PRESS CONFERENCE MARKING FORTIETH RATIFICATION OF LANDMINES CONVENTION TRIGGERING MARCH 1991 ENTRY INTO FORCE

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE MARKING FORTIETH RATIFICATION OF LANDMINES CONVENTION TRIGGERING MARCH 1991 ENTRY INTO FORCE

The world had taken a major step towards becoming a safer and more humane place, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Choi Young-Jin, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this morning.

The press conference was being held to mark the fortieth ratification yesterday of the Ottawa landmines Convention -- formally known as the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction -- which would trigger the Convention's entry into force on 1 March 1999.

Robert Fowler (Canada) said it was significant that the fortieth ratification had come from an African nation, Burkina Faso, as the African continent had suffered greatly as a result of the infestation of anti-personnel mines on its territory. The fact that the Convention had been opened for signature only nine months ago, demonstrated the power of partnership between governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other international agencies. While it was a time to celebrate, it was also a time to recommit to maintaining the momentum. He urged every signatory to move quickly to ratify and to position itself to participate in the first meeting of States parties, which would take place early in 1999.

Ernst Sucharipa (Austria) also congratulated Burkina Faso on its ratification and expressed his confidence that in the coming six months many others would complete their ratification and additional countries would sign. The Convention's unusually rapid signing and ratification process reflected the pressing nature of the landmines problem. The relatively brief period between the launching of the process by which governments negotiated the treaty outside the sphere of the United Nations, to its entry into force was, indeed, remarkable. Austria had provided the first draft of the treaty during a process which could serve as a model for similar projects, particularly for that now under way to combat the illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons.

Ole Peter Kolby (Norway) said the rapid ratification process reflected the serious commitment of the international community to eradicating landmines. The challenge now for governments, international organizations and NGOs was to translate the Convention's goals into practical policy.

Pieter Vermeulen (South Africa) said it was common knowledge that Africa was the continent afflicted most by the scourge of anti-personnel landmines, with slightly more than one-third of all landmines buried in its soil. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) had taken concrete steps to face that

Landmines Press Conference - 2 - 17 September 1998

problem squarely, when it convened the first OAU conference of African experts on landmines, in South Africa in May 1997. The plan of action adopted at that conference had provided a strong impetus for African countries to work together towards the adoption of the landmines Convention in Ottawa last year. Furthermore, the pace at which African countries were ratifying that instrument should serve to encourage global efforts to rid, not only their continent, but other parts of the world, of the landmines scourge.

It was befitting, therefore, that the current Chairman of the OAU, Burkina Faso, had deposited the fortieth instrument of ratification, he said. Africa, for its part, was encouraged that the Convention would also promote mine clearance and victim assistance, thereby contributing significantly to African reconstruction efforts.

Assistant Secretary-General Choi said that the Convention was a "true humanitarian, disarmament instrument". It was a remarkable achievement which resulted from a shared vision of a world without landmines. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Committee to Ban Landmines had demonstrated determination and perseverance in pursuing that noble cause. On behalf of the United Nations family, he paid tribute also to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which had tirelessly encouraged States parties to sign and ratify the Convention. With its entry into force, nations that had bound themselves to the Convention would be required to take measures to "break the chain" of anti-personnel landmine use. The United Nations would facilitate the Convention's implementation in a number of important ways, including in coordinating the Voluntary Trust Fund to Assistance in Mine Clearance.

Ken Rutherford, Co-Founder of the Landmine Survivors Network and member of the International Coalition to Ban Landmines, said he had lost both his legs when a landmine exploded in Somalia. He was thrilled to learn last night about the fortieth ratification of the Convention by Burkina Faso. Countries which used to be major producers of landmines, including France, Germany, Hungary, and the United Kingdom had signed the Convention. Also of note were the signatures of nations where many mines were deployed, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. A quick entry into force was vital to reaching the goal of destroying mine stockpiles within four years and mines already laid within 10 years.

He expressed grave concern about reports of continued mine laying in countries that had signed, but had not yet ratified, the Convention. Those countries included Angola, Cambodia, Senegal and Sudan. He noted that the International Campaign to Ban Landmines had condemned the outcome of the recent meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement during which some countries -- in particular, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan and Syria -- had blocked the Movement from finalizing a resolution in support of the Convention.

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He said that the Campaign was also concerned that some signatories would not ratify the Convention -- including Greece, Japan, Italy and Spain -- owing to pressure from countries such as the United States, whose landmines were deployed in military stockpiles in those countries. While today was a great day for the international community, there could be no resting with tens of millions of landmines still needing to be cleared. All States should promote demining and victim assistance efforts.

Asked what impact the Convention's entry into force would have on non- signatory countries, such as the United States, Mr. Fowler said the Convention was not legally binding on the United States or on any other country that had not signed it. The United States Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, had said that the Americans would sign the treaty -- by the year 2006 -- once they had developed alternate means to provide the protection which they deemed appropriate for United States forces.

Another correspondent asked whether any other countries were poised to ratify the Convention, to which Mr. Fowler said that there were three or four countries whose instruments of ratification were expected within days, if not hours. Indeed, there were a large number of countries in the "pipeline", whose ratification process had already passed their parliaments.

Mr. Choi said that the first States parties conference next spring in Mozambique would likely stimulate further ratification.

In response to a question about the ratification processes, Mr. Fowler said that most countries had a large legislative backlog, which might account for the "gap" between signing and ratification.

Asked about the cost of mine clearance, Mr. Rutherford said that a lot of money was pouring into support this activity. In the light of some exaggerated estimates of the cost to clear a single mine, perhaps the amount of cleared land should be measured rather than the number of individual mines that were removed.

Mr. Fowler added that, indeed, there had been reports that each mine cost $1,000 to remove. Despite such high estimates, if the will was there, the way would be found to remove mines more cheaply and effectively.

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