Positive News was handed the guardianship of Global Village News and Resources in summer of 2004. Although we would like to continue to make the archives available to subscribers and readers we would like to point out that stories published prior to issue 89 were not under our editorial guidance and would like to make a distinction that these are not necessarily a reflection of the current opinions of our editorial team.

Global - The 1997 international treaty banning landmines has steadily reduced the number of mines being used and the dead and maimed they claim each year, but much remains to be done, U.N. officials said on Wednesday.

'The international community has come a long way in relatively little time, but a steady effort over the years is needed to succeed,' Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno told a news conference marking the sixth anniversary of the pact being open for signature.

U.N. agencies used the anniversary as an occasion to ask governments to pledge $280 million for projects in 36 countries threatened by landmines and other unexploded ordnance in 2004. Most of the projects are in Asia and Africa.

Since 1997, 141 countries have ratified the treaty -- known as the Ottawa Convention for the central role played by Canada in its negotiation. Nine other countries have signed it but not ratified.

But a few dozen others, including the United States, China and Russia, remain outsiders.
The treaty commits countries never to use, develop, produce, stockpile or transfer anti-personnel mines. It also obliges states to destroy stockpiled mines and get rid of mines on the ground within their territory.

As a result of the convention, 'production of new mines has dropped dramatically, international trade in anti-personnel mines has virtually stopped, fewer mines are being laid. The number of new victims is down,' Secretary-General Kofi Annan told a luncheon of peace activists in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

'Landmines cannot discriminate between the footsteps of a soldier and those of a child. And neither soldier nor child should ever be exposed to the inhumane effects of these redundant weapons,' Annan said. 'A single landmine -- or even the fear that there might be one -- can hold a whole community hostage. It can prevent the cultivation of an entire field, prevent children from walking to school, rob a whole village of its livelihood,' he said.

(Source: http://www.mineaction.org/countries/_refdocs.cfm?doc_ID=1677)

(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)

Global Village News and Resources - Copyright © 2000-2007