Finland reinstated its support to a total ban on anti-personnel mines
Finland supports an effective and global ban on anti-personnel mines. Finland, as an observer, addressed the fourth meeting of state parties to the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel mines, on 18 September in Geneva and said it promotes the objectives and global implementation of the Ottawa Convention as a member of the European Union.
Finland’s statement was made by Ambassador Markku Reimaa who referred to the security and defence policy report by the Government of Finland last year in which it was stated that Finland aims to accede to the Convention in 2006 and intends to destroy the anti-personnel mines by 2010 without compromising Finland’s credible defence capability.
Accession to the Convention and examining alternatives to anti-personnel mines will be discussed in a report due in 2004 concerning the entire Finnish defence system.
Finland is making significant contributions in humanitarian mine action. Since 1991 the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland has provided 32 million euros in humanitarian mine action assistance to 14 countries. Finnish aid to mine action operations amounts to some five million euros annually. The main bulk of assistance is directed at countries with most mine victims, such as Afghanistan, Angola and Cambodia.
The President of the European Union, Denmark, stated on 17 September that the EU has campaigned for the universalisation of the Ottawa Convention in over 50 countries, including the great powers the United States, China and Russia. According to Denmark, the success of the Ottawa Convention should not be measured by the number of parties (126) subsribing to it, but also by the fact that the trade and production of anti-personnel mines have been significantly reduced. Stockpiles in 75 countries have been eliminated. Also the number of mine victims, which amounts to 15-20 000 annually, is diminishing, particularly in countries suffering the most.
It was stated in Geneva that 90 percent of all the mines in the world are located in countries that are not parties to the Ottawa Convention. Participants also emphasised the importance of other international treaties such as the Convention on Conventional Weapons. The annual meeting on CCW will be held in Geneva in December.
More information: Counsellor Riitta Korpivaara, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, tel: +358-9-16056185, Director Pilvi-Sisko Vierros-Villeneuve, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland,, tel: +358-9-16055580, and Minister Counsellor Harri Mäki-Reinikka, Permanent Representation at the Geneva Conference of Disarmament, tel: +41-22-9194248.