landmines

France Joins Effort for Total Ban on Land Mines

June 24, 1997, Brussels -- At an international conference on land mines today, France agreed to become a full participant in the Ottawa process to seek a comprehensive ban on anti-personnel land mines by the year 2000. France's decision, which follows a similar shift by the UK in May, adds momentum to the campaign to ban land mines and places additional pressure on the Clinton administration to bring their policy into line.

The Clinton administration currently favors the UN Conference on Disarmament as a means to tackle the issue of land mines. Critics point out, however, that it took the UN Conference on Disarmament 16 years to achieve a ban on chemical weapons and 23 years to achieve a nuclear test ban treaty.

The year-long Ottawa process calls for the signing -- in December 1997 -- of a treaty with a comprehensive ban on the production, use, transfer and stockpiling of anti-personnel land mines by the year 2000. There are already an estimated 100 million land mines in the ground throughout 68 countries worldwide.

Previously France had requested an exemption in the treaty, which would have allowed them to use land mines if they were deemed necessary. Their change in position is seen as a victory for the International Campaign to Ban Land mines (ICBL), which favors a treaty "with no exemptions, no reservations and no loopholes," according to Jody Williams, Coordinator of the ICBL.

There are 160 countries present at the conference, taking place in Brussels, Belgium June 24 - 27. The main topic on the conference agenda is to discuss a draft treaty, which will be negotiated in Oslo, Norway in September.

"The change in the French position and that of the UK represents a tremendous turning point in this campaign," said Clarice Taylor, a representative from CARE's Office of Public Policy and Government from Brussels. "Momentum is picking up and hopefully soon we'll get the US on board too."

CARE, one of the world's largest relief and development organizations, supports a ban on land mines by the fastest means possible -- the Canadian government initiative. "Land mines paralyze development, cutting off communities from arable farmland, clean water and trade," Taylor explains. "They also kill 26,000 people every year. For the child who will die tomorrow on the way to school because he stepped on a land mine, there's no justification for any delay."

Erin Burns: (404) 681-2552, ext. 117

In Brussels:

Clarice Taylor: 32-2-502-4333