Oxfam and other concerned organisations are taking advantage of the delay. Operating as the MAI Coalition, they are lobbying governments to consider the implications of the MAI for poor people, workers' rights, and the environment. Oxfam is also commissioning research, and exploring alternatives to MAI proposals. UK landmines ban cautiously welcomed The UK Government has ratified the Ottawa Convention banning the sale, use, and manufacture of landmines. The clause was included to allow British military personnel to take part in joint operations with NATO partners who still retain the weapons.
Critics suggest that the loophole indicates a lack of serious commitment to the ban.
Many countries affected by landmines have already signed the Ottawa Convention. The governments of Angola, Mozambique, Bosnia, and Cambodia have signed-up with the promise that they will not import or deploy mines. However some major world powers have yet to sign the ban. Russia, China, and the United States have so far resisted calls to endorse the Convention. The organisation will also continue to campaign for the prohibition of landmines under international law.