Saint Lucia first announced its support for a total and immediate ban on anti-personnel landmines during a CARICOM ministerial meeting in May 1996, and has since been one of the leading Caribbean promoters of such a ban. Saint Lucia endorsed the Final Declaration of the Brussels Conference on Anti-personnel Landmines in June 1997, voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolutions in support of a ban on anti-personnel landmines in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and supported relevant OAS and CARICOM statements and resolutions. Saint Lucia was a co-sponsor of the 1996 OAS resolution declaring the Western Hemisphere as an anti-personnel landmine-free zone.