by Oui
Fri Feb 13th, 2026 at 06:33:33 AM EST
"New Europe" joins Trump's America to abandon International Human Rights treaty of Canada 🇨🇦 Convention or Ottawa Treaty.
Princess Diana in Angola - Rare and Unseen Footage of Campaign Against Landmines (1997)
On 13 January 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales arrived in Angola to assist the Red Cross in their international campaign to ban anti-personnel landmines. Ravaged by decades of war, Angola at the time suffered the highest rate of casualties caused by landmines left in the earth - an often-lethal legacy of conflicts passed.
The Future of the Ottawa Treaty
Former Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien has called the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (also referred to as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention or the Ottawa Treaty) "one of the greatest achievements in Canadian diplomatic history." Global Affairs Minister Anita Anand, in her address to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 29 September 2025, described Canada's role in spearheading the Ottawa Treaty as an example of the country's "innovative leader[ship] on global issues."
Between 1999 and 2013 alone, the treaty is estimated to have saved more than 280,000 lives. Over its full period of implementation, it has led to the elimination of more than 55 million landmines, the reclamation of vast areas of contaminated land and the allocation of billions of dollars to "mine action," namely, mine clearance, mine risk education, victim assistance, advocacy and stockpile destruction.
More recently, however, the consensus around the Ottawa Treaty has begun to fracture. Since March 2025, five States Parties (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Poland) have initiated or completed their withdrawals from the treaty, and a sixth - Ukraine - has suspended its participation (discussed below).
[...]
These are the first such withdrawals in the treaty's history and occur in the context of broader pressures on global arms control agreements and norms. As of early 2026, more than 160 states were party to the treaty, although major military powers and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (China, Russia and the United States) remained outside the treaty.
This HillStudy reviews the origins and provisions of the Ottawa Treaty, its humanitarian impact and the implications of recent withdrawals within the wider context of multilateral arms control.
The Long Slide Into the Abyss …
Royalty today serving ’We the People’
Prince Harry: “I’ve killed some bad people in Afghanistan.”
Royal editor at the Daily Mirror Russell Myers said Prince Harry has drawn criticism by some members of the British Army and an angry rebuke from the Taliban - after he admitted to killing 25 people in his memoir while serving in Afghanistan, which he described as “chess pieces removed from the board.”
Princess Máxima Zorreguieta setting the example for expansion militarism in The Netherlands 🇳🇱. BRAVO girl!
Ministry of War: Following Crown Princess Amalia, Queen Máxima has started her training as a reservist for the Royal Netherlands Army.
A Dutch Prince, His American Jeep, and Two Female Passengers | National Archives |
Dutch Royal Court the perfect combination …William Alexander grandson of Prince Bernhard zur Lippe-Biesterfeld
Queen Máxima Zorreguieta, daughter of Jorge Zorreguieta who played a role during Videla’s dictatorship of human rights abuse in the “dirty war”.
Norwegian Royalty Caught up in Jeffrey Epstein Sex Trafficking Affair
Norway's Crown Princess Mette Marit in Epstein files as
rape trial against her son begins | DW News |
Council of Europe removes diplomatic immunity for ex-leader over Epstein ties
Thorbjorn Jagland is also a former prime minister of Norway. He is being investigated for having extensive contact with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, for staying repeatedly in his properties and for allegedly receiving financial help to buy an apartment.
Norwegian police search former PM Jagland’s properties over Epstein ties
Pal Lonseth, chief of the specialised Okokrim economic crimes unit, says Jagland suspected of ’aggravated corruption’.
