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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published
by the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC) from 1995 to 2001 and by Africa Action
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Africa: Landmines Alert (US Campaign)
Africa: Landmines Alert (US Campaign)
Date distributed (ymd): 970321
Document reposted by WOA
US Campaign to Ban Landmines
For more information on the ban landmines campaign, in the US contact:
Mary Wareham
Coordinator, US Campaign to Ban Landmines
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation
2001 S St, NW, Ste. 740, Washington, DC 20009
PH: + 202 483 9222 or 1 800 853 9292
FAX: + 202 483 9312 or 483 9314
EMAIL: mary@vi.org or banminesusa@vi.org
WEB: http://www.vvaf.org/htdocs/landmine/uscbl.htm
1997: YEAR OF THE INTERNATIONAL BAN
ACTION ALERT: Dear Colleague Letter
Background:
Caleb Rossiter and Holly Burkhalter, co-chairs of the US Campaign's Government Taskforce, have been working with
congressional staff in the office of Congressman Lane Evans (D-Il) to solicit BIG support from the House of Representatives
for the US to SIGN the BAN TREATY in Ottawa in DECEMBER of this year. In order to increase awareness and support
among representatives for the December ban treaty a sign on letter to President Clinton from representatives has been
drafted and is currently circulating for signatures.
As you can see, the Colleague letter solicits co-signatures on the letter to President Clinton, which expresses concern about
his recent decision to pursue a landmines ban at the Conference on Disarmament. As the letter describes, such an initiative
is certain to fail. But worse, it may even detract from a superb diplomatic initiative by the Government of Canada: the
December 1997 meeting to sign a comprehensive treaty banning the use, stockpile, manufacture and export of antipersonnel
landmines. SIGN THE TREATY!
Action:
Please contact your membership, give them a copy of the Dear Colleague and the Clinton letter, and urge them to call now
for an appointment with their member of Congress during the March recess to discuss it.
Deadline:
Rep. Evans will keep the letter circulating in the House for the next two months, but we all need to get to work on it
IMMEDIATELY, and urge members to co-sign it. Moreover: please be aware that there is a Congressional recess coming
up from March 21 to April 7. This is a terrific time for those of you with local members to schedule meetings in
Congressional districts with the Members of Congress while they are at home during the break. It is the single best way for
grassroots organizations to express support for a Congressional initiative.
Questions? Contact: Caleb Rossiter, DFD: 202-319-7191 Mary Wareham or Mike Leaveck, VVAF: 202-483-9222 Holly
Burkhalter, at Human Rights Watch (202-371-6592.) After March 18, Holly can be reached at her new job, Physicians for
Human Rights, 202-547-9881, where she will be working almost full-time on the landmines campaign.
Dear Colleague Letter
URGE THE PRESIDENT TO SUPPORT THE CANADIAN INITIATIVE TO PROMPLY NEGOTIATE A
TREATY TO BAN ANTIPERSONNEL LANDMINES
Dear Colleague:
We are writing to ask you to join us in the enclosed letter urging the President to Support the Canadian initiative to promptly
negotiate a treaty to ban antipersonnel landmines (APL). We believe this initiative is the best way to attain the President's
goal of achieving an international ban on APL.
As you may know, the President recently decided to pursue a treaty banning APL in the U.N. Conference on Disarmament
(CD) instead of through a Canadian initiative which would conclude a ban treaty in Ottawa by the end of the year. While the
President should be applauded for his pursuit of a treaty, the choice of the CD as the venue to achieve this goal raises grave
concerns as to whether it will ever be attained.
We believe that the CD has the potential to hinder, rather than bolster the chances of seeing a comprehensive treaty
negotiated that would ban these weapons forever. The Conference is the preferred course of action for those countries that
want to delay or stop outright a ban on APL, since it operates by consensus. Any country can hold the negotiations at the CD
hostage by exercising its veto. This means that Russia or China, steadfast foes of real limits on landmines, can effectively
block negotiations on a treaty. The Conference is also notoriously slow. While it recently finished two agreements - the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Chemical Weapons Convention, these accomplishments happened after decades of
negotiation.
Meanwhile, the Canadian government is moving forward with its initiative to negotiate a treaty. This approach has the
blessing of fifty nations that have indicated that they would support an immediate ban on APL. The advantages of this
approach are clear. It would put in place a treaty at the end of the year that would have significant international support. It
would also put significant pressure on the handful of countries who oppose a ban to negotiate in good faith.
The Canadian initiative would ride the wave of worldwide momentum to seek an end to these weapons. Public outcry over
the horrible toll exacted by landmines - roughly 2,000 men, women and children a month maimed and killed - has generated
overwhelming support to ban APL. One hundred and fifty-six nations are on record in support of a complete ban, as well as
individuals as diverse as General Norman Schwarzkopf, Pope John Paul II, Princess Diana, retired Senator Bob Dole and
Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
However, without our nation's strong leadership, this effort may fall short. Absent US support, countries may not attend or
may not be compelled to fully participate in the negotiations. The enclosed letter would urge the President to become a full
participant in the Canadian process, particularly if early action in the Conference does not achieve significant progress.
Again, we hope you will join us in requesting that the President not miss this historic opportunity We must not lose this
chance to build a strong agreement that would pressure the few nations that oppose limits on landmines to join the rest of the
world in eliminating these weapons forever. Please feel free to contact Tom O'Donnell of Representative Evans' staff at
202-225-5905 if you have any questions or would like to sign onto the letter.
Sincerely, _
Draft Letter to the President
Dear Mr. President:
We write to express our strong support for your decision to seek an international ban on the production, transfer, stockpiling
and use of anti-personnel landmines. We believe the United States is indispensable to this effort, and that the recent
adoption of the US-sponsored resolution by the UN General Assembly shows that the overwhelming majority of countries
are ready to follow strong US leadership to achieve this goal as soon as possible.
We were therefore very disappointed by your decision to pursue a ban treaty in the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD).
While we agree that ultimately it would be preferable for the handful of countries like China, which oppose a ban, to join a
treaty, we do not believe they are indispensable to an effective treaty nor that the Conference is the best approach to win
their support. The CD, because of its consensus rules, rewards countries that object. The outcome is predictable - years of
debate culminating in a limited agreement riddled with exceptions, despite the fact that 156 nations are on record in support
of a complete ban.
In the meantime, the Canadians and their supporters are moving forward with their effort to sign a treaty banning the
weapons in December, with negotiations on treaty language scheduled for June in Brussels. We believe the United States
should be a full participant in that process. While we understand that the administration has decided to first see what the
Conference can accomplish, if after several months the CD has not made significant progress towards a comprehensive ban,
we would urge and expect the administration to take its place at the negotiating table in Brussels. We must not lose that
opportunity.
Therefore, we believe it is very important that the United States makes clear that it strongly supports the Canadian initiative,
and encourages countries to participate in it. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the Washington Office on Africa (WOA), a not-for-profit church,
trade union and civil rights group supported organization that works with Congress on Africa-related legislation. WOA's
educational affiliate is the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC).
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