Albania signs Cartagena Convention on landmines and cluster bombs

Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, Dec. 7 – Albania was one of the countries that signed the Cartagena Declaration on landmines and cluster bombs.
Since October Albania is free of all known mines and unexploded ordnance.
Many of the explosives were planted inside Albanian territory by neighboring Serbia during the Kosovo war in 1998-1999 and FYROM in 2001, as those countries battled ethnic Albanian insurgencies. Others were planted by weapons smugglers.
Over the past decade mines and unexploded ordnance have killed 34 Albanians, a third of them children. And 238 people have been wounded.
The Cartagena Summit was attended by Albanian deputy Defense Minister Arjan Starova.
High-level representatives from 130 countries attending the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World pledged to redouble efforts to rid the world of antipersonnel landmines and cluster bombs, as well as offer their support to assisting victims and upholding disability rights, a global group of disarmament, humanitarian and human rights organizations said today, marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December.
More than 1,000 delegates gathered in Cartagena to take stock of the progress made in the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, as well as to promote the entry into force of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which includes groundbreaking provisions on assistance to victims and affected communities.
The global movements to ban landmines and cluster bombs, under the banners of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), urged delegates to work toward universalisation of both treaties and to agree on a strong Cartagena Action Plan that prioritizes assistance to those affected. Survivors from all regions of the world urged governments to consider the human toll of these weapons, and to support the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World is the name given to the second review conference of
The Mine Ban Treaty, which was signed on 3 December 1997 and entered into force 10 years ago.
The Treaty seeks to eradicate the use of antipersonnel mines and to end the suffering they cause. To
date, 156 states are party to the Treaty, which requires that they never use landmines again and
provide assistance to landmine survivors.
The collaborative process that led to the adoption of the Mine Ban Treaty, as well as its text and
structure, served as the basis for the successful adoption and signature of the 2008 Convention on
Cluster Munitions, which marks the first anniversary of its signing in Oslo on 3 December.
The organizations welcomed the government of Albania’s announcement at the Cartagena summit
that it has completed clearance of all landmines and cluster munitions on its territory, and called on all
states to move forward on implementation of the landmine and cluster munition ban treaties, including
clearing land and providing assistance to survivors, their families and affected communities.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) is a coalition of more than 1,000 organizations
in over 70 countries, working locally, nationally, and internationally to eradicate antipersonnel mines. It
received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with its founding coordinator Jody Williams, in
recognition of its efforts to bring about the Mine Ban Treaty.
The Cartagena Action Plan has been adopted by the international community, finalizing five days of work of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. “This plan spells out in concrete terms what we will do to better meet the needs of landmine survivors,” said the Cartagena Summit President, Susan Eckey of Norway. “It is a strong plan that will require a shared commitment to be implemented. Doing so will get us closer to our aim of a world without anti-personnel mines.”
Several historical events took place during the Summit. Four States – Albania, Greece, Rwanda and Zambia – announced that they have completed clearance of all known mined areas, thereby fulfilling their Convention obligations. In addition, for the first time the United States of America participated in the work of the Convention and announced that it was reviewing its landmine policy. “This was a significant announcement,” said Kerry Brinkert, Director of the Implementation Support Unit of the Convention. “The doors had been completely shut for years by the USA, now there is engagement.” In addition to the announcement by this USA.