Oslo Diplomatic Conference on an International, Total Ban on Anti-personnel Mines

Oslo, 01.09.1997

Bjørn Tore Godal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway

Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Three weeks ago Princess Diana visited the minefields in Bosnia. Once again she demonstrated her deep concern for the millions of innocent victims and emphasizing how important she felt it was to ban landmines.

Her tragic death has made a deep impression on all of us. We shall spare no effort at this conference to achieve the goals she had set for herself.

I ask you all to observe one minute's silence in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Thank you.

I

Every twenty minutes someone is crippled or killed by anti-personel mines. Most of these are women or children. For every mine cleared, twenty new mines are planted. Current new deployments of anti-personnel mines by far outstrip our mine-clearing capacity. It is therefore absolutely essential to put a stop to the deployment of these mines.

The issue before you, to stop the use of anti-personnel mines, is therefore one of the most serious and pressing humanitarian issues of our time. Because this problem is so urgent, it requires an immediate response. This conference offers us an historic opportunity to reach an agreement that will significantly reduce the human suffering caused by these weapons. It is therefore a great honour for Norway to host this conference and for me to open this important event.

We are aware that this problem cannot be fully resolved immediately. An international convention banning the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of anti-personnel mines will not effectively reach those mines that are already seeded. Nor will it produce the technologies needed to render all of them harmless. Nevertheless, it is imperative that we now take adequate practical steps to reduce the number of lives that are lost through the use of this weapon. Only a clear, consistent ban can produce a strong, unequivocal international norm and compel nations to take the necessary measures to eliminate these mines. It will be a momentous day when no more anti-personnel mines are produced, exported or used anywhere in the world. We hope that the international convention negotiated here in Oslo will bring us nearer that goal.

II

Norway is far away from the killing fields of Cambodia, Afghanistan, Angola and other conflict areas. However, in our development cooperation efforts, humanitarian assistance, participation in peace-keeping operations and dealings with refugee repatriation, we are constantly confronted with the innumerable lives ruined by the use of land mines. Far too often we see entire communities that are being terrorised and impoverished by anti-personnel mines. They render large tracts of land useless for farming, grazing, and development, leading to starvation and economic setback. Healthy young people, who could be an asset to their country's development, are disabled by the use of these mines and become instead an additional burden on society. These weapons prevent people from returning to their homes after years of war and conflict. They contribute to the world's growing refugee crisis.

Mine clearance will continue to be a priority in many post-conflict situations. Norway has been heavily involved in mine-clearing operations in various conflict areas, particularly in Africa and Asia, and now also in Europe. Mine clearance will continue to be a priority in many post-conflict situations. Like many other countries we recognize the need for expanding our mine-clearing capacity, and improving mine-clearing technology. But even if we manage to do this, there are financial and technological limits to what we can achieve. A comprehensive ban will be the best way to overcome these limits. Preventive action is always more effective than curing remedies.

III

The Ottawa Process has so far proved to be the most powerful vehicle available for achieving the goal of a comprehensive ban on anti-personnel mines as rapidly as possible. This process should be considered as a continuation of the efforts to amend Protocol II on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-traps and Other Devices of the CCW Convention, which was completed in May last year. Norway ratified the amended Protocol this past June and I would like to take this opportunity to urge all countries that have not already done so to sign and ratify the Protocol as soon as possible.

The process of amending Protocol II showed us that it will not be possible to achieve a total, universal ban on anti-personnel mines in the short term. The strategy employed by the Ottawa process has been to start at the other end. We are working to achieve a comprehensive ban that will establish a strong international norm prohibiting the use of APLs. Once this norm is in place, we will work to make it universal.

Support for this strategy has grown at an astonishing rate. The number of countries now endorsing a total and comprehensive ban has more than doubled since the meeting in Ottawa in October 1996, when Canada brought together 50 participant states, 24 observer states and representatives of NGOs to discuss a strategy for achieving an international, total ban on anti-personnel mines. This shows that the Ottawa Process is working, that the momentum behind the process is in itself a universalising factor. Another factor which has contributed substantially to this momentum is the increasing pressure of international public opinion. This is a result of systematic efforts by humanitarian and voluntary organizations, particularly the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines, and all of their supporters in various countries, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

IV

My Government is grateful to Canada for its initiative last October. That meeting served as a catalyst in the process towards a total ban and provided a much needed

framework for our efforts. I would like to express our thanks to Austria for preparing a draft treaty text, which will serve as a good basis for the negotiations here in Oslo. We also welcome the successful outcome of the Brussels International Conference on 24-27 June this year in preparation for our gathering here today. The large number of participating states and the broad support for the Brussels Declaration are indeed encouraging.

V

In the Platform of Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, it was recognized that women and children are particularly affected by the use of anti-personnel mines. UN Member States were encouraged to make serious efforts to prevent all APL-related suffering. This encouragement is an important step, as we all know that it is generally the women who are responsible for the welfare of the local community in time of war and conflict.

During the last session of the United Nations General Assembly, I was most encouraged by the great support shown by 156 countries for a resolution urging governments to "pursue vigorously" an international agreement to ban anti-personnel mines. The Ottawa Process is a firm response to the urgent humanitarian need which impelled these countries to vote for a resolution on this issue.This process is a practical and pragmatic approach that takes international political realities into account.

VI

Voices have been raised all over the world questioning the military utility, necessity and indispensability of anti-personnel mines. I think it is fair to say that the military utility of these mines is far outweighed by their cost in human and socio-economic terms in affected countries. This means that we must emphasize the humanitarian dimension of this problem as we prepare to rid the world of these weapons.

We have come together here in Oslo to negotiate an international convention on a total ban on anti-personnel mines. We all share the view that a convention should include a comprehensive ban on the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of APLs; an obligation to remove all APLs that have already been deployed, and to destroy these mines together with all stockpiled APLs; and an obligation to take part in international cooperation and assistance in the field of mine clearance in affected countries.

I hope that we will establish a strong international norm against the further use of these weapons. I also hope that we will be able to agree on means of providing international assistance to all those who have been maimed by these heinous weapons. Victim assistance remains a priority task. The Norwegian Government intends to increase its already substantial efforts to mine clearance and support for the victims of mine injuries in mine affected countries. My Government is ready to discuss with other participants at this Conference, including the NGOs, how this assistance can best be used. The needs are enormous, and I know that other countries are preoccupied with this issue as well. I hope, therefore, that a concerted approach can be found to help those whose lives have been so seriously and so tragically affected by the use of anti-personnel mines.

I wish all of you success in achieving the goal we have set us. A more humane world requires nothing less. And we have the means to achieve it.