|
|
General Assembly Resolution 53-32
Committee: Special Political
Topic: Landmines
Recalling the Ottawa Treaty of 1997 whereby signatory nations are compelled to ban the production, stockpiling and export of landmines;
Acknowledging that Article 3 of the Ottawa Treaty deals with "exceptions", and that the two exceptions listed are in regard to the transfer of landmines for purposes of destruction, and in regard to the harboring of a certain amount of landmines for the purposes of training and education;
Believing that a third clause to Article 3 must be added to exempt countries faced with an enemy neighbor, thereby allowing them to emplace landmines on their borders;
Deeply convinced that the Indian-Pakistani border, the North Korean-South Korean border, the Vietnamese- Chinese border, the Yugoslavia-Albanian border, the Sudani-Egyptian border and all the Iraqi borders are precarious enough to warrant landmine emplacement;
Fully aware that without landmines, there would be a need to increase troops on the borders which would destabilize the borders more than landmines would;
Deeply convinced that "smart mines" must replace "dumb mines" , and that "smart mines" must be exempted from the Ottawa Treaty;
1. Recommends that the following amendments be made in the Ottawa Landmine Treaty of 1997, to be added onto Article 3 of that treaty:
a) Any nation undergoing hostile relations with a neighbor shall be allowed to emplace landmines on their border with said country
b) The usage of "smart mines" will not be restricted by this treaty
2. Recommends that the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs, which coordinates the UN Landmine Programs, put additional funding into the research, distribution,
and deployment of "smart" mines, as an alternative to the "dumb" mines currently in usage
3. Encourages all landmine using countries to convert from "dumb" mines to "smart" mines over a period of 5 years