Mientras que muchos de los involucrados en el Comité sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad puede conocer las obligaciones establecidas por la Convención Sobre la Prohibición de Minas Antipersonal y el trabajo de la Unidad de Apoyo a la Implementación de la Convención (ISU en inglés), otros se preguntarán por qué una representante de la secretaría - de lo que muchos consideran en Ginebra es un tratado de desarme - aborda al Comité de las Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad.

Kerry Brinkert, Director of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Implementation support Unit, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ratifying or acceding to an international convention is a profound exercise in State sovereignty. It implies that a State agrees to be legally bound to act in accordance with certain norms that have been accepted by the international community.

When a State agrees to be bound by the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, it accepts that it shall never, under any circumstances, use, produce, stockpile or transfer anti-personnel mines.

On the 14th anniversary of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the EU aims to advance implementation of mine clearance and victim assistance obligations, and promote universal acceptance of the Convention

Genève le 27 février 2013 - Le Président du traité international interdisant les mines antipersonnel a lancé un appel à tous les membres de la Conférence du désarmement qui ne l'ont pas encore fait, à adhérer à la Convention sur l'interdiction des mines antipersonnel dès que possible.

§ In the 1990s, the devastation of anti-personnel mines in Mozambique meant that its plight drew world attention to the suffering caused by these weapons. A 1994 Human Rights Watch report noted that “the devastation caused by landmines in Mozambique – not only to the many civilian victims, but also to the socio-economic well-being of the nation – is undeniable and appalling. Clearance of mines will take many years, and probably decades.”

Geneva – Somalia, one of the African nations most affected by landmines, is as of 1 October the newest State Party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or Ottawa Convention. In accordance with treaty provisions, Somalia undertakes to never, under any circumstances, use, produce or transfer anti-personnel mines, to assist the landmine survivors, to destroy its existing stockpile of mines within the next four years and to demine its territory within ten. With Somalia’s accession, every state in Sub-Saharan Africa is now bound by the Convention.

Finland vows to continue funding mine action around the world

Geneva – As of 1 July 2012, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or Ottawa Convention, has entered into force for Finland which is now bound to never, under any circumstances, use, produce or transfer anti-personnel mines and to destroy its existing stockpile of mines within four years.

Phnom Penh and Geneva, 4 April 2012 – The President of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, H.E. PRAK Sokhonn of Cambodia, is joining thousands around the world in rolling up a pant-leg in solidarity with landmine survivors on the occasion of the United Nations’ international day for landmine action.

Geneva, 1 February 2012 – Guinea-Bissau has become the latest country to declare that it has cleared all known mined areas according to its obligations under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or Ottawa Convention.