Every 22 minutes, someone, somewhere around the world is killed or maimed by a landmine.

On behalf of the U. S. Catholic Conference, I am here today to announce our Catholic Campaign to Ban Landmines. We join with legislators of both parties and the leaders of veterans, human rights, religious, peace and relief organizations to pledge a massive effort to persuade the U. S. Government and Congress to take the lead in securing a global ban on anit-personnel landmines. The U. S. Bishops support the legislation being introduced today by Senator Leahy because it s a decisive step toward this goal.

This issue has stark moral and human dimensions. Landmines do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, between times of peace and times of war. As indiscriminate weapons, they violate the ethical principles governing warfare. We join with Pope John Paul II and Catholic bishops from around the world in condemning their production, export and use.

This Catholic Campaign to Ban Landmines will strengthen and intensify our education and advocacy efforts. We will reach out to Catholic dioceses and parishes to insist that the U. S. Join with other nations to ban the use of landmines and to secure an early global ban on these deadly and indiscriminate weaspons.

In our mission and relief projects, we’ve seen the dead and maimed children, the lands and villages abandoned, the human terror and destruction caused by landmines. We will not be satisfied by half-measures or vague promises. It is time for a clear and strong U. S. commitment to ban these terrible weapons. We pledge our determined efforts to encourage overdue U. S. leadership, beginning with passage of the Leahy legislation to end the use of anti-personnel landmines by the United States.

Members of the Administration and Congress will be hearing from our Catholic Campaign to Ban Land Mines. With our colleagues, the U. S. Bishops hope for a strong and positive response. The early banning of anti-personnel landmines is an urgent moral priority for the Catholic community.

In continuing follow up to the bishops’ June 1995 statement, Sowing Weapons of War, and numerous appeals from the Holy Father and other bishops’ conferences, the USCC has continued to push the U. S. government to play a leading role in pushing for a global ban on anti-personnel landmines. The USCC has focused on two key issues: (1) urgent the United States to participate in the Ottawa Process; and (2) urging the United States to lead by example in renouncing the use of landmines. On both fronts, the bishops have expressed concern that the Clinton administration continues to miss opportunities to move toward a global ban without unnecessary delay.

The Ottawa Process This Canadian-led effort, which the Vatican supports, offers a "fast-track" process that will convene like-minded states to sign a treaty banning anit-personnel landmines in December 1997. Nearly 100 nations are ready to sign a ban. The hope is that a signed treaty banning landmines will put new pressure on Russia, China, and other holdouts to come on board. In mid-January, 1997, the Clinton administration issued new directives on landmines. The administration decided to pursue a ban on landmines through the U.S. Conference on Disarmament. The U. S. has not ruled out participation in the Ottawa Process. But the major focus will be on the 61 member U.N. Conference, which, though it is likely to be slower than the Ottawa Process, has the advantage, in the view of the Administration of involving Russia, China and other opponents of a ban, states needed for a truly "global" ban.

Reflecting the views of the Holy Father, in January 1996, Bishop Pilla wrote President Clinton urging the U.S. to participate in the Ottawa Process because it offers an opportunity for rapid progress toward a ban. Subsequent to the decision to pursue a ban through the U.N. Conference on Disarmament, Archbishop McCarrick wrote National Security Adviser Samuel Berger reiterating the importance of strong and persistent U. S. Leadership if a ban was achieved through the U.N. Conference. To date, the U.N. Conference on Disarmament has not agreed to take up the landmines issue because of pressing nuclear issues and because key countries are opposed to the ban.

Leading by Example. The United States currently has a congressionally-imposed moratorium on exports, which the Clinton administration has committed to make permanent. The U.S. has also capped its production of landmines and has increased its funding for demining around the world. It continues to use "smart" mines (those that self-destruct or self-deactivate) and "dumb" mines (non self-destructing) landmines in Korea. Congressional legislation signed into law over a year ago, legislation for which the USCC has been given considerable credit, imposed a one-year moratorium on U.S. use of landmines, except in Korea, beginning in 1999.

The USCC has welcomed the U.S. decision to make permanent the moratorium on landmine exports and to cap landmine production, but has urged the U.S. to take other steps that would put the U.S. in a leadership position in banning landmines. Specifically, the USCC has been urging Senators to co-sponsor legislation, introduced by Senators Leahy (D-VT) and Hagel (R-NE), that would prohibit permanently the U. S. use of landmines, except in Korea. In part due to the intervention of numerous bishops and diocesan social action offices in key states, this legislation currently has 60 co-sponsors in the Senate. Efforts are also beginning to secure co-sponsors in the House for the Landmine Elimination Act of 1997 that will be introduced by Representatives Lane Evans (D-IL) and Jack Quinn (R-NY). Currently, we have 58 co-sponsors in the House.

Mark Calendars for March 1, 1999: Mine Ban Treaty will Enter Into Force

The Convention on the prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and Their Destruction (also known as the Mine Ban Treaty), which has been signed by over 130 nations, was ratified by the fortieth country on September 16, 1998. The Treaty will "enter into force" (take effect) on March 1, 1999 at which point its provisions on Victim Assistance, demining, destruction of stockpiles and prohibition on the use of the weapon will be binding on its signatories.

Even through United States has not signed the Treaty, March 1, 1999 is a time for all of us to pause, give Thanksgiving and to celebrate. It is also a time, during the season of Lent, to:

Pray daily for the victims and survivors of landmines and for decision makers to take steps to stop the production, sales, and use of landmines.

Educate about landmines and the campaign to ban them.

Act:

• Ask the President to sign the Treaty
Write a letter to your local paper to report the good news about the Treaty' s Entry Into Force and express our concern about the need for the United States to sign (see sample letter) Work with and organize others to advocate the banning of landmines Support legislation in Congress urging the banning of landmines (we expect new legislation sometime in 1999)






 SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT LANDMINES

Landmine Survivors Network:http:/WWW.LANDMINESURVIVORS.ORG
A non-profit organization created to help the hundreds and thousands of landmine victims
throughout the world, and to prevent new ones.

United Nations Treaty Library: http:/www.un.org/Deptsfrreaty

United Nation Association of the USA(UN USA) Adopt a Mine field http:/www.unausa.org A non-profit, non- partisan organization dedicated to enhancing U.S. participation in the UN system.

Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF):http:/www. VVAF.org International humanitarian, advocacy, and educational organization dedicated to providing assistance to the innocent victims of war.

U.S. Catholic Conference: http:/www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/



 

  You can locate your Senator and Representative at http://lcweb.loc.gov/global/legislative/congress.html#legbranch.



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