Annan Targers Enviornment In Call To Curb War
Annan Targets Landmines, Ecological Damage In Call To Curb War’s Impact
New York, Nov 6 2006 11:00AM
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today took aim at two of the pernicious consequences of war, calling for universal adherence to a treaty that seeks to limit the effects of landmines and booby traps, and urging stronger measures to protect the environment during conflict.
“Landmines, booby-traps and other improvised explosive devices aggravate and prolong the horrendous consequences of armed conflict, threatening our societies and future generations,” he said in a message to a meeting in Geneva of the Parties to the Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.
“Both during and after hostilities, they kill indiscriminately and maim vulnerable civilians, especially women and children. They cause excessive, yet random, suffering of combatants. They endanger the lives of peacekeepers and humanitarian-aid workers, and hamper the repatriation and reintegration of refugees and internally displaced persons. And they impede post-conflict reconstruction, he added.
In the message, delivered by UN Deputy Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament Tim Caughley, Mr. Annan stressed the importance of exchanging information on how to better protect civilians. “I urge you to also consider how to promote universal adherence to the Protocol, and strongly appeal to those countries that have not yet ratified this instrument to do so as soon as possible, he said.