Landmines

Resolution number
8
Whereas
  1. The CCR has passed Resolution # 11 (Nov. 92) and Resolution #18 (Nov. 93) condemning landmines;
  2. Anti-personnel landmines continue to kill or injure thousands of civilians, including refugees and returnees, especially from/in: Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq, Mozambique, Somalia and Sudan;
  3. Landmines impose a threat to humanity by causing indiscriminate harm and suffering, and render entire regions socially, economically and agriculturally depressed, without the possibility of reconstruction and rehabilitation long after the cessation of conflict;
  4. Minister Ouellet has suggested that a Canadian Task Force on Landmines be established; there is also opportunity for involvement in the examination of the Landmine Protocol (Protocol II) of the Convention on Inhumane Weapons (1980) at the Review Conference on the Convention in September 1995;
  5. There is an emerging Canadian Coalition on Landmines and an International Campaign to raise public awareness on the issue of landmines;
Therefore be it resolved

that the CCR:

  1. Investigate becoming an active member of the Canadian Coalition on Landmines, and endorse the Coalition's four objectives:
    1. Urge the Canadian Government to call for a total ban on the use, production, stockpiling, sale, transfer or export of antipersonnel landmines;
    2. Recognize recent Canadian initiatives and support for further initiatives to assist in humanitarian mine clearance activities. These would include multilateral activities such as support of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre and other UN initiatives, as well as any unilateral activities which Canada may undertake with respect to humanitarian mine clearance;
    3. Request an immediate Canadian moratorium on the production, export and transfer of landmines, their component parts and related technology;
    4. Call on the Canadian goverment and public to increase its support for, and participation in, bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental (NGO) programs providing assistance to the victims of landmines;
  2. Encourage member agencies to participate in public awareness campaigns on landmines.
  3. Write to the Departments of Foreign Affairs and National Defence urging them to:
    1. Permit the Canadian Coalition on Landmines and other NGOs to participate on the proposed Task Force on Landmines;
    2. Solicit the Coalition's input into the Canadian government position at the Review Conference.
Working Group
Overseas Protection and Resettlement