The Republic of Ireland
signed the Mine Ban Treaty in Ottawa on 3 December 1997, and deposited its
instrument of ratification at the United Nations the same day--the second nation
to ratify, after Canada. This was a fitting demonstration of Ireland’s
commitment on this issue. The government was one of the few to support a call
for a ban as long ago as 1994, at the beginning of the review process of the
Convention on Conventional Weapons. Ireland became a member of the core group
of countries responsible for developing and promoting the Ottawa Process, and
continues to play an important role in the movement to eliminate once and for
all antipersonnel landmines. In his speech at the signing conference, Foreign
Minister David Andrews said, “International public opinion will not
tolerate for much longer the absence of countries, in particular significant
states from the roll call of States Parties to this most significant instrument
for the abolition of lethal devices which serve no military purpose and the use
of which or the preparation for the use of which must quickly be deemed
unacceptable anywhere by
anyone.”[12]
Cooperation between Irish NGOs and the government began early in the ban
process. When the Irish Campaign to Ban Landmines was launched on 29 March
1994, the chairperson of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee was at the
NGO’s press conference and invited the new Campaign to make a presentation
on the mine issue at the next meeting of his Committee. Members of the Campaign
also met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss landmines and the ban
movement.[13] After its
presentation to the Committee in July, the Irish Campaign continued to work with
the Foreign Affairs Committee on options for action, both domestically and in
the European Parliament.[14]
The Campaign vigorously lobbied the government and the political parties in the
opposition for a unilateral ban on antipersonnel landmines in Ireland. This
resulted in a private member’s bill being introduced in 1996 in the Dail
for a unilateral ban on landmines. However, the government opposed the bill.
But, as Irish public opinion was very high in support of a unilateral ban, and
the government had to respond.
On the basis of the Explosives Act originating in 1875,a
legislative ban on antipersonnel landmines was passed in the Dail on 12 June
1996 entitled Explosives (Land Mines) Order, 1996. In her statement on
the law, Minister of State Joan Burton stated that the Order
“copperfastens our national policy of not allowing the manufacture, sale
or import of landmines. It significantly enhances our international advocacy of
a total ban on antipersonnel landmines.” The Minister clarified that the
Order, however, did not apply to Defense Forces. Burton also stated that the
government had requested a review by the Minister of Defense with a view to
renouncing operational use of APMs by the Defense
Forces.[15] Obviously, Ireland
came to the view that it could and must prohibit the use, as well, of
antipersonnel landmines.
Ireland has continued to play a key role since the signing of the Treaty.
The government has taken a particular interest, along with other core group
states, in the development of the Landmine Monitor initiative of the ICBL. The
government hosted a meeting of Monitor researchers in Dublin in September of
1998, providing facilities for the meeting and logistical support as well.
Foreign Minister Andrews addressed the meeting, and remarked, “The unique
capacity which you are proposing to develop in the Landmine Monitor will, I
believe, become the benchmark for the evaluation of progress in realizing the
objectives of the Convention. It will become the basis for scrutiny by the
international community of States Parties’ treaty implementation; and it
will become a working resource for focusing on the needs of demining and mine
victim assistance.” He also announced that the government of Ireland
would contribute US$150,000 to the Landmine
Monitor.[16]
Ireland is a state party to the CCW and ratified the amended Protocol II on
27 March 1997.
Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, and Use
Various meetings of the Irish Campaign with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, letters from the Ministers, and public statements
and presentations in the Dail since March 1994 have affirmed that the Irish
State has never produced or exported landmines.
The Irish Defense Forces possess around 130 live antipersonnel landmines and
they are solely for training purposes. Considering the size of the country, the
Irish Defence Forces play an important role in UN Peacekeeping Operations which
exposes them to the dangers of antipersonnel landmines for which they must be
adequately prepared.
Despite the legacy of a long conflict on the island of Ireland spanning the
last thirty years, there exists no record of any civilian, or member of the
Royal Ulster Constabulary, the Garda, the British Army, the Irish Defence Force
or any person engaged in paramilitary activities ever being injured or killed by
antipersonnel landmines. No antipersonnel landmines have been found in the
ground in the State or along the Northern Ireland border between the Republic of
Ireland and Northern Ireland. (It is, however, common knowledge that commercial
and homemade explosives were used by the paramilitaries in the Northern Ireland
conflict.)
Mine Action Funding
The annual contribution of the Irish Government
for mine action programs has steadily increased since 1994. Regular meetings
with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, periodic interventions at the Joint
Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs, political lobbying, media work and the
campaign as a whole in Ireland has contributed to this steady increase. At the
Ottawa signing conference, Foreign Minister Andrews stated, “Ireland is
steadily increasing its funding for mine clearance and victim assistance and in
1997 we have doubled our disbursements in this area. We are committed to a
further increase in
1998.”[17]
The government reported that its mine action contributions for 1997 had
included: Angola ($366,000); Bosnia ($225,000); Cambodia ($294,000); Chechnya
($363,000); Mozambique ($240,000), and the UN Trust Fund
($225,000).[18]
A November 1998 “Mine Action Bilateral Donor Support” fact sheet
lists these Irish
contributions:[19]
Afghanistan U.S. $ 41,578 (UNOCHA/mine action)
Angola U.S. $252,971 (Handicap International/prosthetics)
Bosnia U.S. $166,310 (UNDP Trust Fund/mine clearance)
Cambodia U.S. $357,567 (Halo Trust/mine clearance)
Cambodia U.S. $157,995 (Trocaire/ four clinics)
Mozambique U.S. $317,652 (Country Program/mine clearance)
The United Nations reports that Ireland has donated US$787,841 to the
Voluntary Trust Fund for
Demining.[20]
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