As 2005 draws to a close the State Department is celebrating its work in the field of humanitarian mine action.

The United States remains the largest single donor country to humanitarian mine action worldwide.

But, as I keep repeating, the US has failed to show leadership by its continued refusal to sign up to the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty -- and has abstained from voting on every annual pro-Mine Ban Treaty UN General Assembly resolution since 1997.

The United States has little cause for celebration.