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Another Step Closer to a Mine-Free World (by Chiran Livera)

Chiran Livera student of Political Science/International Relations in Vancouver and is also the Secretary-General of the Douglas College International Model U.N. Chiran has been volunteering with the Canadian Red Cross promoting global issues to youth and lived in Costa Rica doing various projects related to rural community development and poverty eradication.

A historical milestone conference is taking place this month in hopes of continuing the fight to put an end to one of the world’s deadliest indiscriminate killers; the antipersonnel landmine. Maiming and killing countless civilians and military forces around the globe for generations, much of the world celebrated in pure joy as states commenced on signing their signatures to the Ottawa Convention, formally known as the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destructions.

United Nations claim that there are currently 110 million landmines beneath the ground in more than 70 countries and as a result, a civilian is either killed or maimed every 22 minutes. Although facts such as these alarm everyone, many states have not signed on to the Mine Ban Treaty and consequently continue to produce and use antipersonnel landmines in conflicts around the world. Major mine producing countries such as the United States, Russia and China claim that it is not in their self-interest to rid the world of landmines as it is a crucial weapon in their arsenal.

The antipersonnel mine differs from other conventional weapons because it continues to remain in the ground long after wars have ended. As landmines cannot tell the difference between an innocent child and an armed soldier, thousands of civilians are maimed each year as they go about their daily lives once the war is over. Moreover, the presence of landmines, or even the suspected presence, blocks the return of displaced persons and hinders the achievement of many Millennium Development Goals all states agreed to meet by 2015.

The Mine Ban Treaty, formulated in December 1997 with the support of 122 governments and numerous non-governmental organizations, became the fastest treaty of its kind in history to become international law in March 1999. This relatively short but extremely vital treaty deals with everything from mine use, their production and transfer, to victim assistance and stockpile destruction.

The success of the treaty can be credited to many individuals and organizations such as the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Canada’s then foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy, the International Committee of the Red Cross – which for the first time in its history had become actively involved in open political advocacy – and the ever so hardworking Jody Williams. As a result of these individuals and organizations working relentlessly, the Mine Ban Treaty essentially created a new international norm that has become the framework to pursue a conclusive end to the suffering caused by landmines.

Prior to the treaty coming into force, antipersonnel mines were in widespread use, first appearing in World War II. Now their deployment is rare and their trade has essentially ceased with many lives being saved each day.

This milestone conference, titled Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World is the first review conference of the Mine Ban Treaty. The conference will mark the most significant gathering of world leaders to address the global landmine problem since convening in Ottawa in 1997. At the summit, world leaders are expected to assess the progress made in the achievement of the Mine Ban Treaty and adopt a powerful declaration and action plan recommitting themselves to the challenges that lay ahead with regards to eradicating antipersonnel landmines.

Furthermore, the timing of the conference is noteworthy as the summit is scheduled to coincide with the seventh anniversary of the Ottawa Convention and it also marks the halfway point between the treaty’s entry into force and the deadline for the clearance of minefields by the first states that joined the treaty. Landmine activist and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines Ambassador Jody Williams states that, 

“It [Nairobi Summit] is of critical importance because it sets part of the framework of action as we move into the next five years of the life of the Mine Ban Treaty. It will help reaffirm our joint commitment to ensuring that the worlds of the Mine Ban Treaty continue to be transformed into concrete reality, improving the lives of landmine survivors around the world and continuing to reduce the number of people victimized by this weapon of terror.”

 

Jody Williams, the co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace prize along with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, has been at the forefront of negotiations and an advocate for the Mine Ban Treaty.

States Parties to the treaty have designated Ambassador W. Petritsch, Austria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, as President of the Nairobi Summit, charging him with leading preparations for the international meeting. Alongside Petritsch, Ambassador E. Tolle, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya, has been named Secretary-General-Designate of the summit, who is in charge of all organization.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines hopes that member governments will come to Nairobi and report on marked progress on treaty implementation, such as mine clearance, victim assistance and high levels of compliance in areas of reporting and legislation. New ratifications and accessions to the treaty are also anticipated, as members will devise a robust declaration and action plan with regards to implementation of the Convention.

The next major date in the life of the treaty is March 2009, the deadline for States Parties who joined the treaty in 1999 to complete clearance of mined areas.

Sources

“Anti-personnel Landmines.” International Committee of the Red Cross. 2 November 2004. <http://www.icrc.org/eng/mines>.

 

“Anti-personnel Landmines.” Mines Action Canada. 2 November 2004. <http://www.minesactioncanada.org/landmines/>.

“Landmines.” CBC News. 6 October 2003. 2 November 2004. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/landmines/>.

“Landmine Monitor Report 2003.” International Campaign to Ban Landmines. August 2003. 2 November 2004. <http://www.icbl.org/lm/2003/>.

 

“Landmine Update.” International Campaign to Ban Landmines. 2 November 2004. <http://www.icbl.org/news/landmine_update>.

 

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