The Holy See signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4
December 1997 and ratified it on 17 February 1998. The Holy See has been vocal
in its opposition to landmine proliferation for several years. In April 1996,
immediately prior to the Geneva review conference of the Convention on
Conventional Weapons, Pope John Paul II publicly called for a total ban on
antipersonnel landmines,[1] and
the Vatican strongly criticized the conference when it failed to produce such a
ban.[2] Subsequently, Pope John
Paul II embraced the Ottawa Process. On the eve of the Mine Ban Treaty coming
into force, the Pontiff said, “I pray to God to give all people the
courage to make peace, so that the countries that have not yet signed this
important instrument of international humanitarian law do so without delay, and
so that they persevere with the work of clearing landmines and rehabilitating
the wounded."[3]
The Holy See is a state party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, but
has not ratified the 1996 amended Protocol II on mines. The Holy See does not
produce, transfer, or stockpile antipersonnel landmines, and is not mine
affected.
The Holy See has donated $4,000 to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund
for Assistance in Mine
Clearance.[4] At the Mine Ban
Treaty signing ceremony, the Holy See pledged to donate $100,000 to the
International Committee of the Red Cross for mine victim
assistance.[5]
[1]"Pope Calls for Total Ban
on Landmines,” Reuters News Service, 21 April 1996.
[2]"Vatican Condemns Decision
of Landmine Conference,” Reuters News Service, 6 May 1996.
[3]"Pope Urges all Countries
to Sign Anti-Mine Treaty,” Reuters News Service, 28 February
1999.
[4]United States Department
of State, Hidden Killers, September 1998, p. C-1.
[5]Statement of His
Excellency Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, Secretary for Relations with States, on
the occasion of the Signing Conference of the Convention on the Global Banning
of Antipersonnel Landmines, Ottawa, 3-4 December 1997.
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