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The banning of landmines

International Campaign to ban landmines | 17.03.2015 15:16 | Anti-militarism

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) is a coalition of non-governmental organizations working for a world free of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions, where mine and cluster munitions survivors see their rights respected and can lead fulfilling lives.

The coalition was formed in 1992 when six groups with similar interests, including Human Rights Watch, Medico International, Handicap International, Physicians for Human Rights, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation and the Mines Advisory Group, agreed to cooperate on their common goal. The campaign has since grown and spread to become a network with active members in some 100 countries – including groups working on women, children, veterans, religious groups, the environment, human rights, arms control, peace and development—working locally, nationally and internationally to eradicate antipersonnel landmines.

The following countries still produce land mines and have no plans to sign the Ottawa accord banning their production.

Burma (Myanmar)
China
Cuba
India
Iran
North Korea
Pakistan
Russia
Singapore
Vietnam

We are calling on people everywhere to contact the embassies of these countries and ask them to consider their position on this matter.

Getting more states to join the Mine Ban Treaty is a key way to strengthen the norm of a total ban on antipersonnel mines and contribute to saving more lives from the scourge of mines. Over 80% of the world’s states have now joined the Mine Ban Treaty. It is one of the world's most widely accepted treaties.

ICBL CALLS

All states still outside the treaty: join without further delay!

In addition, the holdouts can help solidify the norms of the treaty by taking interim steps toward a total ban, including:

Adopt a moratorium on the use, production, and transfer of antipersonnel mines
Provide information about antipersonnel mine stockpiles and start destroying them
Assist landmine survivors, their families and communities
Engage in mine clearance and mine risk education where it is needed
Vote in favor of the annual United Nations General Assembly resolution on the treaty in First Committee and at the General Assembly
Submit a voluntary transparency report with all relevant information
Attend treaty meetings

Non-state armed groups: accept the treaty obligations, especially stopping the use of mines and destroying stocks!

All States Parties to the treaty: promote the universalization of the treaty and the ban norm more broadly!

And more particularly:

Promote ratification of/accession to the treaty, in particular in regions with low adherence
Promote and encourage universal adherence to the norms of the treaty
Condemn and discourage any use, production, or transfer of antipersonnel mines
Encourage states not party to participate in the work of the treaty and to take interim steps toward joining.

International Campaign to ban landmines
- e-mail: Tweet - ICBL@minefreeworld
- Homepage: www.icbl.org