Parliamentary Assembly
Assemblée parlementaire

Doc. 10913 rev. (English only)
27 April 2006

Ratification by all Council of Europe member states of the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mr Rochebloine and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.       Every armed conflict takes its toll in terms of destruction and civilian victims, but the deadly effects of landmines go on forever. 100 million landmines are reportedly still buried, in some 60 countries. They continue to kill or mutilate fifteen to twenty thousand people a year throughout the world well after the end of hostilities. This is a scourge that strikes blindly, and children are particularly affected.

2.       The 1997 Ottawa Conference initiated a disarmament process. The convention drawn up obliges signatories states not only to refrain from using, developing, producing, otherwise acquiring, stockpiling, retaining or transferring anti-personnel mines but also to destroy their stockpiles of mines and help with mine clearance.

3.       As at 1 January 2006, 145 states had ratified the convention, but a number of large countries, including the United States, Russia and China, are unfortunately still not involved in this process.

4.       Six Council of Europe member states have yet to ratify the convention. It is the duty of the Council of Europe, which strives to promote peace and human rights, to set an example. The Parliamentary Assembly should, accordingly, encourage those member states that have not already done so to take steps to apply the convention.

Signed 1:

ROCHEBLOINE, François, France, ALDE
ALEVRAS, Athanasios, Greece, SOC
BADRÉ, Denis, France, ALDE
COUSIN, Alain, France, EPP/CD
DURRIEU, Josette, France, SOC
GRIGNON, Francis, France, EPP/CD
GROSS, Andreas, Switzerland, SOC
MARQUET, Bernard, Monaco, ALDE
PEHLIVAN, Fatma, Belgium, SOC
QUESADA, Adoración, Espagne, SOC
REYMANN, Marc, France, EPP/CD
SALLES, Rudy, France, ALDE
SCHNEIDER, André, France, EPP/CD
SCHREINER, Bernard, France, EPP/CD
SEVERIN, Adrian, Romania, SOC
Van den BRANDE, Luc, Belgium, EPP/CD
WILLE, Paul, Belgium, ALDE

1     SOC: Socialist Group
       EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
       ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
       EDG: European Democratic Group
       UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
       NR: not registered in a group