DUSHANBE, December 5, 2009, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan has signed the 2009 Cartagena declaration “Solidarity Obligation on a Mine-free World,” according to Tajik Mine Action Center (TMAC).
The declaration was signed by participants of the Second review Conference on the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-personnel Mines that was held in Cartagena, Colombia from November 29 to December 4.
States and international and non-governmental organizations that gathered in Cartagena ten years after the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention entered into force were represented at the highest possible level and the conference was given the name “The Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World.”
Tajik delegation participating at the conference was led by Minister of Justice Bahtiyor Khudoyorov.
Delivering a statement at the conference, Khudoyorov drew attention of those present to the landmine problem on the Tajik-Uzbek border. He noted that since 1999, landmines laid by Uzbek authorities along the Tajik-Uzbek have killed 87 Tajik civilians and injured 74 more. This year, two Tajiks have been killed by mines on the Uzbek border.
Tajik minister called on international community to share Tajikistan’s concern over minefields along borders and mine explosion victims in Central Asia.
The conference adopted the Cartagena Plan of Actions for 2010-2014 and the Ottawa Convention signatory states seconded Tajikistan’s request for extension of its mine-clearance commitments for the next ten years.
The First Review Conference – the Nairobi Summit on a Mine Free World – took place in Nairobi, Kenya from November 29 to December 3 2004.
We will recall that Tajikistan signed the Convention on the Prohibition on the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their Destruction (the Ottawa Convention) in 2000. All signatory states undertook to ensure the destruction of all anti-personnel land mines they possess, as soon as possible but no later than 10 years after signing the convention. In the case of Tajikistan, this means that the country should be mine-free by 2010.
