CoE Human Rights Commissioner calls on Azerbaijan, Armenia to abandon use of mines

Over the past 10 years more than 3,000 people were injured by landmines in Europe, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg says in his article posted on Turkey-based Hurriyet Daily News.

"Landmines continue to kill or harm people, despite the fact that the war has long ended. Moreover, mines are prohibited under international law. However, this ban was not effectively implemented, and some Council of Europe member states did not even ratify the "Treaty on the prohibition of antipersonnel mines by 1997", the Commissioner notes.

"States are now required to destroy all stockpiles of antipersonnel mines, as well as clean up "contaminated" areas under their control. They are also must provide social and economic assistance for treatment and rehabilitation of mine victims.”

Despite great importance of this issue for Europe, 6 member states of the Council of Europe (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Finland, Poland and Russia) have not yet ratified the "Treaty banning anti-personnel mines by 1997”, Hammarberg wrote.

"Unfortunately, these kind of inhumane weapons are still in use.”

“It is high time that all European states have ratified the Mine Ban Treaty and comply with its provisions. The same applies to the early ratification of a new treaty banning cluster munitions," Hammarberg notes in his article.


/1news.az/