LM Report 2000

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VANUATU

Vanuatu signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997 but has not yet ratified. At a recent regional meeting of parliamentarians, Vanuatu’s Government Speaker, the Hon. Paul Ren Tari, promised to follow-up and find out the status of ratification.^[1]

While Vanuatu voted in favor of the 1996 and 1997 UN General Assembly resolutions on landmines it was absent from the 1998 and 1999 resolution votes. Vanuatu was not present at the First Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Maputo and has not participated in the intersessional meetings of the ban treaty.

It is still believed that Vanuatu has never produced, transferred, stockpiled or used AP mines. It is not known if Vanuatu has provided any assistance to humanitarian mine action. Vanuatu is not believed to be mine-affected although there are still major dumps of military equipment left over from World War II.

[1] Hon. Paul Ren Tari, Vanuatu’s Government Speaker, made this promise after meeting with Tun Channereth, ICBL Ambassador. UNICEF, Report on the Pacific visit of Tun Channareth, International Campaign to Ban Landmines Ambassador, 22-31 March 2000, p. 9.