PRESS RELEASE

US Senate Tells President Obama to Join Ottawa Landmine Treaty Without Delay!

Date	18-May-2010
Author/Publisher	MAC
Summary	Today, a letter asking the U.S. administration to accede to the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning landmines was delivered to President Obama.
Details	Today a letter asking the U.S. administration to accede to the1997 Ottawa Convention banning landmines (also known as the Mine Ban Treaty) was delivered to President Obama signed by sixty-eight Senators including ten Republicans and two Independents. "The fact that there are 68 signatories on the Senate letter is especially important given that accession to the treaty must be ratified by a two-thirds majority in the Senate," said Zach Hudson, the Coordinator of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines (USCBL). "The strong support these letters received demonstrates that Congress stands with our NATO allies, like Canada, and with Americans around the country in calling for the U.S. to join the Mine Ban Treaty." Senator Patrick Leahy (VT-D) and Senator George Voinovich (OH-R) circulated the Senate letter, and a similar letter, circulated by Representative James McGovern (MA-D) and Representative Darrell Issa (CA-R) in the House was delivered to President Obama this week. "This initiative led by Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, shows there is broad based support for the US to join its major allies, neighbours and closest friends in banning these inhumane and indiscriminate weapons, said Paul Hannon, Executive Director of Mines Action Canada. “Now is the time for the Unites States to join the Ottawa Treaty.” In the letters, legislators note the effectiveness of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, saying, "In the ten years since the Convention came into force, 158 nations have signed including the United Kingdom and other ISAF partners, as well as Iraq and Afghanistan which, like Colombia, are parties to the Convention and have suffered thousands of mine casualties. The Convention has led to a dramatic decline in the use, production, and export of anti-personnel mines." Legislators also advocated for a landmine policy review aimed at ultimate accession to the treaty, concluding that they were "confident that through a thorough, deliberative review the Administration can identify any obstacles to joining the Convention and develop a plan to overcome them as soon as possible." These letters follow a letter sent to President Obama on March 22 by leaders from 65 nongovernmental organizations that also urge the U.S. to relinquish antipersonnel landmines and join the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty without delay. The United States began a comprehensive landmine policy review in late 2009 at the direction of President Obama. The U.S. has not used antipersonnel mines since 1991 (in the first Gulf War), has not exported them since 1992, has not produced them since 1997 and is the biggest donor to mine clearance programs around the world. However, it still retains 10.4 million stockpiled antipersonnel mines, some dating to the 1970's, for potential future use and has not joined the 1997 treaty prohibiting the weapon. In 1998, President Clinton set the goal of joining the treaty in 2006, but President Bush reversed course in 2004 and declared that the U.S. would not join. In the Senate and House letters, legislators indicated that the use of weapons that disproportionately take the lives and limbs of civilians is counterproductive in today's conflicts and is avoidable, saying, "We note that our NATO allies have addressed their force protection needs in accordance with their obligations under the Convention. We are also mindful that anti-personnel mines pose grave dangers to civilians, and that avoiding civilian casualties and the anger and resentment that result has become a key priority in building public support for our mission in Afghanistan. Finally, we are aware that anti-personnel mines in the Korean DMZ are South Korean mines, and that the U.S. has alternative munitions that are not victim-activated." Through the work of the USCBL and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), campaigners from around the world have also been meeting with dozens of U.S. embassies and U.S. representatives during the past two months to urge the U.S. to ban antipersonnel mines and join the Ottawa Convention. Click here to read the Senate letter. Click here to read the House letter. Click here to read the letter sent by 65 NGO leaders urging the U.S. to get join the Ottawa Convention. -30- CONTACT: Nancy Ingram, Mines Action Canada, phone: (613) 241 3777 Follow Mines Action Canada on Facebook and Twitter (MinesActionCan)! Mines Action Canada (MAC), a coalition of Canadian non-governmental organizations, is an international leader working to eliminate the serious humanitarian, environmental and developmental consequences of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). We believe the human-made disaster caused by these weapons is solvable in our lifetime. We exist to advocate for alleviation of the impact of these weapons on the rights, dignity and well-being of civilian populations. MAC serves on the leadership of both the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Cluster Munition Coalition.