Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) formerly Landmine Action

Anti-personnel mines terrorise, kill and maim thousands of people every year. Landmine Action is working to eliminate landmines, and help both the individuals and communities affected by them.

To reflect its wider focus in policy, advocacy and programming, Landmine Action is changing its name to Action on Armed Violence (AOAV). They will continue to work on humanitarian problems caused by landmines, cluster munitions and other weapon technologies as key points of engagement within the broader problem of armed violence.

They are in the process of developing an AOAV website covering their wider policy and programming concerns but, in the interim, the current website presents basic advocacy tools to urge stronger commitments and practical action from states towards reductions in the incidence and impact of armed violence.

 

The UKPAC is proud of its long association and membership of Landmine Action and Dr Kay Richmond is the UKPAC's liaison with the organisation.

 

 

 

Nobel Peace Laureate Campaign Condemns Libyan Antipersonnel Mine Use

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) strongly condemns the reported use of antipersonnel mines by the Libyan Armed Forces in recent fighting with rebels in eastern Libya. (Pictured left are metal cased anti-tank mines, found in Ajdabiya on 28 March.)

On 28 March, over 50 antipersonnel and antivehicle mines were discovered near power pylons outside the town of Ajdabiya by electrical technicians. A Human Rights Watch investigation reported that the mines had recently been laid. The Libyan Armed Forces controlled the area from 17-27 March. "The use of these inherently indiscriminate weapons poses a great threat to civilians," said Kasia Derlicka, ICBL Director. "Landmines must not be used by anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances."

The ban on antipersonnel mines has become a widely accepted international norm since the adoption of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Myanmar (Burma) is the only other government in recent years to use antipersonnel mines. Libya is one of 39 states outside that remain outside the treaty.

The ICBL strongly urges Libya to halt any further use of mines; provide information on the location, quantities, and types of all mines laid to enable rapid clearance; and to join the Mine Ban Treaty without delay.

During a meeting on 25 March in Benghazi, Gen. Khalifa Hufter, commander of the rebel forces in eastern Libya, made a pledge not to use any type of mines. The ICBL welcomes the commitment made by Gen. Khalifa Hufter on behalf of the rebel forces based in Benghazi that they will not use landmines.

The ICBL calls on all parties to the conflict in Libya to prohibit the use of antipersonnel mines by their forces and urges the clearance and destruction of all landmines in Libya.

A total of 156 nations have joined the Mine Ban Treaty since it was adopted in 1997, while two states have signed, but not yet ratified (Marshall Islands and Poland). Under the Mine Ban Treaty, states must renounce use of antipersonnel mines, destroy their stockpiles of the weapon, clear all their mined areas, and provide comprehensive assistance to landmine survivors.

The ICBL is a network with members in over 90 countries and areas, working for a mine-free world, where landmine survivors can lead fulfilling lives. The ICBL received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its efforts to bring about the Mine Ban Treaty.

 

Violence against Women - the consequences of armed conflict

An extract of a paper produced by Kay Richmond, the UKPAC's liaison with Landmine Action and the Cluster Munitions Coalition

Although violence against women (VAW) is well recognised in many settings, that in time of armed conflict tends to concentrate on rape. Women’s bodies have become part of the battleground for those who use terror as a tactic of war — they are raped, abducted, humiliated and made to undergo forced pregnancy, sexual abuse and slavery. UNIFEM claims that 70% of the casualties in some recent conflicts were non-combatants - most of them women and children.

Due to the greater military efficiency of weapons there is an inherent and increased potential for injuring civilians. This means that for a country recovering from war, the presence of mines causes a serious environmental, social, and economic burden, and for the victims, continued tragedy not only for their families but also the whole country for many years.

The aims of Landmine Action are:

• Helping to relieve the effects of landmines by securing resources for humanitarian mine action
• Educating the public, decisions-makers and opinion formers about the humanitarian, developmental, medical and human rights impact of landmines on civilians
• Working for the improvement, universalisation and full implementation of international legislation banning landmines.

The members of Landmine Action work in the world’s poorest countries to clear mines and assist victims. Together they campaign with non-governmental organisations around the world to outlaw landmines: to ban their use, stockpiling, manufacture and sale.

Landmine Action is the UK arm of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1997. Established in 1992, Landmine Action is a coalition of more than 50 UK-based charities and agencies concerned with landmines and their impact on civilians.

Visit their Web site... (external link)