Ireland ratifies new legal instruments concerning landmines and laser weapons

Ireland deposited notifications of its consent to be bound by two Protocols to the Certain Conventional Weapons Convention [ full title: The Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects] at the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General today.

The Protocols were adopted at a Review Conference of States Parties to the Convention which concluded on 3 May 1996.

Pending the establishment of a new legally binding norm prohibiting anti-personnel landmines, Amended Protocol II to the Certain Conventional Weapons Convention as adopted on 3 May 1996 contains the most far-reaching restrictions yet agreed on the use and transfer of these weapons. Ireland is the first State to notify its consent to be bound by the new provisions.

Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons bans the use and transfer of laser weapons specifically designed to cause permanent blindness.Top