Disarmament and arms control

Landmines

The "Ottawa" Convention: Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction

Current key issues

• Universalisation of the Convention.
• Funding is needed to assist countries to meet destruction obligations.
• Global progress in halting the use of mines has been offset by massive new mine-laying operations by India and Pakistan, particularly in the Kashmir region.

Recent speeches and statements

• Statement by the Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control at Second Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, 3 December 2009 [beehive.govt.nz]

• Statement by the Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control at the launch of the 2006 Landmines Monitor, 15 September 2006 [beehive.govt.nz]

These background notes outline the Convention under four main headings:

• What does the Convention do?
• What has the Convention achieved to date?
• What has New Zealand's involvement been to date?
• What are the current key issues?

A comment on the Landmine Monitor Report is included at the end of these notes.

What does the Convention do?

Fifteen to twenty thousand people, mostly innocent civilians and especially children, are killed or maimed by anti-personnel landmines (mines) every year adding to the hundreds of thousands who already live with disabilities caused by mines.

The core aims of the Convention are to:

• universalise the ban on mines across the globe;
• clear mined land;
• destroy stockpiled mines; and
• assist victims.

Once a state ratifies the Convention it is required to:

• destroy stockpiled mines within 4 years; and
• destroy mines in the ground within 10 years (an extension to this time limit can be sought);
• assist other States Parties to meet their Convention obligations if it is in a position to do so; and
• otherwise implement the Convention domestically.

What has the Convention achieved to date?

Universalisation of the ban

At at September 2006, 151 states representing around 80% of the world's nations, had acceded to or ratified the Convention.

Use of mines

There has been a marked drop in the global use of mines since the ban movement began to take hold in the mid-90s. The Landmine Monitor Report 2006 reveals no concrete evidence of the use of mines by States Parties but:

• some countries who have not joined the Convention continue to use mines; and
• non-state actors continue to use mines in at least 13 countries.

Destroying stockpiled mines

Forty one nations have ceased production of mines including 8 of the 12 biggest exporters and producers of the last 30 years.

More than 39.5 million antipersonnel mines have been destroyed since the Convention came into force.

Victim assistance

A committee set up under the Convention promotes a comprehensive integrated approach to victim assistance focusing on directly affected individuals, their families and mine-affected communities although the Convention has some way yet to go to achieve this aim. Some challenges include:

• most services are located in urban centres and are inaccessible to the majority of mine survivors in rural areas;
• the majority of resources are directed towards medical and physical rehabilitation of the individual rather than the wider rehabilitation aims directed at families and communities; and
• the economic situation of mine-affected states limits the assistance that can be given to mine survivors in those states.

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What has New Zealand's involvement been to date?

New Zealand continues to be a steadfast supporter of the Convention and those NGOs working within the framework of the Convention such as New Zealand's own Campaign Against Landmines (CALM), the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) (which produces the Landmine Monitor Report) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

New Zealand has contributed approximately NZ$8.78 million in both financial and in-kind contributions to mine action programmes since 1989/1999. New Zealand is projected to spend nearly NZ1.5 million on mine related activity in 2006/2007.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) have been involved in demining activity in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Laos, Cambodia and Mozambique.  We have also contributed personnel to the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS).  Through UNMAS, NZDF officers have been involved in mine clearing operations in Iraq and most recently, Lebanon.

Financial help has come through New Zealand Official Development Assistance.

New Zealand, together with Australia and other regional partners, continues to offer assistance to states wishing to accede to the Convention.

There are no stockpiles or mined areas in New Zealand. New Zealand does, however, have a limited quantity of practice mines used only for training personnel in counter-mine clearance operations. These are inert so do not affect New Zealand's obligations under article 7 of the Convention. We also have Claymore mines which, used in a command-detonated mode, are permitted under the Convention.

New Zealand has never produced mines and does not import or export mines.

Landmine Monitor Report

It is fundamental in the area of disarmament that States Parties can show that real and effective results are being achieved and that States Parties are held accountable for their actions in relation to the Convention. Assessing accountability and ensuring transparency are resource- and time-consuming tasks.

The Landmine Monitor, produced by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), fulfils this role. It reports independently and comprehensively on developments, highlighting any progress or inaction on the part of states.

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