{"id":797,"date":"2012-10-27T16:47:08","date_gmt":"2012-10-27T20:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wvcbl.org\/?p=797"},"modified":"2013-05-12T20:55:48","modified_gmt":"2013-05-13T00:55:48","slug":"nobel-peace-prize-winning-campaign-celebrates-20-years-of-fight-against-landmines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wvcbl.org\/?p=797","title":{"rendered":"Nobel Peace Prize winning campaign celebrates 20 years of fight against landmines"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) celebrates 20 years of campaigning for a world free of landmines.\u00a0 In 1992, the ICBL, a global civil society movement, was born to put an urgent stop to a humanitarian crisis, which was leaving more than 20,000 people killed or maimed by antipersonnel mines every year. <\/strong><\/p>\n

ICBL\u2019s efforts were crucial to the development, negotiation, adoption and signing of the <\/strong>Mine Ban Treaty<\/a> in 1997, the first treaty to ban a weapon in widespread use. Since then the campaign has continued working around the world to turn the words of the treaty into real change on the ground. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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USA..ACT TODAY FOR A MINE FREE WORLD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Today, after two decades of ICBL\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 campaigning worldwide, and 15 years since the Mine Ban Treaty was signed, more than 80 per cent of the world \u2013 160 countries \u2013 have banned the weapon by becoming party to the treaty, and most of those remaining outside abide by the ban norm. Many hundreds of square kilometres of previously mine infested land have been cleared of mines, and more than 45 million stockpiled landmines in 87 countries have been destroyed. Most importantly, the number of new casualties caused by antipersonnel mines each year has dropped dramatically to fewer than 5,000 recorded cases. <\/strong><\/p>\n

But despite this remarkable progress, still every day on average 12 people are killed or maimed by landmines or explosive remnants of war. Thirty-five countries have yet to renounce landmines and sign on to the Mine Ban Treaty. Countries\u2019 efforts to clear all affected land as soon as possible, and to assist all landmine survivors and their affected communities have not been enough and more work is needed to achieve these obligations. Most alarmingly, a small number of governments outside of the treaty are still using antipersonnel landmines, including Myanmar and Syria in 2012. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIn today\u2019s world, any use of antipersonnel mines is unacceptable,\u201d said Kasia Derlicka, Director of the ICBL.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIn our 20th year, and for as long as it takes, we will continue to challenge the international community to finish the job we started twenty years ago to put a final end to these weapons, and to do that rapidly, within years, not decades,\u201d Derlicka added. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The ICBL is taking the opportunity of its 20th anniversary to call on the global community to do more and finish the job of eradicating antipersonnel landmines once and for all.
\nSpecifically, the ICBL today urgently calls for: <\/strong><\/p>\n