Convention on the prohibition of the anti-personnel mines

The Convention on the prohibition of the anti-personnel mines , also called Treated of Ottawa , was signed by 154 countries since 1997, although great powers like the the United States, the China, the Russia or the India did not do it.

In addition to committing itself more not to produce or be developing a anti-personnel mines, the countries signatories of the Treaty are also committed destroying the mines in their possession within four year following their adhesion with the treaty (except for very limited quantities intended for the training of the soldiers). Moreover, during the ten years following their signature, these countries are committed declaring the existence of any existing territory mined inside their national borders (a difficult task for many countries).

Written with Oslo (Norway) in the six official languages of the the United Nations (French, English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic), the Treaty was signed with Ottawa (Canada) December 3rd and 4th 1997 by 122 countries before being deposited with New York near the General secretary of the United Nations (the other countries signatories having signed the Treaty after the meeting held in Canada).

September 16th 1998, it enters officially into force after being ratified by a 40e State. It becomes a tool of international law then.

Extract of the Treaty

Article 1. Each State left engages with never, in any circumstance:

a) to employ anti-personnel mines;

b) to develop, to produce, acquire some other manner, to store, preserve or transfer to whoever, directly or indirectly, anti-personnel mines;

c) to assist, encourage or incite, in some manner, whoever to engage in any activity prohibited in a State left under the terms of present Convention.

Article 2. Each State left is committed to destroy all the anti-personnel mines, or taking care of their destruction, in accordance with the provisions of this Convention.

Signatories

Not Signatories

References

Handicap International
Text of the treaty
the chart regularly updated of the States signatories on the site of the ICRC

External bonds

Stages having led to the signature of Convention

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