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<title>CANADA CONDEMNS LANDMINE USE, URGES FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF BAN</title>
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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong>September 15, 2000 <em>(3:50 p.m. EDT)</em> No. 236</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>CANADA CONDEMNS LANDMINE USE, URGES FULL
IMPLEMENTATION OF BAN</strong></font></p>
<p>The worldwide fight against landmines continued this week in Geneva, Switzerland, with
testimonies by 18 landmine survivors from three generations. Brian and Carole Isfeld of Canada,
whose son was killed by a landmine, joined Princess Astrid of Belgium, along with Sir Paul
McCartney and Heather Mills to launch the second annual meeting of States Parties to the Ottawa
Convention. The meeting, held from September 11 to 15, involved more than 400 delegates from
States Parties to the Convention, other states and over 160 representatives of organizations from
around the world dedicated to eliminating landmines, and to assisting victims and their
communities.</p>
<p>The participants assessed the dramatic progress since the Ottawa Convention came into force and
set a challenging work program for the upcoming year. According to Foreign Affairs Minister
Lloyd Axworthy, "The success of the Ottawa Convention is being demonstrated daily, as proven
by this year's <em>Landmine Monitor Report</em>."</p>
<p><em>Landmine Monitor Report 2000</em>, co-ordinated by the Nobel-laureate International Campaign to
Ban Landmines and issued this week at the meeting, shows that significant progress has been
made in the past year in the effort to ban anti-personnel mines. It shows that the new use of
landmines is decreasing, the illicit trade in landmines has all but ended, stockpiles are being
rapidly destroyed and the number of new victims continues to decline. </p>
<p>However, the report also stated that landmine use has continued in areas such as Angola, Kosovo,
Chechnya and Burma. "Maintaining the momentum is crucial in order to eradicate this
humanitarian scourge. We have made enormous steps forward, but a lot remains to be done,"
noted Minister Axworthy.</p>
<p>In Geneva to head the Canadian delegation to the meeting, Canadian Ambassador for Mine
Action Daniel Livermore said, "We need to ensure that the Ottawa Convention does what it was
intended to do; that it makes a real, lasting difference in the lives of people in mine-affected
communities." </p>
<p>Since December 1997, 139 states have signed or acceded to the Convention, officially known as
the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, with a total of 107 having formally accepted the
obligations of the Convention.</p>
<p>The Third Meeting of States Parties to the Convention will take place in September 2001 in
Managua, Nicaragua.</p>
<p align="CENTER">- 30 -</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact:</p>
<p>Debora Brown</p>
<p>Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</p>
<p>(613) 995-1851</p>
<p>Media Relations Office</p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
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