Brussels, 18/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European parliamentarians Emma Bonino, Marie Arlette Carlotti and Luisa Morgantini will take part, on 21 September, in the presence of the European Parliament President Nicole Fontaine and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), in a press conference on the "Day for a mine free world", day on which demonstrations will be organised in several European Union countries. Following the press conference, which starts at 10am at the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine and other participants (among the participants Steve Goose, from Human Rights Watch, and Sylvie Brigot from Handicap International) will sign before the Parliament, a "call for a world without mines", in the presence of Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Winner and International ambassador for the ICBL, and victims of antipersonnel mines from Cambodia and Senegal.
Let us recall that an international conference on the elimination of antipersonnel mines, which took place last week in Geneva had launched an appeal for the destruction of existing stocks. On this occasion, six new States acceded to the Ottawa Convention on antipersonnel mines; entered into force in March 1999, the Convention now has 107 parties, but among them are missing countries such as the United States, Russia, China, India and Pakistan.