The Anti-Personnel Mine-Ban Convention: an extraordinary success.

Since its entry into force in March 1999, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Mine-Ban Convention) has been a true success story on how more than two thirds of the States of the world have accepted the important responsibility to never use anti-personnel mines and to cooperate in addressing the devastating impact of those mines already used.

This success is due to the recognition of the international norm and the spirit of cooperation between all States Parties, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other relevant institutions like the United Nations family. It is also largely due to the unique mechanisms that are designed to convert the strong words of the Convention into meaningful actions, including those contained in the text concerning international cooperation and assistance, and the annual meetings of States Parties, There are also those mechanisms created by the States Parties, such as the Intersessional Work Programme, the Coordinating Committee and the Implementation Support Unit; and finally those that have emerged on an informal basis: a delegate sponsorship programme and contact groups designed to coordinate joint actions related to the universalization of the Convention, its transparency reporting provisions and the mobilization of resources.

Thanks to our informal exchange of information through the Intersessional Work Programme and the formal provision of information through compulsory annual transparency reporting, we now have a clear view of our progress in the pursuit of the Convention's core humanitarian objectives and the challenges ahead.

In the field of mine clearance, 45 states Parties suffer from the impact of landmines, and we are working effectively to find out the extent of the problem and establish and support national mine action programmes, with a view to ensuring that the ten-year period to clear mines will be well used.

As for stockpile destruction, 1 March 2003 marked both the fourth year since the Convention entered into force and the date when 45 States Parties were required to comply with the Convention's first deadline for destroying existing stocks of anti-personnel mines. The compliance rate is impressive as all those State Parties have indicated that they no longer possess stockpiles; together, they have destroyed more than 30 million landmines. What is important, however, is that even those States Parties with few resources took full ownership over this obligation and that some destroyed huge numbers of mines. In addition, by taking decisive action to destroy these weapons, States Parties have clearly demonstrated that their armed forces can continue to fulfil their responsibilities without anti-personnel mines.

In the field of victim assistance, up to forty States may require assistance to meet the care, rehabilitation and social and economic reintegration needs of landmine survivors. The responsibility to provide for such activities rests with each affected State Party. In assisting these States, we must overcome challenges, such as the fact that the countries with the greatest numbers of mine victims are also among the world's poorest. In addition, it must be understood that the commitment to assist survivors is not expressed in a time limit within the Convention, but in the lifetime of the individual.

With respect to universalization, the international norm established by the Convention is now consolidated, as 134 States have formally accepted the instrument, with almost every country in the Americas Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa having adhered to it. In addition, 13 signatory States are expected to ratify it in the foreseeable future. However, we are particularly concerned about those States outside of the Convention that still use and/or produce anti-personnel mines, as well as those that have huge stocks. We urge them to stop using and producing and to destroy their stockpiles. We need to increase our efforts, individually and collectively, to stress that no conceivable utilization of anti-personnel mines could possibly outweigh and justify the devastating humanitarian costs of these weapons. In this context, I have called repeatedly not only on all States but also on armed non-state actors to abide by and comply with the Convention's principles. Today, we need to ensure that we sustain our efforts to truly achieve our aims through a more sophisticated approach to resource mobilization. In this regard, all relevant actors should take the necessary steps to ensure that a significant renewal of our collective commitment is made to eliminate anti-personnel mines.

The Fifth Meeting of the States Parties in Bangkok, Thailand from 15 to 19 September 2003, and the Ottawa Convention's first Review Conference, to take place in Nairobi from 29 November to 3 December 2004, constitute the next important steps to renew those commitments. At the Nairobi conference, we will review the operation and status of the Convention and envision the way ahead, adopt conclusions related to its implementation, and consider the need for and the interval between further meetings of the States parties.

In our success, the actions of ICBL and the ICRC, as well as numerous other non-governmental organizations which have called for meaningful action to address the humanitarian impact of anti-personnel mines, are evidence of the important role of public conscience in furthering the principles of humanity. These ongoing efforts will be essential to generate resources to finish the work and to monitor the fulfillment of the commitments that we as States have accepted. To achieve the promise of the Convention, States Parties should continue to recall the value of their partnership with ICBL and the ICRC, as well as with other significant actors like the United Nations and relevant regional organizations.

Jean Lint was elected President of the Fourth Meeting of the States Parties to the Mine-Ban Convention, held in September 2002. As Permanent Representative of Belgium in Geneva, he presided over the Conference on Disarmament in 2000. He was also President of the European Union for Disarmament Affairs in 2001 during the Conference on the Illicit Trade of Small Arms and the Review Conferences of the Biological Weapons Convention and of the Inhumane Weapons Convention.