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HomeMy WebLinkAbout98-022WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, RESOLUTION NO. 98-022 A RESOLUTION URGING THE US PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO SIGN THE INTERNATIONAL TREATY OUTLAWING THE MANUFACTURING, STOCKPILING, SALE, TRANSFER, AND USE OF ALL ANTI- PERSONNEL LAND MINES. there are 110 million LAND MINES scattered in 69 countries, continuing violence against civilians long after warfare has ceased and, another victim is killed or maimed every twenty minutes, more than 25,000 each year, and most of these victims are children, or women peasants seeking to feed their families, and, 300,000 people world wide are disabled as a result of a landmine injury, in the worst affected areas, the LAND MINES play havoc with the economy-refugees caniaot return home, farmers cannot till the land, relief shipments cannot be delivered, animals cannot reach water holes, suitable lands are over farmed, health care systems are overwhelmed, mine clearance costs are exorbitant, and, the United States has been a major producer and exporter of anti-personnel LAND MINES for a quarter of a century, although it has declared a moratorium, recently extended to 1999, on the export of anti-personnel LAND MINES, and, many US militar~ leaders, including General Schwartzkopf, have confirmed that there is no need for anti-personnel LAND MINES as weapons, and, the United States has recognized the humanitarian cost of anti-personnel LAND MINES and is pursuing efforts in the United Nations and elsewhere to address the problem, and, United States policy requires the Secretary of Defense to undertake research to eliminate any needs (training or specific defense) for anti-personnel LAND MINES, and, despite international momentum for a global ban on anti-personnel LAND MINES, the United Nations Convention on Conventional Weapons review conference failed to negotiate a ban, and, more than 170 US humanitarian organizations including the Vietnam Veterans of American Foundation, The Red Cross, CARE, Save the Children, Catholic Relief Services, and World Vision, have joined more than 1,000 groups in over 156 countries around the world in calling for an immediate ban on the production, stockpiling, use, and transfer of anti-personnel mines, and, the United States led a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for international negotiations as soon as possible to ban the production, stockpiling, use and transfer of anti-personnel LAND MINES supported by 156 nations, and, WHEREAS, the United States participated in the recent conference in Ottawa, Canada, at which Canada invited nations to sign an international LAND M1NES ban treaty in December 1997, and, WHEREAS, 122 Nations, including every NATO ally except Turkey signed an International Treaty banning the use of all anti-personnel LAND MINES, on December 4, 1997, and, WHEREAS, there are 100,000 mines taken from the ground annually, and 2,000,000 deployed, and, WHEREAS, lying in fields, along the roads and footpaths of one third of the countries in the developing world, 110,000,000 uncleared LAND MINES are a weapon of mass destruction in slow motion, and, WHEREAS, as a result of LAND MINES amputees constitute the largest disabled group in the world, and, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend to urge the President and the Congress of the United States to enact legislation outlawing the manufacturing, stockPiling, sale, and use of anti-personal LAND MINES and to sign the International Treaty outlawing anti-personnel LAND MINES signed by 122 nations on December 4, 1997 in Ottawa, Canada; and that copies of this resolution be sent to all relevant parties, including Congress persons and senators from the State of Washington. ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend and signed by the Mayor on this 17th day of February, 1998. Ted Shoulberg, Mayor Pro Tem Attest: Pamela Kolacy, City Clelk~~ /lyMcMahan, City Attorney