NEWS RELEASE
3 December 2004
NAIROBI SUMMIT ENDS WITH POWERFUL ACTION PLAN:
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RENEWS ITS COMMITMENT
TO A WORLD FREE OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES
Nairobi ‐ The landmark Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World has closed with the international
community recommitted to ending the suffering caused by anti-personnel mines.
“The 144 members States of the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines have adopted a
power action plan to guide our efforts over the next five years,” said Nairobi Summit President,
Wolfgang Petritsch of Austria. “The real work now begins. We must implement this 70 point action
plan.”
The Nairobi Summit featured a thorough review of the 1997 Ottawa Convention, with the
international community remarking that incredible progress has been made since the Convention
entered into force in 1999:
・ With the ratification of the Convention by Ethiopia on the first day of the Summit, 144 states
have now accepted the Convention’s comprehensive ban on anti-personnel mines.
・ The Convention’s member states together have destroyed over 37 million stockpiled mines.
・ Considerable strides have been made to clear mined areas, with three Convention member
states ‐ Costa Rica, Djibouti and Honduras ‐ having already completed their clearance
obligations under the Convention.
・ Over US$ 2.7 billion has been generated since 1997 to fulfill the Convention’s aims, with
considerable amounts spent to assist landmine survivors.
“While great progress has been made, considerable challenges remain,” said Ambassador Petritsch.
“For example the Nairobi Action Plan records that successfully meeting the 10-year deadlines for
clearing mined areas will be the most significant challenge to be addressed during the next five years.
This will require intensive efforts by mine-affected States Parties and those in a position to assist
them.”
“The pursuit of universal adherence to the Convention will also remain an important priority for the
international community,” said Ambassador Petritsch. “In this regard, I am heartened by the strong
message delivered by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki to those states that have not yet joined our
common effort.”
In his address to the Summit on 2 December, President Kibaki said that “each state ‐ no matter how
big or how small, no matter how rich or how poor ‐ has a responsibility to protect innocent civilians
from the suffering and indignity caused by (anti-personnel mines).”
Ambassador Petritsch ‐ along with member states and civil society ‐ declared the Summit a
resounding success. “This Convention is an outstanding example of multilateralism working the way
NEWS RELEASE
3 December 2004
NAIROBI SUMMIT ENDS WITH POWERFUL ACTION PLAN:
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RENEWS ITS COMMITMENT
TO A WORLD FREE OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES
Nairobi ‐ The landmark Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World has closed with the international
community recommitted to ending the suffering caused by anti-personnel mines.
“The 144 members States of the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines have adopted a
power action plan to guide our efforts over the next five years,” said Nairobi Summit President,
Wolfgang Petritsch of Austria. “The real work now begins. We must implement this 70 point action
plan.”
The Nairobi Summit featured a thorough review of the 1997 Ottawa Convention, with the
international community remarking that incredible progress has been made since the Convention
entered into force in 1999:
・ With the ratification of the Convention by Ethiopia on the first day of the Summit, 144 states
have now accepted the Convention’s comprehensive ban on anti-personnel mines.
・ The Convention’s member states together have destroyed over 37 million stockpiled mines.
・ Considerable strides have been made to clear mined areas, with three Convention member
states ‐ Costa Rica, Djibouti and Honduras ‐ having already completed their clearance
obligations under the Convention.
・ Over US$ 2.7 billion has been generated since 1997 to fulfill the Convention’s aims, with
considerable amounts spent to assist landmine survivors.
“While great progress has been made, considerable challenges remain,” said Ambassador Petritsch.
“For example the Nairobi Action Plan records that successfully meeting the 10-year deadlines for
clearing mined areas will be the most significant challenge to be addressed during the next five years.
This will require intensive efforts by mine-affected States Parties and those in a position to assist
them.”
“The pursuit of universal adherence to the Convention will also remain an important priority for the
international community,” said Ambassador Petritsch. “In this regard, I am heartened by the strong
message delivered by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki to those states that have not yet joined our
common effort.”
In his address to the Summit on 2 December, President Kibaki said that “each state ‐ no matter how
big or how small, no matter how rich or how poor ‐ has a responsibility to protect innocent civilians
from the suffering and indignity caused by (anti-personnel mines).”
Ambassador Petritsch ‐ along with member states and civil society ‐ declared the Summit a
resounding success. “This Convention is an outstanding example of multilateralism working the way