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Repeal "The Landmine Convention"
Category: Repeal | Resolution: #40 | Proposed by: The Dark Star Republic

The World Assembly,

Taking note of the passage of WA Resolution #40, "The Landmine Convention",

Troubled that the definition of "landmine" used in this resolution includes mines designed to become non-operational after a certain time has elapsed,

Considering that given these landmines do not necessarily pose significant risks to civilians they should not have been prohibited and that this technical flaw undermines the resolution's claims to concern for civilian casualties,

Suggesting that nations with the technical capacity to comprehensively demine mined areas post-conflict may be capable of deploying landmines in a way that poses little risk to civilians,

Recalling that the WA has several times voted to not ban or to repeal bans on chemical weapons and that denying WA members conventional area denial munitions is therefore inconsistent with general international law,

Further aware that WA member nations have many responsibilities in wartime, for the protection of civilians and prisoners of war, and that non-member nations, who outnumber WA members severalfold and have provoked many international incidents of war, hold no such obligations,

Concerned that the occupation of any WA member nation's territories by non-member nations could result in war crimes over which the WA would have no jurisdiction nor ability to arrest,

Therefore believing that any area denial munitions available to WA member nations should be permitted in the defence of their territory from armed occupation by hostile non-members,

Heartened that repeal of this resolution will not preclude future legislation to continue the demining work of the World Assembly Demining Agency:

Repeals WA Resolution #40, "The Landmine Convention".

I am very very hesitantly for this... It's a really lined one though. I don't exactly appreciate it's arguments but I do believe that a better version of this fairly old sort of outdated resolution could be created. I could care less that it's making war more difficult for people...

Yeah, I don't think so. Just because the mines are "designed" to become inert after a time period doesn't mean they actually WILL BE.  Also, I don't like the logic behind the "we don't like chemical weapons bans, so why should there be any conventional weapons bans?" argument.  Just because the WA has failed to make a conclusive statement on chemical weapons doesn't necessarily mean we've thrown the doors open on conventional weapons.  There are plenty of resolutions that limit the sale or transport of conventional munitions.  Finally, I fail to see how land mines are somehow more effective against invading non-WA nations than other weapons that don't maim civilians decades after the conflict ends.