Cartagena, Colombia, 4 December 2009 — Over 1000 activists, survivors and government delegates celebrated the close of the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World with the announcement that four new countries – Albania, Greece, Rwanda and Zambia – are now mine-free. The Summit closed with more than 120 governments adopting the Cartagena Action Plan, a detailed five-year plan of commitments on all areas of mine action including victim assistance, mine clearance, risk education, stockpile destruction and international cooperation. Read More

“President Obama has articulated a vision of a changed world — one in which we no longer have to fear nuclear weapons, one in which there is respect for international law and a recognition that no individual, no single country, can change the world alone. I think that in awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize, the Nobel Committee wants to underscore the desperate need for the fulfillment of that vision. The awarding of the Prize, then, is call to action,” said today Jody Williams, who received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the ICBL. “Specifically regarding landmines and cluster munitions, we hope he will demonstrate vision and leadership by immediately announcing his decision that the United States will join the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions.”

Malawi and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia became the 22nd and 23rd countries to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions on October 7th and 8th respectively. Seven more countries need to ratify before the treaty becomes international law.

On September 23, 2009, Cyprus and St. Vincent & the Grenadines signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions bringing the total number of signatories to 100.

21 countries have now ratified the Convention. France, Burundi, Uruguay and Malta are the latest to ratify.

Only 9 more countries need to ratify before the treaty enters into force.

Money supports programmes in Rwanda, Burundi, and Jordan posted by MBCBL

The Manitoba Campaign to Ban Landmines (MBCBL) has forwarded donations totalling $7,100 to the Mulindi Japan One Love Project in Rwanda and the National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation (NCDR) in Jordan.

The One Love Project provides free orthopedic support to landmine survivors and other persons with disabilities in Rwanda and Burundi. The NCDR is active in Jordan with demining mined territory along Jordan’s borders with its neighbours and providing mine risk education to youth in those areas. The NCDR also provides rehabilitative support to landmine survivors.

In total, $5,100 was sent to the One Love Project to support their work (US$4,643.54) and $2,000 was sent to the NCDR (US$1,763.36). All the money raised was sent directly to these organizations.

The MBCBL thanks all of the schools that took part in the 2008-2009 “100 Schools Challange”â„¢ and to everyone who donated money to support these organizations.