Landmines continue to maim and kill people.   They are surely the most cowardly-ever weapon.  The treaty to ban anti-personnel landmines (MBT) came into being   Dec 3, 1997 and became international law Mar 1, 1999.   As of January 2005, 152 countries had signed (or acceded to) the treaty.  (After a treaty becomes law, signature is not possible; non-signatories can accede.   Signatories can ratify and so become States Parties, but non-signatories achieve this by accession.)

IS YOUR COUNTRY A FULL MEMBER OF THE MBT?

Some of the countries which have not yet joined the treaty, do not have, never have had, and are never likely to have, anti-personnel landmines.  However each country counts in the tally, so we all need to encourage such countries to join the treaty.  It may be that the really ?bad guys?  (those who continue to produce,  export and still use, or reserve the right to use, anti-personnel landmines) will eventually be shamed into joining the treaty.

There are 15 countries in that ?bad guys?  group, including USA, India,  Egypt,  Korea where there are significant numbers of RSCJ, and Cuba with fewer, and Russia, with very few.

I urge RSCJ who have any contacts in high places, any influence, either directly or via family, friends, alumnae, business or sporting etc contacts, to do anything and everything possible to bring these countries into the treaty;  and all other outsiders too, of course.

I suggest you look at the ICBL web site, and in particular the Landmine Monitor Report 2004.

www.icbl.org/lm/2004           

www.icbl.org/lm/2004/findings 
will bring you a short summary of the 2004 report.

Patricia Coyle rscj, a member of the Australian Network of  ICBL
Province of Australia ? New Zealand