Austria hosted a preparatory meeting from 12-14 February 1997 to begin discussions of the elements of a ban treaty. One hundred and eleven governments participated, though many of them were not prepared to commit to a December 1997 deadline. Eighteen countries from the Americas attended: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Austria circulated a draft ban treaty prior to the conference that served as the basis for discussion. At this meeting, Mexico made a statement in favor of a total ban by the end of the year. Cuba and Ecuador made statements to the effect that they still needed to use landmines.

Belgium hosted a conference in late June 1997 in which ninety-seven governments endorsed a declaration supporting the principles of the Austrian draft ban treaty, the negotiation of the treaty in Oslo in September 1997, and the signing of the ban treaty in Ottawa in December. In the Americas, Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Granada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela endorsed the Brussels Final Declaration.

Eighty-nine governments came to Oslo as full participants, and another thirty-two as observers. The negotiations, which lasted from 1-18 September 1997 produced a treaty that drew high praise from the ICBL. The treaty prohibits the use, production, import and export of antipersonnel landmines. It requires destruction of existing stockpiles of antipersonnel mines within four years, and destruction of mines in the ground within ten years. It also requires state parties to provide detailed information about antipersonnel mine stockpiles and minefields. It calls on states to provide assistance for care and rehabilitation of mine victims. Twenty-one countries of the region attended as full participants: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Only Panama attended as an observer, and the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago did not attend.

Following Oslo, Canada introduced a UN resolution supporting the December treaty signing and inviting all states to sign it, which was supported by 127 countries with none voting against it but nineteen abstentions (UNGA Resolution 52/38A). Cuba and the United States abstained; Costa Rica was absent.

On 3-4 December 1997 in Ottawa, 122 countries signed the Mine Ban Treaty, including thirty-one in the Americas. Two additional countries in the Americas signed later. Fourteen countries in the region have since ratified the treaty: the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Canada, Grenada, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. Cuba and the United States have not signed the treaty.

On 16 September 1998, Burkina Faso became the fortieth country to ratify the Mine Ban Treaty, thus triggering an entry into force date of 1 March 1999. This will make the Mine Ban Treaty become binding international law faster than any other major international treaty in history. Article 12 of the Mine Ban Treaty requires the UN Secretary-General to convene a meeting of the States Parties within one year after entry into force to consider the status of the treaty. This first meeting of States Parties will occur in Maputo, Mozambique in May 1999.

In November 1998, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution (53/L.33) by consensus which again urged all states to sign and ratify the Mine Ban Treaty and inviting all states to attend the first meeting of the States Parties in May 1999. One hundred twenty-four states voted in the First Committee in favor of the resolution, none voted against, and nineteen abstained, including Cuba and the U.S.

The U.S. and other nations have pursued other avenues to govern landmine use outside the Ottawa Process, including through the Conference on Disarmament (CD). The CD is a sixty-one member United Nations forum for arms control negotiations located in Geneva, Switzerland, whose members from the Americas include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, the United States, and Venezuela. In 1998, some members of the CD attempted unsuccessfully to achieve a mandate among its members to negotiate a transfer ban on antipersonnel mines. Another attempt is likely in 1999. Human Rights Watch believes that such an effort could be counter-productive to the overall objective of a total ban on the weapon. Mexico played an important role in blocking action in the CD in 1998, stressing the importance of the Mine Ban Treaty.

The other international instrument dealing with landmines is the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons Landmines Protocol. The Landmines Protocol is not a total prohibition but rather a complicated series of rules on the use of landmines. A two-and-a-half-year review of the CCW at United Nations meetings in Geneva and Vienna ended on 3 May 1996 having failed to adequately address the humanitarian crisis caused by landmines with only weak amendments to Protocol II. To date, over 70 countries have ratified or acceded to the original 1980 CCW and twenty-seven countries have ratified the amended Landmines Protocol, which entered into force on 3 December 1998. The CCW, along with its Landmines Protocol, will be reviewed again in 2001, with preparatory meetings beginning in 1999. Countries from the region which have ratified the amended Protocol II include Argentina, Canada, Peru, and Uruguay.
 
 

III. COUNTRIES THAT HAVE RATIFIED THE TREATY

The following fourteen countries have signed and ratified the Mine Ban Treaty. It is critical that they follow through on their obligations under the treaty which include destroying any remaining stockpiles within four years after entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty and clearing any emplaced landmines within ten years after entry into force.

Bahamas

The Bahamas endorsed the Brussels declaration but was absent from the Oslo negotiations. It did vote in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It then signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 31 July 1998.

The Bahamas is not mine-affected. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.

Belize

Belize endorsed the Brussels declaration but was absent from the Oslo negotiations. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent at the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in February 1998 and ratified it on 23 April 1998. Belize is not mine-affected.

Bolivia

Bolivia endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 9 June 1998. News reports state that there are mines along the border with Chile.

Canada

As the leader in the ban movement, Canada naturally endorsed the Brussels declaration, attended Oslo as a full participant and voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It was the first to sign and ratify the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997.

Canada is not mine-affected. In January 1996 Canada announced a moratorium on the production, transfer and operational use of antipersonnel mines. By May 1996, Canada had offered to host an international strategy meeting for those nations interested in pursuing a ban on the weapon. This October 1996 meeting in Ottawa, Canada marked the beginning of what became known as the "Ottawa Process," culminating in the December 1997 treaty signing. Canada has played an unsurpassed leadership role in the effort to ban mines, and continues to put the necessary financial and political resources into the ratification, universalization and implementation of the treaty, as well as mine clearance and victim assistance programs. It has pledged $100 million (Canadian) for such programs over the next five years in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cambodia, Chad, Mozambique, Ukraine, Yemen, and Yugoslavia, as well as regional and international projects. In November 1998, Canada announced that it would provide $2.4 million (US) for mine action programs in Central America, which was devastated by Hurricane Mitch.

Grenada

Grenada endorsed the Brussels declaration but did not attend the Oslo negotiations. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent for the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 19 August 1998. Grenada is not believed to be mine-affected.

Honduras

Honduras endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent from the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 24 September 1998.

Honduras has a landmine problem, particularly along the El Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Nicaraguan borders. These mines were laid by the parties to the El Salvadoran and Nicaraguan conflicts. According to a State Department report in 1998, there are anywhere from 15,000 to 35,000 landmines still in the ground, most of which were of Czech or Russian origin. Honduras was also hit by Hurricane Mitch, which scattered landmines from their original location, making them much more difficult to detect and remove.

Jamaica

Jamaica endorsed the Brussels declaration but did not attend the Oslo negotiations. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 17 July 1998.

Jamaica is not mine-affected. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.

Mexico

Mexico endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended Oslo as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 9 June 1998. Mexico has been a leader in the Americas in the push for a ban. Its leadership has been critical to gaining the significant support for the treaty in the Americas.

Mexico is not mine-affected, with the possible exception of the Chiapas region. There have been news reports that mines have been laid in Chiapas, and the U.S. State Department reports that rebels laid mines in Chiapas as a result of the 1994 uprising and continue to use mines to protect drug crops. Mexico states no past or future use or production of landmines.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended Oslo as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 30 November 1998.

Nicaragua is the most heavily mined country in the Americas, owing to the Contra war of the 1980s. The UN estimates that 108,000 landmines are scattered across the country. Many of the mines are of former Soviet, Czech, or East German origin. The contras also reportedly used a Brazilian antipersonnel mine. While Nicaragua has an ongoing demining program, through the OAS, it is now facing new challenges because of Hurricane Mitch which devastated Central America in November 1998. The ensuing floods unearthed and scattered thousands of landmines. Nicaraguans are not only dealing with death, disease, and homelessness but are now stuck with the additional hardship of trying to avoid the landmines. Hundreds of people have been killed or injured by landmines since the end of the war in 1990. So far, the recently dislodged mines have been responsible for the deaths of at least two people - one a child. Several countries and the OAS have sent aid in the form of equipment, demining personnel, and financial assistance.

Nicaragua is a past producer of antipersonnel landmines (the TAP-4) but has stopped production. It first called for a ban on antipersonnel landmines in 1995.

Panama

Panama endorsed the Brussels declaration but attended Oslo as an observer. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 7 October 1998.

Under the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty - where the U.S. will turn over control of the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999 - the U.S. is obligated to remove all dangerous material, including landmines, from its military bases in Panama by the year 2000. The U.S. should make every effort to conclude this operation. The ICBL believes a State Party would be in violation of the treaty if it permitted the permanent stockpiling of US antipersonnel mines. The U.S. tested many weapons systems in Panama, leaving unexploded ordnance, and possibly landmines, in the country. It is obligated to clean up the test sites and should make every effort to remove any mines still in the ground under the time frame stipulated by the treaty.

Paraguay

Paraguay endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended Oslo as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 13 November 1998. Paraguay is not mine-affected.

Peru

Peru endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended Oslo as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 17 June 1998.

In the ongoing border war with Ecuador, approximately 100,000 - 150,000 landmines have been planted on the border. Most of the mines were laid in the outbreak of fighting in 1995; since then, over sixty people have been injured or killed by the mines along the border, according to news reports. In September 1998, as part of the peace agreement, both countries asked four guarantor nations - Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and the U.S. - to demarcate their border and draft a plan for the removal of landmines from the border. As both countries worked out a plan to clear the mines, Peru stated that it had never planted any landmines along the border and has refused to hand over maps of minefields. The Multinational Observation Mission will ask both countries to turn over their maps. Many mines are planted around power lines, leading to many civilian casualties, mostly of workers on the power lines.

Peru claims not to have produced or exported antipersonnel mines. However, the U.S. government names the MGP-.30 antipersonnel mine as being manufactured by Peru. According to the U.S., Peru used to maintain a stockpile of landmines for "anti-terrorist" purposes, most of which are of Russian origin. It is unknown whether these stockpiles have been destroyed, although it is critical that Peru carry out destruction of any remaining stockpiles in compliance with the treaty.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

St. Kitts and Nevis did not attend the Brussels conference or the Oslo negotiations. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent for the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December and ratified it on 2 December 1998.

Saint Kitts and Nevis does not have a landmine problem. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago endorsed the Brussels declaration but did not attend the Oslo negotiations. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent for the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratified it on 27 April 1998.

Trinidad and Tobago does not have a landmine problem. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.
 
 

IV. TREATY SIGNATORIES

The following nineteen countries have signed the Mine Ban Treaty but have not yet ratified it. The list includes former producers - Argentina, Brazil, and Chile - and countries affected by landmines - Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala. It is important that these countries follow through on ratification of the treaty as soon as possible.

Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent for the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not yet ratified it.

Antigua and Barbuda does not have a landmine problem. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.

Argentina

Argentina sent a delegation to Brussels but did not endorse the Brussels declaration. It did attend the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty but has not yet ratified it.

Argentina is a former producer and exporter of landmines. It has an export moratorium in place. It used to produce three types of antipersonnel mines: the FMK-1, the MAP-1 antipersonnel practice mine, and the MAPG. 1995 newspaper reports alleged that in violation of the UN arms embargo, Argentina sent landmines and other weapons to Croatia. It enacted a five year moratorium on mine exports, sales, and transfers in 1994.

Barbados

Barbados endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty but has not yet ratified it.

Barbados is not mine-affected. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.

Brazil

Brazil endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not ratified it.

Brazil is a former producer and exporter of landmines. It produced two types of antipersonnel landmines: the AP NM AE T1, and the T-AB-1. It announced an export moratorium in 1996 and claims to no longer produce mines.

Chile

Chile sent a delegation to Brussels but did not endorse the declaration, although it did attend the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 and ratification by the national assembly is currently underway.

Chile has a problem with uncleared landmines. During the past thirty years, between 500,000 and 1 million landmines have been laid along its borders with Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina. Civilians crossing the borders have been injured or killed by the mines. Chile is a former producer and exporter of landmines. Chile has stated that it no longer produces or exports mines, but has not formally announced a moratorium. It produced six types of antipersonnel mines: the M-18, M18A1 ( a copy of the U.S. Claymore), the MAP II, the MAPP 78 F-2, the U/1, and the U/1 Directed Fragmentation mine.

Colombia

Colombia endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not yet ratified it. Since Colombia was part of the Ottawa Process core group in 1997, it should ratify the treaty as soon as possible.

Colombia has had a problem with landmines due to its decades-long civil war. Most of the casualties are civilians. The peace process in the summer of 1998 led to discussions between the government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) which would limit the use of landmines, but nothing final has been signed yet. The government has declared that it has not and will not produce or use landmines, but has not enacted legislation.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent for the 1997 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not yet ratified it.

Costa Rica has a small landmine problem. 1,000 - 2,000 landmines were implanted on its territory during the 1980s by participants in the Nicaraguan conflict. Costa Rican deminers have begun mine removal.

Dominica

Dominica endorsed the Brussels declaration but did not attend the Oslo negotiations. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent for the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not ratified it.

Dominica is not mine-affected. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic sent a delegation to Brussels but did not endorse the final declaration. It attended the Oslo negotiations as a full participant. It was absent from the vote on the 1996 UN General Assembly resolution but voted in favor of the 1997 and 1998 resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not ratified it.

The Dominican Republic is not mine-affected. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.

Ecuador

Ecuador endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended Oslo as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not ratified it.

In the ongoing border war with Peru, approximately 100,000 - 150,000 landmines were laid on the border. Most of the mines were laid in the outbreak of fighting in 1995; since then, over sixty people have been injured or killed by the mines along the border, according to news reports. In September 1998, as part of the peace agreement, both countries asked four guarantor nations - Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and the U.S. - to demarcate their border and draft a plan for the removal of landmines from the border. Peru has ratified the Mine Ban Treaty. Ecuador needs to ratify it as soon as possible - such a show of commitment to the removal of and prevention of further use of landmines would greatly assist the peace process.

El Salvador

El Salvador endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended Oslo as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not ratified it.

El Salvador has a landmine problem. It had been heavily mined during the 1980s and deminers have since been able to clear many mines, although a few thousand still remain. UNICEF estimates that there were 579 victims of landmines and unexploded ordnance in 1992. Since then, the number of casualties has dropped significantly. El Salvador signed a contract with a Belgian firm which undertook to remove the mines.

Guatemala

Guatemala endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended Oslo as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent for the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not ratified it.

Guatemala has a small landmine problem (the UN estimates 1,000 - 1,500 mines) leftover from its civil war. The Guatemalan army claims that the mines which are in Guatemala were laid by rebel groups. Most of these mines were employed to protect guerilla base camps, so relatively few mines were scattered at random. Most of the mines were copies of the U.S. Claymore. The Guatemalan army began demining in 1995. There have been relatively few civilian casualties.

Guyana

Guyana endorsed the Brussels declaration but did not attend the Oslo negotiations. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not ratified it. Guyana is not mine-affected.

Haiti

Haiti endorsed the Brussels declaration but did not attend the Oslo negotiations. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not ratified it. Haiti does not have a landmine problem.

Saint Lucia

St. Lucia endorsed the Brussels declaration but did not attend Oslo. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent for the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December but has not ratified it. Saint Lucia played a significant role in the ban movement by pushing for support for the OAS resolution on a mine-free region and for the Ottawa Process. With its record of leadership, Saint Lucia should continue to move forward and ratify the treaty as soon as possible.

Saint Lucia does not have a landmine problem. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

St. Vincent and the Grenadines endorsed the Brussels declaration but did not attend Oslo. It voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions but was absent for the 1998 vote. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December but has not ratified it.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not have a landmine problem. It is not believed to have ever produced, used, or stockpiled landmines.

Suriname

Suriname endorsed the Brussels declaration but did not attend the Oslo negotiations. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December but has not yet ratified it.

During Suriname’s 1986-92 guerrilla insurgency, approximately 1,000 landmines were planted. At the conclusion of the conflict in 1992, the government requested OAS assistance in mine clearance. The country has since been declared cleared.

Uruguay

Uruguay endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended Oslo as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not yet ratified it. During the 1996 negotiations of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, Uruguay stated that it adopted "a pacifist position reflected in early ratification of international humanitarian law treaties." Uruguay should follow through on this commitment and ratify the Mine Ban Treaty as soon as possible. Uruguay is not mine-affected.

Venezuela

Venezuela endorsed the Brussels declaration and attended Oslo as a full participant. In Oslo, it was one of few governments to side with the U.S. in several efforts to weaken the treaty. It voted in favor of the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions. It signed the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1997 but has not ratified it.

Venezuela is not believed to be mine-affected.
 
 

V. TREATY NON-SIGNATORIES

Cuba

Cuba abstained from voting on the 1996, 1997, and 1998 UN General Assembly resolutions and was not present in Oslo. It did send a delegation to the Brussels conference but did not endorse the final declaration.

Cuba manufactures landmines but claims not to export them. According to the U.S. government, however, Cuba produces three types of antipersonnel mines which have been found in Nicaragua: the PMFC-1, PMFH-1, and PMM-1. Cuba claims to have a legitimate right to use landmines and wants to maintain defensive minefields around the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay and thus will not support a ban on antipersonnel landmines. Civilians in Guantanamo have been injured or killed by landmines.

United States

As one of the first nations to call for the elimination of antipersonnel landmines, the U.S. finds itself in the awkward position of continuing to resist calls to sign the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty now. The U.S. sent a delegation to Brussels but did not endorse the final declaration. It decided at the last minute to attend Oslo as a full participant. It voted in favor of the 1996 UN General Assembly resolution (of which it was a co-sponsor) but abstained from the 1997 and 1998 votes. It shares the dubious distinction with Cuba of being one of only two states in the Americas which did not sign the Mine Ban Treaty.

In May 1998, the Clinton Administration for the first time announced U.S. intention to sign the treaty - but only in the year 2006 and only if suitable alternatives to landmines were developed by that time. The new policy acknowledges that antipersonnel mines contained in U.S. mixed-munition systems must also be eliminated. Many military experts have said that alternative tactics and technologies already exist for antipersonnel mines. In the meantime, the U.S. continues to pursue other alternatives to the Mine Ban Treaty, such as the Conference on Disarmament and the CCW. It went so far as to block any mention of the Mine Ban Treaty in the Cartagena Declaration at the Third Conference of the Ministers of Defense of the Americas in December 1998, although the Declaration does note support for the OAS efforts to declare the region mine free.

The U.S. has contributed significant amounts to mine action and demining programs. The U.S. budget for global humanitarian demining was $40 million in 1997 and a projected $80 million in 1998. It also contributed $2.2 million to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance. In October 1997, Secretary of State Albright announced the Demining 2010 Initiative which sets a goal of a five-fold increase in current worldwide spending on demining and mine victim assistance to about $1 billion per year.

In June 1998, ahead of schedule, the destruction of over 3.3 million U.S. non self-destructing or "dumb" antipersonnel mines was completed. The U.S. however continues to retain one million deadly "dumb" mines for use in Korea and has approximately ten million stockpiled self-destructing antipersonnel mines. The U.S. has also refused to announce a moratorium or ban on production of antipersonnel mines. It has had an export moratorium in place since 1992.

It was a U.S.-led initiative which first spurred the world to call for a ban on landmines. The U.S. should now move forward and sign and ratify the Mine Ban Treaty - not in 2006, but now.
 
 

VI. OTHER

Falkland/Malvinas Islands (Administered by the UK, claimed by Argentina)

Several thousand landmines were laid on the Falkland/Malvinas Islands during the 1982 war with Great Britain by both parties to the conflict. Argentina informed the UN that there are approximately 25,000 mines on the islands, 5,000 of which are antipersonnel mines. Argentina and the UK are negotiating their removal. The soft terrain makes demining difficult. During the Mine Ban Treaty negotiations, the UK asked for an exception (which was denied) to the demining requirement for the Falklands/Malvinas because there are few civilians in the area.
 
 
 

Country	Signed MBT	Ratified MBT	Signed CCW Protocol II (1980)	Signed CCW Amended Protocol II (1996)
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela

 
 
 

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Posted 11/1-99