Ten Years with the Mine Ban Convention
This year is the tenth anniversary of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which was adopted on 18 September 1997. The Convention and has become one of the most successful instruments of international humanitarian law. The Norwegian Government wishes to mark the tenth anniversary of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention by stepping up its efforts to address the challenges that remain in implementing it.
The negotiations on the Mine Ban Convention were concluded remarkably quickly, spurred on by civil society in many countries and by some states that played a particularly active role. Norway was one of these. Not surprisingly, mine-affected countries played a very active role. Humanitarian organisations were able to document the terrible and unacceptable suffering caused by landmines through their work in war-torn and post-conflict countries. Landmines continue to kill and maim at random long after the end of a conflict, affecting innocent civilians. They also hinder long-term development. But it was primarily the humanitarian consequences of landmines that resulted in the mobilisation of NGOs, individuals and many states. They all agreed that the use of landmines should be banned. The process towards the Convention involved what was in many ways a unique partnership across geographical boundaries and traditional political dividing lines, a very constructive partnership between states and NGOs. Norwegian NGOs played an active role, particularly Norwegian People’s Aid and the Norwegian Red Cross.