Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-25-Speech-3-081"
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"en.20001025.3.3-081"2
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"Mr President, one day in December 1992, a young shepherd in Mozambique forgot the risk: he thought it had gone with the coming of peace. That over-confidence cost him his left leg.
Two kilometres away from a hamlet in Bosnia, in 1999, a sign indicated the presence of mines in a field, but this did not stop a little boy going there. For him it was a place to play, like any other. Indeed, every time a war ends, people leave the refugee camps to return to their villages, hoping to lick their wounds and attempt gradually to rebuild a normal life. But a mine is impervious to peace agreements and continues, inexorably, to do its job.
Even though 139 states have now signed the Ottawa Convention, mines are still doing their job of destruction. Every 20 minutes somewhere in the world a mine will explode, bringing death or mutilation. Of course, the Geneva Conference has brought some progress and we must stress that positive trend, for it really is the result of the determined battle the NGOs have long been waging. However, the progress made should not blind us to the reality, and that reality is a total of 27 people killed and another 41 mutilated every single day. The reality is 250 million mines in the arsenals of 105 countries. Even last year, mines were used in 20 conflicts, mainly in Europe.
So I welcome the work done by my fellow Members, Emma Bonino and Luisa Morgantini, who have once again brought the political debate into the heart of this Parliament. They make it clear how much we still need to do. For my part, I want to highlight the need to adopt the convention universally so that it may become a total success, firstly by ensuring the compliance of the laws of the various states, so as not to have yet another example of an international agreement that fails to be applied. We must indeed put pressure on those European Union countries that have not signed it, like Finland, or not ratified it, like Greece. Why not consider sanctions, Commissioner, against those who do not respect the agreements? Why not include a clause on accession to this convention in the enlargement conditions?
You replied to all that a moment ago. I know there are still differences of opinion on this or that amendment. Yet I would ask you to look at them more carefully, because some of them are acceptable to the Commission. Whatever the outcome, we will all of us together show that we are determined to fight against what has to be called ‘a cowards’ war’."@en1
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