ICRC News 32 / 20.08.97** SHORT MENU....
OSLO CONFERENCE TO CONCLUDE ANTI-PERSONNEL MINE BAN TREATY: Representatives of more than 100 States are expected to attend a Diplomatic Conference hosted by the Norwegian government in Oslo from 1 to 19 September to conclude a treaty banning the production, transfer, stockpiling and use of anti-personnel mines. The ICRC, the United Nations and an international coalition of non-governmental organizations will be present as observers.
ALBANIA: CHLORINE TO REDUCE HEALTH HAZARD: To prevent contamination of the water supply, a risk which increases during the hot summer months of August and September and can pose a serious health threat to the population, the ICRC has donated 52 tonnes of chlorine to the Albanian water authority.
KENYA: EXHIBITION IN NAIROBI ON HORRORS OF LANDMINES: The ICRC, together with the Kenya Coalition Against Landmines, is holding a one-week exhibition of photos, slides, films and videos in Nairobi from 19 August in support of the global campaign for a ban on landmines. The exhibition, called "The Horrors of Landmines", is being shown at the Mzizi Arts Centre and is aimed at the general public and opinion-makers.
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW: SHARING EXPERIENCES IN AFRICA: The first-ever regional meeting of African national committees for the implementation of international humanitarian law took place in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on 12 and 13 August.
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OSLO CONFERENCE TO CONCLUDE ANTI-PERSONNEL MINE BAN TREATY
Representatives of more than 100 States are expected to attend a Diplomatic Conference hosted by the Norwegian government in Oslo from 1 to 19 September to conclude a treaty banning the production, transfer, stockpiling and use of anti-personnel mines. The ICRC, the United Nations and an international coalition of non-governmental organizations will be present as observers.
The ICRC has stressed three key points in relation to the upcoming negotiations. First, the importance of a clear and unambiguous definition of an anti-personnel mine. Second, the need for an immediate and unequivocal ban on the production, transfer, and use of anti-personnel mines, with corresponding obligations to destroy stockpiles and clear emplaced mines within the shortest possible timeframe. Third, so as to ensure that the treaty is effective, no reservations should be allowed to its provisions.
Canada has issued an open invitation to all States to sign the treaty at a Ministerial Conference due to take place in Ottawa from 2 to 4 December 1997.
Further information: Stuart Maslen, Mines Unit, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++4122 730 2533
ALBANIA CHLORINE TO REDUCE HEALTH HAZARD
To prevent contamination of the water supply, a risk which increases during the hot summer months of August and September and can pose a serious health threat to the population, the ICRC has donated 52 tonnes of chlorine to the Albanian water authority.
The consignment will ensure uninterrupted supplies of safe drinking water throughout the country for more than two months. It was dispatched in response to a request from the water authority, which has been cut off from its normal sources of supply during the recent unrest in the country, and is intended as a stopgap until the Albanian authorities are able to take over.
This is the second delivery of chlorine since the launch of the joint Albanian Red Cross/ICRC emergency assistance programme. In mid-May, 50 kits for testing chlorine levels and 22 tonnes of chlorine were handed over. "If the population has no access to clean water, standards of hygiene deteriorate and this often leads to the spread of disease", said Jean-Marie Falzoni, ICRC Relief Coordinator for Albania.
Further information: France Hurtubise, ICRC Tirana, tel. ++355 42 30 457
KENYA EXHIBITION IN NAIROBI ON HORRORS OF LANDMINES
The ICRC, together with the Kenya Coalition Against Landmines, is holding a one-week exhibition of photos, slides, films and videos in Nairobi from 19 August in support of the global campaign for a ban on landmines. The exhibition, called "The Horrors of Landmines", is being shown at the Mzizi Arts Centre and is aimed at the general public and opinion-makers.
Various other events, such as storytelling, poetry recitals and musical performances by the Mzizi arts group, are taking place at the same time. One day will be devoted to presentations and discussions on different issues relating to landmines, such as their effects on agriculture and their implications for refugees.
The landmines campaign has received support from one of the top bands in Kenya, which goes by the name "Them Mushrooms". Last year the group produced a song entitled "Toys of Death" calling for a total ban on landmines.
Further information: Nicole Brechtbuehl, ICRC Regional Information Office, Nairobi Tel. ++2542 761 339
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW SHARING EXPERIENCES IN AFRICA
The first-ever regional meeting of African national committees for the implementation of international humanitarian law took place in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on 12 and 13 August. This event, held at the initiative of the ICRC, brought together representatives of interministerial committees and other eminent specialists in this field from 12 States which have already set up national committees or are in the process of doing so: Benin, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The participants invited all African governments to create such national bodies. They also defined the means required to strengthen the effectiveness of existing committees and to smooth the way for those currently being set up.
One of the meeting's objectives was to compare the experiences of the various national committees. It was found that they faced similar problems, notably the need to improve knowledge of international humanitarian law among their members, the difficulty of finding experts capable of assessing national legislation in the light of treaty obligations, and the lack of the necessary materials and documentation.
Supporting the efforts of such national committees is one of the main tasks of the ICRC's Advisory Service on International Humanitarian Law. The Abidjan meeting gave it an opportunity to establish working relations with existing national bodies in Africa and to discuss with them their respective roles and activities.
Further information: Michel Djiina Wembou, ICRC Abidjan tel. ++225 222 460
During the weekend of 23 - 24 August 1997, for all information please call the press officer on duty, Suzanne Berger on (mobile) 41 79 217 32 01