International Treaty to Ban Land Mines - Second Anniversary
2nd Session, 36th Parliament,
Volume 138, Issue 15
Thursday, December 2, 1999
The Honourable Gildas L. Molgat, Speaker
Hon. Douglas Roche: Honourable senators, today is the second anniversary of the International Treaty to Ban Land Mines. The 1997 treaty, banning the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of antipersonnel land mines has been ratified by 89 countries and signed by 136. By September of 1998, 40 countries had ratified the treaty, thus making the treaty international law on March 1, 1999.
This treaty is not only a testament to the commitment to a mine-free world, but is the fruition of the pursuit of humanitarian objectives by the Canadian government and by Foreign Affairs Minister Axworthy. We should also applaud the work of Mines Action Canada and other like-minded organizations in their continuing efforts to build a culture of peace.
Canada must maintain its efforts in building a culture of peace, and ensuring a just and secure world for the world's children, who, too often, are the innocent victims of the horrendous effects of war, both during and after conflicts.