16/4/2004
Annan Urges Universal Adherence To Anti-Landmine Treaty

Noting that 50 countries have not yet joined up, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called this week for the universalisation of the global anti-landmine treaty, the operation of which is due to be reviewed by a conference at the end of the year.

According to a UN statement, remarkable progress had been made since the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction came into force five years ago. Already 141 countries have agreed to adhere to the treaty, known as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. As a result the production and sale of mines had nearly stopped and stockpiles of more than 30 million mines had been destroyed.

President-designate of the first review conference for the States Parties to the treaty is Ambassador Wolfgang Petritsch of Austria. Mr. Annan told Ambassador Petritsch this week that he would urge governments to participate at the highest possible level in the conference, and that the UN would give its full support to efforts to universalise the Convention. "Much remains to be done…there are still an estimated 15,000 new victims of these deadly weapons each year," the statement said.