AXWORTHY TO MARK ENTRY INTO FORCE OF LANDMINES CONVENTION
February 26, 1999 (3:55 p.m. EST) No. 44
AXWORTHY TO MARK ENTRY INTO FORCE
OF LANDMINES CONVENTION
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel (AP) Mines
and on their Destruction, commonly known as the Ottawa Convention, enters into force on Monday, March 1, 1999,
and is one of the most rapidly ratified multilateral conventions of its kind.
"I am delighted at how quickly we have moved from promise to reality with this Convention," said Foreign Affairs
Minister Lloyd Axworthy. "In October 1996, when the Ottawa Process was launched, few could have foreseen that in
a mere 29 months, the principles and values of the movement to ban landmines would be enshrined in international
law. The speed with which the Convention has entered into force could not have been achieved without the efforts of
partnering countries, as well as international and non-governmental organizations, which continue to work tirelessly
to end the humanitarian tragedy caused by these vicious weapons."
Mr. Axworthy will lead off events on March 1 as the invited speaker at a Newsmakers breakfast at the National
Press Club in Ottawa, where he will speak about the Ottawa Process and the significance of the Convention's entry
into force.
Later that morning, the Minister will host a commemorative ceremony in the lobby of the Lester B. Pearson Building
in Ottawa -- headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Prime Minister Chrétien
will take part in unveiling a plaque to mark the occasion, and will be joined by several dignitaries, including Joschka
Fischer, Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister of Germany, and Sir Leon Brittan, Vice-President of the European
Commission. Diane Marleau, Minister for International Co-operation, and Minister responsible for La
Francophonie, representatives of the foreign diplomatic corps, as well as a delegation of Members of Parliament
and Senators, including members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, will also
be present. In addition, representatives of the Canadian Red Cross and Mines Action Canada, key partners in the
international effort to ban anti-personnel mines, will take part.
Mines Action Canada, in collaboration with a network of organizations, has taken the lead on bringing about
Canada's participation in one of the most visible, and indeed audible, international public events to mark the
occasion. At 1:00 p.m., bells on public buildings and churches across Canada and in other countries, including
Brazil, France, Italy, Norway, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, will ring to signal
the entry of the Ottawa Convention into international law. Residents of Ottawa will hear the bells on Parliament's
Peace Tower joining in this international symphony.
Canada's five Youth Mine Action Ambassadors, based in Saint John, N.B., Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and
Vancouver, have organized "Dance Without Fear," a nationwide series of youth dances to mark the Convention's
entry into force and to raise funds for the Canadian Landmine Action Fund. This is a charitable fund that aims to
generate sustained long-term funding for demining and victim assistance.
The Ottawa Convention becomes binding in international law on the first day of the sixth month after the 40th
ratification. Burkina Faso triggered that countdown when, on September 16, 1998, it became the 40th country to
deposit its instrument of ratification with the United Nations.
Entry into force means that the clock starts ticking for States Parties -- countries that have ratified the Convention
-- to meet their commitments. For example, they will have four years from their entry-into-force date to destroy all
stockpiles of AP mines, and up to ten years to destroy all AP mines actively deployed in areas under their control.
March 1, 1999, is the entry-into-force date for the 45 countries that became States Parties before the end of
September 1998. Entry-into-force dates will vary for countries that ratified the treaty on, or after, October 1, 1998,
but will always follow the same formula -- the first day of the sixth month following ratification.
To date, 134 countries have signed the Convention, of which 65 have ratified it. The first meeting of States Parties
will take place in Maputo, Mozambique, from May 3
to 7. Delegates will review progress made so far and plan strategies to ensure continued progress towards the full
implementation of the Convention, as well as to encourage all countries to sign and ratify it.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Chantal Reinert
Office of the Minister for International Co-operation and Minister responsible for La Francophonie
(819) 997-6919
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
