§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is to be NATO's collective approach to anti-personnel landmines and to the Ottawa Convention that bans them. [HL2985]
§ Baroness Symons of Verham DeanAll NATO Allies have expressed their commitment to efforts to contribute to the objective of the elimination of anti-personnel landmines. Work is in hand to resolve issues of interoperability, command and control and logistics arising from the fact that not all Allies have yet signed the Convention.
§ Lord Shepherdasked Her Majesty's Government:
When the United Kingdom will ratify the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines. [HL3256]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanOur instrument of ratification will be deposited with the UN Secretary General in New York today, thus fulfilling our pledge to be among the first 40 ratifications and helping to bring the Convention into force.
We have placed in the Libraries of the House the note accompanying the instrument of ratification, which sets out our understanding that the mere participation in the planning or execution of operations, exercises or other military activity by the United Kingdom's Armed Forces, or individual United Kingdom nationals, 309WA conducted in combination with armed forces of States not party to the Ottawa Convention which engage in activity prohibited under the Convention, is not, by itself, assistance encouragement or inducement for the purposes of Article 1, paragraph 1(c) of the Convention.