UNPO General Assembly Adopts Landmine Ban Resolution
29 October 2006
UNPO General Assembly Adopts Landmine Ban Resolution
Taipei – 29 October 2006
The Underrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) adopted unanimously a resolution supporting the anti-personnel mine ban during their VIII General Assembly Meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, 27-29 October 2006. This was the first time that the assembly has passed a resolution on the issue.
The resolution, which Geneva Call helped to prepare for several months with members of the UNPO, was submitted by the Chin, Mon and Nagalim UNPO members for consideration and followed a presentation made by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. In addition to committing themselves of the ban on anti-personnel mines, the resolution called for States and non-State actors (NSAs) to cease immediately the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines and for them to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty or sign the Deed of Commitment of Geneva Call respectively. In addition, they called on people everywhere to join in the common task to eradicate these weapons and meet the enormous challenges of mine action, including victim assistance, and to provide the technical and financial assistance required. There was also wording supporting the mine ban in the General Resolution adopted at the end of the meeting.
Several UNPO members present during the deliberations are affected by anti-personnel mines laid in their areas, including Abhkazia, Ahwazi, Assyria, Batwa, Cabinda, Chin, Mon, and Western Balochistan. Three members have already signed Geneva Call’s Deed of Commitment banning anti-personnel mines: Iraqi Kurdistan (the two former autonomous
regional governments), the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (North East India) and the Chin National Front/Army (Burma).
It is hoped that this resolution will lead to mine ban commitments by other member organisations as well as lead to greater collaboration in mine action for the benefit of the population living under the threat of these weapons.
Link to the Resolution:
http://www.unpo.org/downloads/Landmines.pdf