Today marks the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Ottawa Treaty – a landmark international treaty aimed at eliminating the suffering caused by anti-personnel mines worldwide.
With 80% of the world’s countries bound by the Treaty and most remaining countries abiding by its provisions de facto, the Treaty is credited with a dramatic reduction in the use, production and sale of these weapons.
Five years prior to the signing of the treaty, spurred on by the appalling landmine-related suffering in Cambodia, UNA-UK began actively campaigning on this issue in collaboration with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. This civil society coalition garnered support across 90 countries and has been rewarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its pivotal role in bringing about the Ottawa Treaty.
Click here to read about the campaign in a 1994 edition of New World magazine
UNA-UK, along with 8 other members of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, has today released a press statement calling on the international community to finish the work to eradicate antipersonnel landmines.
Click here to read the press statement
What progress has been made over the last 15 years?
Every year there is a United Nations General Assembly resolution in support of the Treaty which calls on all countries who are not currently bound by the Treaty to sign up without delay. Since the 122 original state parties signed the Treaty in December 1997, 58 countries have since become party to the Treaty bringing the total to 160.
The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) was established in 1997 to serve as the UN focal point for mine action, coordinating mine-related work across UN departments, agencies, programmes and funds. UNMAS supports mine action on the ground in more than 30 countries and territories.
In 2011, following the UN Operation in Burundi, the country became the world’s first affected country to declare itself mine free.
Other notable successes include the UN Mine Action Programme in Afghanistan (MAPA). Since adhering to the Treaty in 2002, over 18000 hazard areas throughout the country have been cleared of landmines. At this pace, and subject to securing the necessary funding, Afghanistan is projected to be completely mine free in 10 years.
More work still to be done
United Nations Mine Action Service Director Agnes Marcaillou recently highlighted the need for mine action to go beyond the successes and goals of the Ottawa Treaty. Building support for victim assistance, mine-risk education and other initiatives to address the wider development impact of landmines will be an important focus for UNMAS during 2013.
It is also important to keep up pressure on those countries that are yet to sign the Treaty. Numbering 36, these countries include Russia, China and the US (despite the US being the biggest donor to UNMAS).
Whilst casualties from landmines have reduced significantly since the Ottawa Treaty entered into force, every year, thousands of people continue to die from these deadly and indiscriminate weapons. Awareness and action on the issue must continue.
Interested in campaigning on this issue?
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (a coalition of which UNA-UK is a member) have a range of great tools and ideas to campaign on this issue. The successes and strength of the campaign have come from the involvement of members of the public (like you!) at the local, national and international levels.
