Geneva, Switzerland
[Note: Other speakers were Ambassador Caroline Millar of Australia (the President of the 7th Meeting) and Kathleen Lawand of the International Committee of the Red Cross]
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) views this as a very successful Meeting of States Parties. Indeed, it was perhaps the most important Meeting of States Parties in many years in that it took some concrete decisions on matters that will facilitate compliance with one the treaty's most important provisions-the requirement to clear all antipersonnel minefields within ten years.
The Meeting correctly focused on the looming mine clearance deadlines, the first of which occur in 2009. The emphasis was correctly on the importance of as many countries meeting the deadline as possible, though much attention was also given to the appropriate way to ask for and approve of extension requests, as permitted by the treaty.
States Parties agreed on three proposals related to the deadlines: a standardized method of officially reporting completion of mine clearance obligations; a process to ensure that there are as few extension requests as possible, and that extensions are given for the shortest possible period, to those states that have made their best efforts to meet the deadline; and a template for requesting extensions that requires details on efforts made to meet the deadline and on concrete plans to complete clearance. Both mine-affected and non-mine-affected states agreed that extensions should not be considered automatic.
The Meeting once again demonstrated that the Mine Ban Treaty is thriving at a time when disarmament efforts in general are floundering around the world. It showed that the Ottawa Process, in which NGOs are given a prominent role, working in partnership with governments to achieve a common humanitarian aim, is alive and kicking. It demonstrated that the treaty is the global focal point not just for banning the weapon, but also for mine action-demining, risk education, and victim assistance.
The Meeting reaffirmed the commitment of States Parties to effective implementation of the treaty, and to its full universalization. The primary document to emerge from the Meeting, the Geneva Progress Report, is a strong document that highlights the advances made in the past year, but more importantly sets out the plans and priorities for the next year.
There were several notable and newsworthy announcements during the Meeting. Macedonia announced that it completed the clearance of all of its minefields on 15 September. Latvia announced that it completed the destruction of its antipersonnel mine stockpile on 2 August, the 75th State Party to do so; only 12 still have stocks to destroy. Serbia stated it had now destroyed more than one million stockpiled mines and would finish ahead of its deadline. Macedonia and Moldova declared that they were destroying all of the antipersonnel mines they previously were going to keep for training purposes.
Indonesia and Palau stated that they would be joining the Mine Ban Treaty soon; Indonesia reported that its ratification document had been submitted to Parliament and Palau reported that it had concluded a study of its Compact of Free Association with the United States and determined the compact did not preclude Palau's accession to the treaty. Morocco said that it is in de facto compliance with the treaty and announced that it has submitted a voluntary Article 7 transparency report as a sign of its commitment.
The ICBL welcomed the decision to hold the 8th Meeting of States Parties in Jordan in November 2007. The ICBL strongly supports holding the annual meetings in mine-affected countries, and in addition, the Middle East is a region of high priority because of the limited number of States Parties from there.
The level of participation in the Meeting was impressive. A total of 122 of the 151 States Parties attended. More than 20 non-States Parties participated as observers, including some of the most notable hold-outs, such as China, India, Pakistan, Burma, Cuba, Egypt, and Iraq. This was the first time Pakistan participated in a Mine Ban Treaty annual meeting.
Non-governmental organizations, under the umbrella of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, played an extensive role in the planning, preparations, and substantive business of the 7th Meeting of States Parties. More than 100 ICBL representatives participated, including at least 18 mine survivors. The ICBL intervened on nearly every agenda item.
But there were some disappointments as well. There was very little discussion about sometimes controversial, long-standing issues regarding inconsistent interpretation and implementation of certain provisions of the treaty by States Parties. These include such things as applicability of the treaty to antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes (for example, tripwires and tilt rods), and States Parties' obligations if engaged in joint military operations with an armed force that may use antipersonnel mines.
We were also disappointed that there were not any concrete new funding announcements, especially in light of this year's Landmine Monitor finding that donor contributions to mine action globally dropped for the first time from 2004 to 2005. Australia did reiterate its earlier announcement of a new five-year pledge at higher levels than previously, and Norway indicated it would maintain its high level of funding.
It is clear that States Parties still have much more to do in the area of victim assistance. While progress is being made, statements during the Meeting also indicated that too many states still lack national action plans for victim assistance, that there is too little coordination, and too little funding.
Finally, it was regrettable that the Meeting did not, as was often the case in the past, spur new ratifications or accessions to the Mine Ban Treaty. Many states are moving closer to the Mine Ban Treaty, as evidenced by their participation here this week, but they need to take the final step and join the large community of nations truly committed to eradication of antipersonnel mines and their pernicious impact on civilians around the world.
