OTTAWA—Canada is behaving like the 51st state by caving to U.S. pressure through its failure to ratify a treaty that would ban dangerous cluster bombs, says a Nobel laureate.

Jody Williams, the Nobel Peace Prize winner for her campaign that culminated with the 1997 Ottawa Treaty to ban landmines, excoriated the Harper government Tuesday for not following through on the formal ratification of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

After two years, Canada has yet to ratify the treaty that would ban the use of wildly inaccurate “bomblets” that maim civilians.

Canada signed the cluster-bomb treaty in December 2008, and it went into effect in August 2010 after being ratified by more than 50 countries.

But unlike the speedy adoption of the Ottawa Treaty to ban landmines, the current government is dragging its heels on legislation that would ratify the treaty and ban the use of the dangerous munitions, Williams told The Canadian Press.

The U.S. opposed the landmine treaty, and it opposes any ban on the use of cluster munitions. But unlike the late ‘90s when Canada stood up to U.S. pressure, this time the Harper government is bowing to it by dragging its heels, she said.

Williams and others believe the Harper government is planning to adopt a controversial clause, Article 21, which the U.S. has lobbied for. It would open the door for the use of the cluster munitions in joint operations such as Afghanistan, watering down the new treaty.

Williams cited the recent resignation of Canada’s chief arms negotiator as evidence of the turmoil within Foreign Affairs over the direction being exerted by the office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper on foreign policy.

“There is negotiation going on around that legislation and the huge fear is that it is going to mirror the desires of the United States of America, again reconfirming the view of many that Canada is really the 51st state despite its horror of being referred to that way,” said Williams, the Vermont-born activist.

A spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Tuesday that officials were “finalizing the documentation necessary to enable cabinet to consider ratification of this convention, in the very near future.”

But Williams said the Harper government is diminishing Canada’s international reputation by mimicking the politics of the former Bush administration, and adopting knee-jerk policies to “to distinguish themselves from the government before.”

Williams was referring to the former Liberal government, which under its foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy spearheaded the landmines treaty over the U.S. objections.

“Canada is, I believe, losing its image as the great peacekeeping, peacemaking nation,” said Williams.

“If Canadians are comfortable with that, what can I do? But I don’t think Canadians want to be seen as the 51st state. I don’t think your average Canadian likes the idea of the government bowing to U.S. pressure to change Canadian laws.”

Canada’s leading arms negotiator, veteran diplomat Earl Turcotte, recently quit his post after a distinguished career at Foreign Affairs because he had run afoul of his American counterparts.

“It seems I’ve had a bit of a falling out with a senior manager over a conscientious objection I have brought forward concerning the proposed Canadian interpretation of one of the critical elements of the Convention on Cluster Munitions,” Turcotte wrote in a widely disseminated farewell email, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press.

“As well as over recent complaints from the U.S. and at least one other country (not identified to me) that I have been ‘too tough and aggressive’ in negotiations.

“Apparently my actions have not been what is expected of a close friend and ally.”

With that note, Turcotte ended three decades in public service, and he has not spoken publicly of his departure.

“Not how I intended to end my public service career, but all things considered, it seems to me a pretty good reason,” Turcotte wrote.

Williams said Tuesday that she often sparred with Turcotte when he represented the Harper government in the cluster-bomb talks — a process she said the Conservative government was dragged into “kicking and screaming.”

Williams said Turcotte always presented himself as a loyal public servant, doing the bidding of the government he represented.

“Then, in an extremely principled and ethical response, he decided that he could not stay in government under those circumstances,” said Williams.

“Well, God bless him. … It takes a lot of guts.”