The Ottawa Treaty

Americans can serve a special role in preventing future landmine injuries. The Ottawa Treaty, which is also known as the Mine Ban Treaty, is recongnized by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines as “the international agreement that bans antipersonnel landmines." Sometimes referred to as the Ottawa Convention, its official title is: the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer or Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction.” The importance of the treaty is highlighted by ICBL: “The treaty is the most comprehensive international instrument for ridding the world of the scourge of antipersonnel mines. It deals with everything from mine use, production and trade, to victim assistance, mine clearance and stockpile destruction.”

The treaty has been signed by 152 countries. However, the United States has repeatedly refused to sign this treaty. The position of the United States, as a nation that emphasizes human rights and serves as a leader for democratic countries, carries great weight on the world’s stage. 

The signator countries are as follows:

1.  Afghanistan

2.            Albania

3.            Algeria

4.            Andorra

5.            Angola

6.            Antigua

7.            Argentina

8.            Australia

9.            Austria

10.            Bahamas

11.            Bangladesh

12.            Barbados

13.            Barbuda

14.            Belarus

15.            Belgium

16.            Belize

17.            Benin

18.            Bolivia

19.            Bosnia Herzegovina

20.            Botswana

21.            Brazil

22.            Brunei Darussalam

23.            Bulgaria

24.            Burkina Faso

25.            Burundi

26.            Cambodia

27.            Cameroon

28.            Canada

29.            Cape Verde

30.            Central African Republic

31.            Chad

32.            Chile

33.            Colombia

34.            Comoros

35.            Congo Brazzaville

36.            Cook Islands

37.            Costa Rica

38.            Côte d’Ivoire

39.            Croatia

40.            Cyprus

41.            Czech Republic

42.            Democratic Republic of the Congo

43.            Denmark

44.            Djibouti

45.            Dominica

46.            Dominican Republic

47.            Ecuador

48.            El Salvador

49.            Equatorial Guinea

50.            Eritrea

51.            Estonia*

52.            Ethiopia

53.            Fiji

54.            France

55.            Gabon

56.            Gambia

57.            Germany

58.            Ghana

59.            Greece

60.            Grenada

61.            Guatemala

62.            Guinea

63.            Guinea-Bissau

64.            Guyana

65.            Haiti

66.            Holy See

67.            Honduras

68.            Hungary

69.            Iceland

70.            Indonesia

71.            Ireland

72.            Italy

73.            Jamaica

74.            Japan

75.            Jordan

76.            Kenya

77.            Kiribati*

78.            Lesotho

79.            Liberia

80.            Liechtenstein

81.            Lithuania

82.            Luxembourg

83.            Macedonia*

84.            Madagascar

85.            Malawi

86.            Malaysia

87.            Maldives

88.            Mali

89.            Malta

90.            Marshall Islands

91.            Mauritania

92.            Mauritius

93.            Mexico

94.            Moldova Republic of

95.            Monaco

96.            Mozambique

97.            Namibia

98.            Nauru*

99.            Netherlands

100.            New Zealand

101.            Nicaragua

102.            Niger

103.            Nigeria*

104.            Niue

105.            Norway

106.            Panama

107.            Papua New Guinea

108.            Paraguay

109.            Peru

110.            Philippines

111.            Poland

112.            Portugal

113.            Qatar

114.            Romania

115.            Rwanda

116.            Saint Kitts & Nevis

117.            Saint Lucia

118.            St.Vincent & the Grenadines

119.            Samoa

120.            San Marino

121.            São Tomé e Principe

122.            Senegal

123.            Seychelles

124.            Sierra Leone

125.            Slovakia

126.            Slovenia

127.            Solomon Islands

128.            South Africa

129.            Spain

130.            Sudan

131.            Suriname

132.            Swaziland

133.            Sweden

134.            Switzerland

135.            Tajikistan*

136.            Tanzania United Republic of

137.            Thailand

138.            Timor Leste (East Timor)*

139.            Togo

140.            Trinidad & Tobago

141.            Tunisia

142.            Turkey*

143.            Turkmenistan

144.            Uganda

145.            Ukraine

146.            United Kingdom

147.            Uruguay

148.                 Vanuatu

149.                 Venezuela

150.                 Yemen

151.                 Zambia

152.                 Zimbabwe

 

The following countries haven’t signed:

1.      Armenia

2.      Azerbaijan

3.      Bahrain

4.      Bhutan

5.      China

6.      Cuba

7.      Egypt

8.      Finland

9.      Georgia

10.      India

11.      Iran

12.      Iraq

13.      Israel

14.      Kazakhstan

15.      North Korea

16.      South Korea

17.      Kuwait

18.      Kyrgyzstan

19.      Laos

20.      Latvia

21.      Lebanon

22.      Lybia

23.      Micronesia

24.      Mongolia

25.      Morocco

26.      Myanmar (Burma)

27.      Nepal

28.      Oman

29.      Pakistan

30.      Palau

31.      Russia

32.      Saudi Arabia

33.      Singapore

34.      Somalia

35.      Sri Lanka

36.      Syria

37.      Tonga

38.      Tuvalu

39.      United Arab Emirates

40.      United States of America

41.      Uzbekistan

42.      Vietnam

43.      Yugoslavia