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Anti-land mine conference opens
Workers search an open field for land mines 100+ nations to sign treaty;
December 2, 1997
U.S., Russia and China will not
Web posted at: 9:46 a.m. EST (1446 GMT)In this story:
OTTAWA (CNN) -- More than 100 countries will formally agree this week to ban anti-personnel land mines and draft plans for removing the millions of mines threatening civilians around the world. But some of the world's major producers and users of land mines, including the United States, China and Russia, are not signing the treaty.
Still, a three-day conference that opens in the Canadian capital on Tuesday represents a triumph for the coalition that has been seeking a ban.
"There's a lot of celebration to this thing," Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy said on Monday as he welcomed Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams, an American, to the Ottawa gathering.
Williams shared the prize with her organization, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
The International Red Cross estimates 800 people are killed and 1,200 maimed by mines every month The movement began in the early 1990s, and gathered momentum a year ago when Axworthy challenged other nations to meet in Ottawa this month to sign a treaty.
The initial group, a dozen or so countries prodded by hundreds of non-governmental organizations, had grown to 89 nations by the time a draft treaty was initialed in Norway in September.
After the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Williams and her organization in October, more countries came on board.
As many as 155 nations are expected at the conference, some as observers. Organizers of the gathering said at least 120 nations are expected to sign the treaty.
What the treaty will do
Mourning a loss, this woman attends a funeral for three men buried alive by mine explosions It bars the stockpile, export, production and use of anti-personnel mines. It also sets up timetables for de-mining.
Experts estimated there are between 60 million and 120 million active land mines scattered around the globe. The International Red Cross estimates 800 people are killed and 1,200 maimed by mines every month.
De-mining is a slow and dangerous hands-on job that costs up to $1,000 per mine. How to meet that cost will be discussed at a series of meetings this week on the sidelines of the signing ceremony.
One major target would be to develop detection technology so that people clearing mines do not have to poke gingerly ahead of them with a steel rod.
Skeptics have noted that most countries that use land mines on a large scale aren't ready to sign the treaty. But the ban's proponents say their efforts have had an impact on some of these nations -- Russia has agreed to halt exports of mines and the United States is expanding its de-mining operations.
On Tuesday, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree extending the moratorium for another five years, beginning December 1, 1997.
Why they're not signing
President Clinton said the United States wanted to sign the treaty, but only if an exception were made to allow continued use of mines to protect American troops in Korea. China says it, too, needs land mines for defensive purposes.
Russia, with a vast border to defend, says one reason it's not signing the treaty is because it doesn't have the money to conduct massive mine removal under the four-year deadline suggested by conference organizers.
In addition, minefields guard Russian nuclear bases. "The Russian military would say removing these mines would threaten strategic nuclear rockets," said military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer.
Clinton has said the United States seeks $1 billion a year in world spending on mine removal. Axworthy says he'd be happy with international commitments for half that.
Correspondent Betsy Aaron andThe Associated Press contributed to this report.
Special sections:
- Message Board: Land mine controversy
Related stories:
- Japan says it will break ranks, sign land mine treaty - October 21, 1997
- U.S. says its land mines aren't the problem - October 10, 1997
- 100 million land mines worldwide - October 10, 1997
- Anti-land mine activists win Nobel Peace Prize - October 10, 1997
- More refugees flee Cambodian clashes - September 25, 1997
Related sites:
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- Stiftung Menschen gegen Minen e.V. - The Humanitarian Foundation of People Against Landmines
- Land Mine Information Center
- Cambodia Information Center
- Embassy of Cambodia in Washington, D.C.
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