Princess Diana contribution to the global anti-landmine campaign
This Monday was the anniversary of Princess Diana’s birthday.
I wish to remind her words: „The world is too little aware of the waste of life, limb, and land which anti-personnel landmines are causing among some of the poorest people on earth. Indeed, until my journey to Angola early this year – on which I am going to speak this morning – I was largely unaware of it too”
In Cambodia, but also other places around the globe I had the honor to work with the humanitarians, who daily worked with Princess Diana. In terms of demining action and anti-landmine campaign, I was trained and educated by the close humanitarian partners of Princess Diana, also from the ICBL.
Princess Diana’s visit to the minefield with the Halo Trust in Angola brought global awareness to the issue of landmines.
Princess Diana walked through an active minefield in Angola, and detonated a mine in front of an audience of international reporters, with the help of a land mine removal expert.
Diana’s visit to Angola raised global awareness of the plight of landmine victims and the indiscriminate nature of the weapons. She became the voice of those who were wounded and physically broken by landmines.
She never lived to see the full impact of her visit.
Her untimely death in August 1997 came only a few months before the United Nations Mine Ban Treaty — a legally binding prohibition on the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of landmines — was opened for signature.
She never lived to see the full impact of her visit.
Her untimely death in August 1997 came only a few months before the United Nations Mine Ban Treaty — a legally binding prohibition on the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of landmines — was opened for signature. Since then, 164 countries have become parties to the agreement, which is informally known as the Ottawa Treaty.
26 years after Diana visited Angola, landmines are still killing children around the globe.
