Human Rights Watch calls on the United States government:
* to declare an immediate ban on the production of all types of antipersonnel mines in the United States.
* to support the Canadian-led diplomatic initiative aimed at the signing of a comprehensive treaty in December 1997 banning production, stockpiling, export, and use of antipersonnel mines.
* to make public information about the number and types of antipersonnel mines in U.S. inventories.
* to proceed rapidly with its plan to destroy part of its stockpile of so-called "dumb" mines; to expand that plan to include all "dumb" mines, rather than maintaining one million or more for future use in Korea; and to develop a timetable for the destruction of all stockpiles of so-called "smart" antipersonnel mines.
* to proceed rapidly with its announced intention of signing into law a measure that would change the current moratorium on the export of antipersonnel mines into a permanent ban.
Human Rights Watch encourages the more than 180 non-governmental organizations in the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines, as well as concerned citizens across the country, to utilize this report as part of a stigmatization campaign designed to encourage U.S. companies to commit to no future involvement in the manufacture of antipersonnel landmines, their components, or their delivery systems.
Human Rights Watch urges supporters of an international ban on antipersonnel landmines:
* to send statements of support and encouragement to the companies which have renounced future involvement in mine production activities.
* to send statements of protest to the companies which have refused to renounce future mine production activities.
* to take other actions aimed at pressuring those involved in antipersonnel mine production. Some options, in addition to letter writing, could include: purchasing shares in publicly listed companies and then submitting shareholder resolutions condemning the company's involvement in mine production; selling off shareholdings and informing the company that in doing so you have made a statement of conscience; using your consumer power to avoid purchasing commercial products of the companies which have opted not to renounce involvement in antipersonnel mine production; staging vigils at company plants or headquarters; informing local media of the company's involvement in mine production.
* to make a landmines ban an issue with your elected representatives, and encourage them to urge the Clinton Administration to implement the recommendations in this report. Write to your Congressperson at: United States House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., 20515. Write to your Senator at: United States Senate, Washington, D.C., 20510. Write to President Clinton at: The White House, Washington, D.C., 20500.
With respect to U.S. companies, Human Rights Watch calls:
* on those companies which have thus far refused to renounce future involvement in antipersonnel mine production to do so immediately, in recognition of the humanitarian crisis caused by antipersonnel mines, and the growing international consensus that the weapon must be banned as soon as possible.
* on those companies which have renounced future involvement to take steps to implement and ensure the effectiveness of that policy.
* on companies within the various industries involved in mine production, such as the electronics industry, to work together to develop industry-wide codes of conduct, rejecting involvement in antipersonnel mine production.
* on competitors of the renouncing companies to refrain from trying to fill any perceived gap in the landmine component market.
* on all companies active in landmine clearance to immediately renounce future antipersonnel mine production and component supply. Companies which refuse to do so should not be eligible for U.S., U.N., or other contracts for landmine clearance.
* on all past participants in the research and development of antipersonnel mines, including major universities and other institutions of higher learning, to renounce future involvement and to draft a code of conduct for students and staff.