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Madam Speaker,
Mr President,
Hon. Members,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The resolution before this House today recognises an historic and significant achievement by our country.

Anti-personnel mines have severe consequences for years after emplacement.

Currently, anti-personnel mines claim hundreds of victims every month - mostly innocent and defenceless civilians and especially children.

These mines obstruct economic development and reconstruction, and inhibit the repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons.

As a consequence, we fully endorse the conviction expressed by the International Committee of the Red Cross which stated that:

"The limited military utility of anti-personnel mines is far outweighed by the appalling humanitarian consequences of their use in actual conflicts.

On this basis, their prohibition and elimination should be pursued as a matter of urgency by governments and the entire international community".

On 19th February, the Cabinet gave practical effect to the ICRC plea by banning the use, development, production and stock-piling of anti-personnel land mines with immediate effect.

The Cabinet further decided that our existing stockpile of anti-personnel land mines would be destroyed as soon as possible.

The first controlled detonation of our stockpile of anti-personnel mines was conducted on 21st May at Alkantpan.

211 subsequent detonations have taken place, culminating in the destruction of the last batch 1000 mines on October 30th.

The total number of these mines destroyed, within a mere 5 months, is 243 423.

Transparency is regarded as important element in this process, and South Africa was the first country in the world to have involved the media and NGO's in witnessing phases of the anti-personnel mines destruction.

The destruction of our stockpile is far ahead of the terms of the newly negotiated Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines on their Destruction, which provides a period of 4 years after Entry Into Force for the destruction of these mines.

We can all be proud that South Africa played a major role as the Chair of the Oslo Diplomatic Conference that steered the negotiations of this Convention to a successful conclusion on September 18th.

The Convention sets the new norm in international humanitarian law against the use of these deadly weapons and, in addition to destroying anti-personnel mines, provides for mine clearance and victim assistance.

We are proud that South Africa possesses world leading technology and expertise for demining, as well as medical capability and experience to assist mine victims.

We must, therefore, retain this capability to assist those neighbouring countries still infested with this menace and, where possible, the international community.

South Africa will be amongst the first countries to sign the ban Convention, in Ottawa, on December 3rd.

I trust that this House will be able to address our ratification of this Convention expeditiously when it reconvenes next year.

South Africa has played a leading role on the regional and international level to ban anti-personnel mines.

This is an achievement we can rightly be proud of.

We can all draw inspiration from the shining example of the leadership of the Nobel Prize laureates, Ms Jody Williams and the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines, as well as the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who so bravely and graciously championed this noble cause.

MADAM SPEAKER

I commend this House for its support of our efforts to ban these terrible weapons and to make this a safer and more humane world.

I thank you.

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