UN General Assembly
1998

cooperation and make the utmost effort to remove or destroy the mines already planted in every region of the world. Peru was one of the first countries to ratify the Ottawa Convention and it already begun to adopt its applicable provisions. We call upon all countries which have not yet done so to ratify or adhere to the Ottawa Convention as soon as possible, as a contribution to peace, security, human coexistence and the development of our peoples. We trust that those States which have already signed it but have not yet ratified it will comply with article 18 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, under which signatory nations must abstain from acts which would frustrate the purpose of the Ottawa Convention. We believe that the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin American and the Caribbean, which has its headquarters in Lima, can contribute to promoting a culture of peace and strengthening the efforts towards disarmament in the region, including dealing with the problem of mines.