No Images? Click here Marking a 20-year milestone. December 2017 Issue No. 64Quotation of the month
Marking a 20-year milestoneOn a cold December day twenty years ago, Ottawa was humming with a celebratory spirit. On December 3, 1997, the groundbreaking Mine Ban Treaty had opened for signature. Just a stone’s throw away from Parliament Hill, representatives from more than 100 countries had gathered with NGOs, disarmament activists, and landmine survivors to sign a treaty that would rid the world of these deadly weapons for good. Once believed to be indispensable to military arsenals, in a few short years—thanks to the combined efforts of government and civil society actors—landmines became a humanitarian issue garnering global attention. This week, many of us gathered in Ottawa to commemorate the Mine Ban Treaty’s 20th anniversary. A conference, aptly-named “Unfinished Business: The Ottawa Treaty at 20,” explored the many “wins” of the last twenty years. But it also threw down the challenges that remain. As we were reminded, landmines are not an issue of the past. Over 60 countries remain contaminated, and there are new landmine emergencies around the world. There is much work to be done. And the Canadian government’s new funding announcement for mine action is one step in the right direction. Read more about the Treaty on our Ottawa Office blog, and check out the work of Mines Action Canada via website and Twitter.
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