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THE OAS JOINS THE SECOND REVIEW CONFERENCE OF THE OTTAWA CONVENTION ON ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES

The Second Review Conference of the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction is taking place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, from November 29 to December 4. This is an event in which the Organization of American States (OAS) is participating together with more than a thousand experts at the Conference to strengthen their efforts towards a mine-free world.

Ambassador Graeme Clark, Permanent Representative of Canada to the OAS and Chair of the OAS Commission on hemispheric Security, and Carl Case, the OAS Director of the Office of Humanitarian Mine Action, are representing the institution at this high-level event.

“We are happy to take part in this conference, and to make sure it continues to gather momentum,” Ambassador Clark said, adding that “we hope it’s not merely an occasion to take stock of where we are but also of where we can go in the future.”

In his speech at the Conference, which ends today, Mr. Case stressed that “the OAS was one of the first regional organizations to endorse the Mine Ban Treaty and to encourage its member states to ratify or consider accession in order to ensure its full and effective implementation.”

The event, chaired by the Colombian Vice President, Francisco Santos, was an opportunity to stress the role that the OAS has played in support of its Member States in the area of actions against anti-personnel mines. “For more than seventeen years, the OAS has directly supported humanitarian demining activities, carried out campaigns to educate people living in mine-affected communities about the risks posed by landmines, and addressed the physical, psychological, and socioeconomic rehabilitation needs of landmine survivors and their families,” said Mr. Case.

The Director of the Program for Comprehensive Action against Anti-personnel Mines (AICMA) also explained to the audience of more than 150 representatives from all over the world that, through the humanitarian demining program the OAS has assisted countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Suriname in fulfilling their commitments to make their territory mine-free. “Nicaragua has indicated that it will complete its demining activities prior to its Article 5 deadline of May 2010. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru have redoubled their efforts to comply with their obligations under the Convention”, he added.
Through this program, the OAS fulfills the commitment it shares with the donor community and Member States to reestablish safe, threat-free and productive living conditions in communities affected by landmines. The program has helped more than 1300 land-mines survivors in their rehabilitation and economic and social reinsertion.

Reference: E-406/09