Papua
New Guinea (PNG) has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty and the status of
accession efforts remains uncertain. In June 2000, a Department of Foreign
Affairs representative told Landmine Monitor that it “supports the aim of
this treaty” and “is already in the process of formalising documents
for Papua New Guinea accession to the signing and ratification of this
treaty.”[1] But in March
2001, the Papua New Guinea delegate to the UN Asia-Pacific Regional Disarmament
Conference in Wellington, New Zealand, told Landmine Monitor that while he did
not see a problem with Papua New Guinea joining the treaty, he was uncertain of
the status of accession and indicated that it was a question of “necessity
and priority.”[2] Papua
New Guinea voted in support of UN General Assembly Resolution 55/33V in November
2000, as it had done on similar resolutions in the past.
During the
regional meeting, Papua New Guinea confirmed its mine–free status; it has
never used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled antipersonnel
mines.[3] Papua New Guinea has
a problem with UXO dating from World War II. While it is possible that the
Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) may have manufactured and used improvised
explosive devices during the armed insurgency of the past decade, the island of
Bougainville is not believed to be mine or UXO-affected.
[1] Letter from Joseph K.
Assaigo, Director Multilateral, Legal and Treaties Branch, Department of Foreign
Affairs, Papua New Guinea, to Neil Mander, Convenor, New Zealand Campaign
Against Landmines, 2 June
2000.
[2] Interview with
David Anere, Politics and Security Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Papua
New Guinea, Wellington, 27 March
2001.
[3] Ibid.