Mr. Speaker, the Ottawa Landmine Treaty was signed eleven years ago today. Although its implementation made possible the destruction of 42 million mines, there are another 160 million still stockpiled around the world.
When the treaty was signed, a $100 million fund was created, the Canadian Landmine Fund. Five years on, another $72 million was added, and the fund terminated in March 2008. As well, funding for treaty enforcement has decreased by $33 million over the 2006 level.
However, last week at the Geneva conference of signatories to the Ottawa treaty, the first serious violations of the treaty were reported: 15 countries had not carried out demining within the deadlines set and 3 had not destroyed their stockpiles of mines.
The Bloc Québécois calls upon the government to bring pressure to bear on the signatory states to renew their commitment to this treaty.