New Report: Countries Fail to Fulfill Their Obligations Under the Landmine Treaty

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

GENEVA- On November 21, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) released its annual Landmine Monitor Report, which cited Turkey, Belarus and Greece for being in violation of the Convention on the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) by failing to destroy their remaining stockpiles.

According to the report, in the past year, more than 5,400 people were injured or killed as a result of anti-personnel landmines and cluster bombs.  The report noted that while trade in landmines is "virtually non-existent" many countries continue to be in violation of the Convention by moving too slowly, or not making any effort, to destroy their stockpiles.

The ICBL has stated that the nearly 7.5 million land mines currently in possession by these three countries were scheduled to have been destroyed by March 2008.  Together, Turkey and Greece have a combined weapons stockpile of 4.2 million anti-personnel mines, while Belarus still has some 3.4 million anti-personnel mines.  Diplomats from all three countries have acknowledged that their governments have failed to comply with the deadline.

Turkey argued that its preparations for destroying its stockpiles have taken longer than anticipated.  Belarus claims it has not yet met the deadline because its stockpile contains a particular type of mine that is more difficult and expensive to destroy than others, and cited delays in receiving support funds from the European Union as an additional reason for the delay.  Greece cited legal problems with the company hired by the government to carry out the destruction of its stockpile.  In addition, Greece cited difficulty in locating environmentally safe destruction sites as a reason for its delay in destroying the remaining weapons.

Anti-personnel land mines pose a danger to people throughout the world as such weapons can lie dormant in the ground for decades before suddenly exploding.  Since the Convention entered into force in 1999, more than 42 million anti-personnel mines have been destroyed since  many Member States to the Convention have successfully completed the destruction of their entire stockpile of these weapons. 

Steve Goose, Arms Control Director for Human Rights Watch has stated that Turkey, Belarus, and Greece will not face sanctions for their failure to comply with the Convention.  As a result, the organization is urging the international community to put diplomatic pressure on those States that have defaulted in their responsibility under the Convention.

Fore more information, please see:

CBC - Landmine Treaty Being Ignored, 5,400 Killed or Injured in 2007 - 21 November 2008

Hurriyet -  Turkey, Greece, Belarus Fail to Destroy Landmine Stockpiles - 21 November 2008

International Herald Tribune - Greece, Turkey, Belarus Violate Landmine Pact - 21 November 2008

Reuters - Greece, Turkey, Belarus Violate Landmine Pact - 21 November 2008