Anti-personnel landmines and their humanitarian implications

Anti-personnel landmines and their humanitarian implications

Doc. 7598

27 June 1996

MOTION FOR A RECOMMENDATION

presented by Mrs FEHR and others

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

1.         The Assembly observes that at present there are some 100 million active mines in the world; these are laid in over sixty countries and, as well as endangering human life and physical well-being, significantly impede the economic recovery of the societies concerned.

2.         The Assembly recognises anti-personnel landmines as violating international humanitarian law.

3.         The Assembly recalls that of the 39 Council of Europe member states, 19 are at present in favour of a total and immediate ban on such mines, while 10 have renounced and 2 have suspended their use.

4.         The Assembly recalls that several of the Council of Europe member states are severely affected by mines.

5.         The Assembly expresses its support for the creation of an area free from anti-personnel land mines in Europe.

6.         The Assembly accordingly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

i.          urge states not yet having done so to ratify the United Nations Convention on the prohibition or limitation of certain weapons which can be regarded as having undue traumatic effects or as striking indiscriminately, or to accede to the Convention and its four Protocols;

ii.          appeal to the governments of Europe to promote national policies for the total and immediate prohibition of production, possession, transfer and use of anti-personnel landmines;

iii.         invite the national parliaments to pass legislation prohibiting and punishing the manufacture, possession, transfer and use of anti-personnel landmines;

iv.         implore the governments of Europe to step up their contribution to the international bilateral de-mining programmes in Europe and all countries affected worldwide;

v.          encourage the media to broadcast the relevant information among the populations at risk from anti-personnel landmines in order to avert further casualties;

vi.         foster actions to mobilise international public opinion concerning the problem of anti-personnel landmines;

vii.        urge the international community, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the non-governmental humanitarian organisations to assist with the programmes to alert civilians to the dangers of mines and to rehabilitate the victims so that they may be restored to their place in society and productive life;

7.         The Assembly suggests organising, in co-operation with the ICRC, a seminar on landmines and the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (1980) in order to encourage member states to take measures at national level for a ban on the manufacture, possession, transfer and use of anti-personnel landmines, and to ensure de-mining and rehabilitation.

Signed[1]:

Fehr, Switzeland, LDR

Guirado, Spain, SOC

Arnold, Denmark, LDR

Junghanns, Germany, EPP

Akselsen, Norway, SOC

Hunt, United Kingdom, EGD

Ra�kinis, Lithuania, EPP

Golu, Romania, SOC

Feric, Romania, EPP

Fehr, Switzeland, LDR

Gross, Switzeland, SOC

Andres, Germany, SOC

Fuhrmann, Austria, SOC

Ghesqui�re, Belgium, EPP

Filiminov, Russia, UEL

Volodin, Russia, UEL

Din�er, Turkey, SOC

[1]        SOC : Socialist Group

            EPP : Group of the European People's Party

            EDG : European Democratic Group

            LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

            UEL : Group of the Unified European Left