The Cabinet Decision On Sri Lanka Accession To The Mine Ban Treaty
By Vidya Abhayagunawardena –March 12, 2016
Vidya Abhayagunawardena
Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines (SLCBL) congratulate President Maithripala Sirisena and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for the Cabinet decision on 2nd March 2016 for acceding to the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) commonly known as Ottawa Treaty, banning and eradicating the menace of the anti-personnel landmines from the world. The SLCBL wishes to thank the Government of Sri Lanka particularly the H.E. the President, Hon. Prime Minister Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Hon Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, Hon. Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement, Hindu Religious Affairs and Prison Reforms Mr. D.M. Swaminathan and all the officials who were involved in this process. This decision is historical and has got positive media attention locally and internationally particular among the nations working towards a mine-free world and humanitarian disarmament.
Sri Lanka acceding to the MBT will help the country in various ways. Among them, it will enhance the ongoing mine clearance programme and resettling the displaced people of over 10,000 families in the mine-affected areas, more international support can be sought for the mine action programme, enhance the mobilization of international donor funding for the disability sector including landmine victims assistance as well as universalization of the MBT particular among the SAARC nations.
As UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on 10th March 2016 made a remark at the 31st session of the Human Rights Council that the next few months will be very important for Sri Lanka and praised its journey towards accountability, reconciliation and durable peace. No doubt that, Sri Lanka’s accession to the MBT will directly help this process. His brother Prince Mired Raad Zeid Al-Hussein is the special envoy of the MBT and he requested several times to visit Sri Lanka on universalization mission of the MBT since the end of the war but the previous government did not entertain his request to visit the country. In recent times, he communicated with the SLCBL again on his willingness to visit Sri Lanka for a mission for universalization of the MBT. Read More