Handicap International calls on Obama to ban landmines

Gaël Turine

Change is possible after 10-year ban on landmines

The Ottawa Treaty, which bans landmines, came into effect on 1 March 1999: 85% of landmine casualties are civilians. Worldwide they are responsible for more than 500,000 victims. Handicap International calls on President Obama and his administration to join the 156 states that have already adopted the ban. By signing the treaty the United States can generate great momentum toward making the world landmine-free.

Landmines are weapons with a stigma. They are only still used in Myanmar, Russia and by a few armed groups. “A worldwide ban on landmines is a feasible mission, but US support is crucial”, says Stan Brabant, Head of Handicap International’s Policy Unit in Brussels. 

The United States hasn’t used landmines since the Gulf War in 1991 because the states that they conduct military operations with have all signed the Ottawa Treaty.“Handicap International asks President Obama and his administration to bring change in the area of armaments and to officially sign the Ottawa Treaty. We know that many US citizens support the Treaty for which Handicap International and the campaign against landmines received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. 156 states (80% of the world) have already signed the treaty. A US signature would give an essential impetus for a world without landmines.

”The United States currently has 10.4 million anti-personnel mines stockpiled and is the third largest supplier after China and Russia. It is also the largest donor for humanitarian mine action projects (mine clearance, victim support and informing communities about the dangers). By signing the treaty the US would translate that considerable financial support into clear political support.

The treaty has already made a difference in many countries where mines were cleared. Forty-two million anti-personnel mines have been destroyed since 1997. Only 13 of the 50 countries that produced mines at the beginning of the 1990s still do so. International trade in landmines is all but nonexistent thanks to this historic disarmament treaty, established 10 years ago under great pressure from non-governmental organisations (NGOs). However, support for victims that survive an accident with a landmine can be greatly improved, as evidenced by recent landmine survivor protests in Cambodia. Handicap International continues to work tirelessly for appropriate reintegration of landmine survivors into their communities via projects in four continents.