Unless otherwise specified all photographs are courtesy of John Rodsted
Regional Pacific Workshop
Nine Pacific Island nations are still heavily contaminated by Explosive Remnants of War (ERW)
remaining from World War Two.
These countries are:The Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New
Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Many of the ERW have deteriorated and are in an increasingly unstable condition, rendering the
likelihood of accidents ever more severe. Many of these accidents will include damage to the
environment in addition to the human cost. Many ERW are in public areas, creating the potential
for disastrous accidents. ERW also provide a source of explosive material which can be
misused.
Mette Eliseussen from ANBLC attended a regional ERW conference in Palau in October 2012. As
a result of this, ANBLC is now planning to hold a regional Pacific Workshop in Brisbane in June
2013. A proposal has been submitted to AusAID for funding.
Workshop sessions will focus on assisting with National Action Plans for Pacific Island
nations and ratification of, or accession to, the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster
Munitions.
Our long term aim is to eradicate ERW from affected communities and to promote the Mine Ban
Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
AUSTRALIAN NETWORK TO BAN
LANDMINES AND CLUSTER MUNITIONS
