The Banning of Anti-Personnel Landmines The Legal Contribution of the International Committee of the Red Cross 1955–1999
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Cornelio Sommaruga, President, International Committee of the Red Cross
- Foreword by Ambassador Jacob S. Selebi, South Africa
- Foreword by Ambassador Johan Molander, Sweden
- Introduction
- PART 1 FROM PRINCIPLES TO RULES: REGULATING MINES UP TO THE 1980 CONVENTION ON CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS
- PART 2 THE REVIEW CONFERENCE OF THE 1980 CONVENTION ON CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS: AN INITIAL RESPONSE TO THE LANDMINE CRISIS
- PART 3 THE OTTAWA PROCESS FROM REGIONAL INITIATIVES TO AN INTERNATIONAL PROHIBITION OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The International Strategy Conference Towards a Global Ban on Anti-personnel Mines, Ottawa, Canada, 3–5 October 1996
- 3 United Nations General Assembly, 1996
- 4 ICRC Position Paper No. 4 – December 1997, Landmines: Crucial Decisions in 1997
- 5 Expert Meeting on the Convention for the Prohibition of Antipersonnel Mines, Vienna, Austria, 12–14 February 1997
- 6 Fourth International Non-governmental Organization Conference on Landmines: Toward a Mine-Free Southern Africa, Maputo, Mozambique, 25–28 February 1997
- 7 Seminar on Anti-Personnel Landmines and Their Humanitarian Implications, Budapest, Hungary, 7 March 1997
- 8 1997: The Year of a Treaty Banning Anti-personnel Mines?
- 9 ICRC Regional Seminar for States of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Harare, Zimbabwe, 21–23 April 1997
- 10 International Meeting of Experts on the Possible Verification of a Comprehensive International Treaty Prohibiting Anti-Personnel Landmines,Bonn, Germany, 24–25 April 1997
- 11 OAU Conference on a Landmine-free Africa: The OAU and the Legacy of Anti-personnel Mines, Johannesburg, South Africa, 19–21 May 1997
- 12 Debate on Landmines at the Angolan Parliament, Luanda, Angola, 23 May 1997
- 13 International Conference for a Global Ban on Anti-personnel Landmines, Brussels,Belgium, 24–27 June 1997
- 14 The Third Austrian Draft of the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-personnel Mines,May 1997
- 15 Anti-Personnel Mines: What Future for Asia? Regional Seminar for Asian Military and Strategic Studies Experts,Manila, The Philippines, 20–23 July 1997
- 16 Diplomatic Conference on an International Total Ban on Anti-personnel Landmines, Oslo,Norway, 1–18 September 1997
- 17 A Global Ban on Landmines: Treaty Signing Conference and Mine Action Forum, Ottawa,Canada, 2–4 December 1997
- 18 ICRC Position Paper No. 5 – January 1998, Anti-personnel Mines: Agenda 1998 – From Prohibition to Elimination and Adequate Care for the Victims
- 19 Regional Conference on Landmines, Budapest, Hungary, 26–28 March 1998
- 20 Implementing the Ottawa Treaty: Questions and Answers
- 21 An International Ban on Anti-personnel Mines: History and Negotiation of the ‘Ottawa Treaty’, article by S.Maslen and P.Herby
- 22 The Entry into Force of the Ottawa Treaty
- 23 The First Meeting of States Parties to the Ottawa Treaty,Maputo, Mozambique, 3–7 May 1999
- 24 Regional Conference on Landmines, Zagreb, Croatia, 27–29 June 1999
- 25 South Asia Regional Seminar on Landmines, Wadduwa, Sri Lanka, 18–20 August 1999
- Index
17 - A Global Ban on Landmines: Treaty Signing Conference and Mine Action Forum, Ottawa,Canada, 2–4 December 1997
from PART 3 - THE OTTAWA PROCESS FROM REGIONAL INITIATIVES TO AN INTERNATIONAL PROHIBITION OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 December 2009
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Cornelio Sommaruga, President, International Committee of the Red Cross
- Foreword by Ambassador Jacob S. Selebi, South Africa
- Foreword by Ambassador Johan Molander, Sweden
- Introduction
- PART 1 FROM PRINCIPLES TO RULES: REGULATING MINES UP TO THE 1980 CONVENTION ON CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS
- PART 2 THE REVIEW CONFERENCE OF THE 1980 CONVENTION ON CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS: AN INITIAL RESPONSE TO THE LANDMINE CRISIS
- PART 3 THE OTTAWA PROCESS FROM REGIONAL INITIATIVES TO AN INTERNATIONAL PROHIBITION OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The International Strategy Conference Towards a Global Ban on Anti-personnel Mines, Ottawa, Canada, 3–5 October 1996
- 3 United Nations General Assembly, 1996
- 4 ICRC Position Paper No. 4 – December 1997, Landmines: Crucial Decisions in 1997
- 5 Expert Meeting on the Convention for the Prohibition of Antipersonnel Mines, Vienna, Austria, 12–14 February 1997
- 6 Fourth International Non-governmental Organization Conference on Landmines: Toward a Mine-Free Southern Africa, Maputo, Mozambique, 25–28 February 1997
- 7 Seminar on Anti-Personnel Landmines and Their Humanitarian Implications, Budapest, Hungary, 7 March 1997
- 8 1997: The Year of a Treaty Banning Anti-personnel Mines?
- 9 ICRC Regional Seminar for States of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Harare, Zimbabwe, 21–23 April 1997
- 10 International Meeting of Experts on the Possible Verification of a Comprehensive International Treaty Prohibiting Anti-Personnel Landmines,Bonn, Germany, 24–25 April 1997
- 11 OAU Conference on a Landmine-free Africa: The OAU and the Legacy of Anti-personnel Mines, Johannesburg, South Africa, 19–21 May 1997
- 12 Debate on Landmines at the Angolan Parliament, Luanda, Angola, 23 May 1997
- 13 International Conference for a Global Ban on Anti-personnel Landmines, Brussels,Belgium, 24–27 June 1997
- 14 The Third Austrian Draft of the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-personnel Mines,May 1997
- 15 Anti-Personnel Mines: What Future for Asia? Regional Seminar for Asian Military and Strategic Studies Experts,Manila, The Philippines, 20–23 July 1997
- 16 Diplomatic Conference on an International Total Ban on Anti-personnel Landmines, Oslo,Norway, 1–18 September 1997
- 17 A Global Ban on Landmines: Treaty Signing Conference and Mine Action Forum, Ottawa,Canada, 2–4 December 1997
- 18 ICRC Position Paper No. 5 – January 1998, Anti-personnel Mines: Agenda 1998 – From Prohibition to Elimination and Adequate Care for the Victims
- 19 Regional Conference on Landmines, Budapest, Hungary, 26–28 March 1998
- 20 Implementing the Ottawa Treaty: Questions and Answers
- 21 An International Ban on Anti-personnel Mines: History and Negotiation of the ‘Ottawa Treaty’, article by S.Maslen and P.Herby
- 22 The Entry into Force of the Ottawa Treaty
- 23 The First Meeting of States Parties to the Ottawa Treaty,Maputo, Mozambique, 3–7 May 1999
- 24 Regional Conference on Landmines, Zagreb, Croatia, 27–29 June 1999
- 25 South Asia Regional Seminar on Landmines, Wadduwa, Sri Lanka, 18–20 August 1999
- Index
Summary
Organized by the Government of Canada
Fourteen months after Foreign Minister Axworthy's audacious challenge to the world's governments, representatives of 121 States queued up to sign the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, and three of these – Canada, Ireland and Mauritius – also ratified the Convention. In addition to the signing ceremony, participating governments pledged a total of more than US $500 million for mine action programmes world-wide.
Statement of Cornelio Sommaruga,President, ICRC
3 December 1997
We celebrate today a victory for humanity; for the cause of humanitarian values in the face of cruelty and indifference.
This historic movement against the horrors of anti-pe rsonnel mines began as an expression of human compassion on the part of medical and other humanitarian workers in mine-affected countries. It grew as their compelling testimony and images of the appalling effects of this weapon were transmitted by a myriad of non-governmental organizations and international agencies. It became unstoppable as the public conscience began to view this weapon as an abomination. An absolute ban on anti-personnel mines was transformed from an “idealistic dream” into the Ottawa treaty as diplomats, political leaders and generals allowed themselves to move beyond “business as usual” in the world of international negotiations and respond to the suffering this weapon inflicts.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, and the entire International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent on behalf of which I speak, pay tribute to those whose untiring efforts have brought us to this solemn moment in which the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction is signed by distinguished leaders from around the world.
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- The Banning of Anti-Personnel LandminesThe Legal Contribution of the International Committee of the Red Cross 1955–1999, pp. 587 - 590Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2000
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