Jody Williams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), for her work for the banning and clearing of anti-personnel mines.

Full name: Jody Williams
Born: 9 October 1950, Rutland, VT, USA
Date awarded: 10 October 1997

A driving force behind the anti-landmine campaign

Jody Williams studied international politics in the 1980s and became involved in relief efforts in war-torn El Salvador. Landmines posed an ever-present threat to the population, and she was responsible for procuring prostheses for children who had lost arms and legs. In 1991, Williams became the driving force behind an international campaign against landmines. As a result of her determination and organisational skills, 1,000 organisations from 60 countries had joined the ICBL by 1997. The Ottawa Convention, signed by 120 countries in 1997 and ratified by 40 countries when it entered into force in 1999, will always be associated with her name and the ICBL. The treaty banned the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines, and included provisions on demining and mandatory humanitarian aid.

Harming the poor and defenceless

In his speech to the 1997 laureates, leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Francis Sejersted discussed why anti-personnel mines generated such great international concern. After all, he said, humans have access to much more dangerous weapons. He compared nuclear arms to landmines: “The former are the weapons of the rich, the latter of the poor”. Both harm innocent civilians and have devastating long-term effects. But nuclear weapons have not been used since 1945. Landmines, however, detonate every day, maiming the poorest, most defenceless people.

Organisational talent

Thanks to Jody Williams’ organisational skills, the ICBL enjoyed rapid development and substantial support. She encouraged her colleagues to apply new communications technology. Using e-mail and the Internet, mine experts around the globe communicated quickly and efficiently. Surgeons in Afghanistan, mine-clearers in Eritrea and legal specialists in the USA and Europe could be consulted at any time, enabling the ICBL’s leaders to contribute expert information to the negotiations that resulted in the Ottawa Convention.

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Biography of Jody Williams

Born 9 October 1950. Profession: Ms. Jody Williams is the founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which was formally launched by six nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in October of 1992 ...

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