More Than 125 Countries Begin To Sign Landmine Ban

More than 125 nations lined up yesterday to sign an international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, weapons that Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien said caused extermination in slow motion.

Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy, who lobbied tirelessly for the ban over the past year, was the first to sign, and Chretien immediately presented Canadas instrument of ratification to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Chretien said more than 125 countries would sign the treaty on Wednesday and Thursday, although the worlds biggest military powers the United States, Russia and China were only observers at the treaty conference. Norway and South Africa followed Canada at the signature table.

 

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, labeling the mines killing machines, challenged the conference: We must now turn our imaginations to the cause of mine clearance so that the victory of today does not become a hollow one.