Resolution

On

The Convention on the Banning of Anti-Personnel Mines

submitted by Canada

The Sixth Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum :

Recognizing the tremendous achievement in the signing by 122 nations in Ottawa, in December 1997, of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction ;

Welcoming the commitments made by various countries aimed at demining and assistance to victims and appreciating the contributions of some APPF member countries in these efforts;

Recognizing the fact that sixteen member states of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum are signatories to the Convention ;

Acknowledging that certain Asia Pacific countries have indicated an inability to accede to the Convention due to current security circumstances;

Noting that the Convention will not come into force until six months after the fortieth country has ratified it ;

Noting also the challenge of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada to the signatory states to ratify the Convention by the end of 1998 ;

Recalling that at least 110 million land mines are estimated to be deployed in seventy countries, including the Asia Pacific region, and that some 25,000 people- most often innocent victims- are killed or injured by mines every year ;

Resolves to :

Strongly encourage all APPF signatory states to ratify the Convention before the end of 1998 ;

Encourage all Asia Pacific countries that have not yet signed to examine the possibility of acceding to the Convention when individual circumstances permit;

Encourage all Asia Pacific countries to cooperate closely in, and make contributions to, efforts on demining and assistance to victims; and

Encourage all Asia Pacific countries to refrain from exporting anti-personnel mines.

* China does not accept each aspect of this resolution.