When international human rights groups launch a global campaign next week to ban “fully autonomous weapons”, they will follow in the footsteps of the highly-successful 1990s collective worldwide effort to ban anti-personnel landmines and blinding lasers.

The new campaign, to be launched in London, will be aimed primarily at the United States: the only country with a formal policy on fully autonomous weapons, also called “killer robots”, equipped with the capacity to choose and fire on targets without human intervention.

Asked about the tried and tested model campaign, Steve Goose, executive director of the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW), told IPS, “Yes, we envision the ‘Campaign to Stop Killer Robots’ functioning in a similar fashion to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), as well as the Cluster Munitions Coalition.”

Killer robots are considered more deadly than the predator drone, the U.S. weapon of choice against suspected terrorists in the current wave of targeted killings, particularly in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia.

According to HRW, fully autonomous weapons are in development in several countries and could be deployed within the next couple of decades.

Asked how drones differ from fully autonomous weapons, Goose said drones have a “man in the loop” – a human has remote control, a human selects the target and decides when to fire the weapon.”

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(Source: stopkillerrobots)

The International Day for Mine Awareness is April 4; so be aware that these devices should be off our planet now and forever.

International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) campaigners from Handicap International Deustchland participate in a flash mob outside a subway stop in Munich. (Photo: Courtesy Handicap International Deustchland)

What do United States students holding painted prostheses, a flash mob in Germany, an 11K race in Colombia, a concert in Afghanistan, and a photo exhibit in Turkey all have in common?

When the participants roll up a pant leg, they are all part of a global action, known as Lend Your Leg, to ban landmines and support victims.

Every year, more than 4,000 people are victims of landmines around the world, and 70 percent of them are civilians. This is not just a number or a statistic; these are people like you and me, with dreams, with families, with a life.

… which means no national survivor network either.

The new Burmese government needs to design and implement a national program to eliminate the landmine risk if it is serious about genuine political reconciliation with the ethnic minorities in Burma.

Despite democratic reforms and moves to sign ceasefires with non-state armed groups, Burma is still not a signatory to the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning the use of land mines, and no substantial moves have been made on demining in conflict zones along its borders. Without a timeline and genuine political dialogue between the government and the ethnic minorities, the safety of villagers and displaced people continues to be threatened, and it is too dangerous for refugees to return.

Although the government claims it is no longer using antipersonnel mines in conflict-affected areas, a new report by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) alleges both the Burmese military and non-state armed groups are still employing these weapons. The latest report produced by the ICBL states that landmine use in Burma has decreased over the years; there are fewer incidents of new antipersonnel mine use, and what use does occur is in more limited geographic areas. As of 2011 there were several reports of landmines still being used, including by government forces, border guard forces, and non-state armed groups, including the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). The ICBL reports that there were over 381 documented landmine casualties in 2011, although the actual number is likely to be much higher.

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All European Union now on board — the United States a lone hold out among NATO states

Ms. Ewa Anzorge, First Counsellor, and Mr. Lukas Zielinski, Chargé d’Affaires a. i., both from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the UN, with Mr. Andrei Kolomoets, Deputy Chief of the Treaty Section in the UN Office of Legal Affairs, Ms. Maria Vardis, Chief of Policy, UNMAS and Mr. Aaron J. Buckley, Public Information Officer, UNMAS. Photo: UNMAS/Kaori Ozawa

Poland has become the 161st nation to join the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which comprehensively bans the use, production, trade, and stockpiling of antipersonnel landmines.

Poland deposited its instrument of ratification at the United Nations in New York on 27 December 2012.

“We warmly welcome Poland as a full member of the mine ban community. Poland took a very long time to make this move, but its ratification shows that all countries can and should renounce antipersonnel landmines forever,” said Kasia Derlicka, Director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

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Campaigners in the Gambia celebrate the first anniversary of entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 1 August 2011.  Photo credit: WANEP

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), through its Survivor Network Project and with specific financial support from the Norwegian government, have launched a request for proposals to support promising landmine and cluster munition survivor networks in sustaining and building their capacity.

The goal of the new Survivor Network Project is to support survivor networks so that survivors are better able to contribute to victim assistance efforts in their country and participate in national and international advocacy efforts related to the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. This project is designed to respond to the needs and interests of survivors as expressed at the recent ICBL-CMC workshop, “Push for Survivor Participation in Practice”, held in Phnom Penh just before the opening of the 11th Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty. At this workshop, mine/ERW survivors, ICBL Victim Assistance Focal Points and campaigners, called on the ICBL-CMC to provide more support, both technical and financial, to survivors’ networks to enhance their participation in both campaigns.

This project also responds to a specific request from Norway to partner with the ICBL-CMC to specifically support survivor networks and strengthen their participation in the work of the conventions.

The ICBL-CMC has limited funding available from Norway to provide support to between 4 and 6 survivor networks. ICBL-CMC also able to provide technical capacity building support to some additional networks. Please find further details in the below documents, applications are due on 30 April 2012, decisions will be announced by 31 May 2012.

Jordan’s National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation (NCDR), under the leadership of its Director Prince Mired Raad Zeid Al-Hussein, declared on 21 March that all known minefields in the country are now safe after nearly 20 years of demining.

Demining operations at a traditional baptism site in the Jordanian desert © Kai Santos / ICBL.

“We want to congratulate Jordan for this achievement, and especially Prince Mired for his remarkable leadership and tireless efforts over the years. Jordan has been a true champion of the Mine Ban Treaty and its national mine action programme is exemplary and one that many other countries – not least Jordan’s neighbours in the region – should draw good practice from,” said Kasia Derlicka, ICBL Director.

Earlier this month the ICBL and Human Rights Watch led the world in condemning Syria after eye witness reports showed the Syrian Army had been laying new minefields along the country’s borders with Lebanon and Turkey.

“This good news from Jordan is especially important given the severity of the mine problem in the region, including the recent new mine use by its neighbour Syria.” Derlicka added.

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