The Oas and Chile in humanitarian demining operations.

• Author: Perales, Jaime
• Position: Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, 1997 - Organization of American States' Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines

Thanks to a $125,000 contribution from the Canadian government, the OAS's Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines (AICMA) program was able to aid in the destruction of 300,039 land mines stockpiled in Chile, carried out within the regional activities of the Organization. With international procedures and timelines established by the United Nations, and under the Ottawa Convention Banning Landmines, the destruction of the land-mine stockpiles was concluded in August 2003.

The multilateral convention, known officially as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction is the most important world treaty in this specialty area.

According to the coordinator of the OAS Mine Action Program, William McDonough, the worldwide effort to combat and eradicate land mines "can only be successful if we commit ourselves to creating better coordination and cooperation among member countries and with those dedicated to the proposition of a mine-free world."

Chile has reported the presence of more than 100,000 antipersonnel land mines throughout thirty-seven different areas of the country...