Belize signed the Mine
Ban Treaty on 27 February 1998 and ratified on 23 April 1998, the tenth nation
to do so. Belize submitted its Article 7 transparency report on 4 November
1999.
Belize has not yet enacted domestic implementing
legislation.[1] The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs confirmed to Landmine Monitor that “to date Belize has not
yet reached the stage of implementing laws for the enforcement of the
aforementioned Convention of
Ottawa.”[2] It appears
other legislation has taken priority over the Mine Ban Treaty for
now.[3]
Belize voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 54/54B in support of
the Mine Ban Treaty in December 1999, as it had on similar resolutions in 1997
and 1998. It has also supported the pro-ban resolutions of the Organization of
American States (OAS). It was one of nine countries that signed the
“Declaration of San José” in Costa Rica on 5 April 2000,
which includes an article promoting the Mine Ban Treaty.
Belize did not attend the First Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban
Treaty in Maputo in May 1999 and has not participated in the intersessional
meetings of the ban treaty. Belize is neither a member of the Conference on
Disarmament nor a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.
Belize has never used, produced, imported, or stockpiled antipersonnel
landmines, including for training
purposes.[4] Belize is not
mine-affected.
[1] Belize’s Article 7 report,
submitted on 4 November 1999, states that no national implementation measures
have been taken [2] Fax from Saida E.
Espat, for the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Report
of Monitoring on Land Mines 2000 – Belize,” Ref: FA/UN/28/2000 (40),
to Landmine Monitor researcher, 15 June
2000. [3] Email from Candy Gonzalez,
Vice President, Belize Institute for Environmental Law and Policy (BELPO), 23
June 2000. [4] Belize Article 7 report,
submitted 4 November 1999.