Canada Destroys Remaining Landmine Stocks

Today, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Ms. Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize winner and Coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), destroyed Canada's last operational stocks of anti-personnel landmines. The detonation fulfilled the government's pledge to do so in advance of the signing of the convention banning anti-personnel landmines in Ottawa this December.

"This is a great day for Canada. And an important step to the Ottawa Conference in December." said the Prime Minister. "I am also pleased and honoured to have Jody Williams here with us. Our government has worked with Jody and her group since 1994. Because of the work of people like her, Lloyd Axworthy, his predecessor André Ouellet, and committed people here in Canada and around the world, the international community is moving closer -- much closer -- to banning these horrible weapons."

In January 1996, Canada implemented a comprehensive moratorium on the production, use and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. In October 1996, at an international conference in Ottawa, Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy challenged the world to return to Ottawa this December to sign a convention banning anti-personnel landmines. Last month a treaty was concluded in Oslo, Norway. And up to 100 countries will be in Ottawa to sign it.

The short ceremony at Connaught Rifle Range outside Ottawa was witnessed by the Foreign Affairs Minister and Minister of National Defence Art Eggleton. As allowed under the provisions of the proposed convention, Canada will retain a small number of anti-personnel landmines to use for research in developing mine detection and clearance equipment and to train military personnel in de-mining techniques.

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