Mr. Speaker, it is my honour and privilege to congratulate our Minister of Foreign Affairs, the hon. member for Winnipeg South Centre, on being named the winner of the inaugural Endicott Peabody humanitarian award for his lead role in helping to rid the world of anti-personnel land mines. Our minister will receive the award on Friday from the United Nations Association of Greater Boston.
A former governor of Massachusetts and vice-president of the Boston UN association, Mr. Peabody spent his retirement years working for a variety of peace groups that focused on land mines.
The treaty banning anti-personnel land mines became law on March 1, 1999. It has been signed by 135 countries and ratified by 86.
This is not the first time our minister has been recognized for his work on land mines. He was also honoured last October when he was awarded the Council of Europe's North South peace prize. Congratulations.