Day 4 | Friday 30 November

9. Consideration of the status and operation of the Convention

9.e. Destroying stockpiled anti-personnel mines (continued)

The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning stockpile destruction: Belarus, Netherlands, Norway and ICBL.

9.f. Universalizing the Convention

The President provided an update on the status of universalization of the Convention.

• Status of universalization of the Convention

H.R.H. Prince Mired Raad Zeid Al-Hussein of Jordan, the Convention's Special Envoy, provided an update on his activities.

• Statement of the Convention's Special Envoy

The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning universalization: Lebanon, Myanmar, European Union, Ireland, Croatia, Norway, New Zealand, Belgium, ICRC and ICBL.

In addition, the following delegation submitted a written statement on this matter: Argentina.

9.g. Transparency and the exchange of information

The President presented an update on transparency and the exchange of information and encouraged States Parties to make use of all the relevant tools, including the Guide to Reporting, when preparing their annual transparency reports.

• Status of Article 7 reporting

The following delegations shared views or information on matters concerning transparency, including on mines retained for permitted purposes under Article 3: Jordan, Switzerland, Croatia and ICBL.

In addition the following State Party provided an update on the establishment of national implementation measures in accordance with Article 9: Afghanistan.

9.h. Implementation support

9.h.i. Report on ISU activities, functioning and finances and presentation of a work plan and budget for 2019 activities

The ISU Director presented the ISU work plan and budget 2019 and the 17MSP adopted this document.

• ISU work plan and budget 2019

In addition, the ISU Director presented the interim 2018 report on activities and finances and the audited annual financial report for 2017. The 17MSP approved these documents.

• ISU interim 2018 report

• ISU 2017 audited statement

The following delegation shared views on these matters: Canada

9.h.i.i. Other matters concerning implementation support

The meeting considered a number of other matters concerning implementation support, including dates for the intersessional meetings in 2019, the new Committee members and the Convention's Sponsorship Programme.

The 17MSP agreed to hold the 2019 intersessional meetings on 22-24 May 2019 in Geneva.   

In keeping with its mandate, the 17MSP President consulted with States Parties to identify a list of nominees to serve as new Committee members following the 17MSP. The meeting, not precluding any decision that may be made by the Fourth Review Conference concerning the Convention's implementation machinery, agreed on the following proposal:

• Article 5 Implementation: Colombia and the Netherlands until the end of the Fourth Review Conference and Austria and Canada until the end of the Eighteenth Meeting of the States Parties; 
• Victim Assistance: Belgium and Mozambique until the end of the Fourth Review Conference and Chile and Italy until the end of the Eighteenth Meeting of the States Parties; 
• Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance: Sweden and Thailand until the end of the Fourth Review Conference and the United Kingdom and Turkey until the end of the Eighteenth Meeting of the States Parties; 
• Cooperative Compliance: Poland and Zambia until the end of the Fourth Review Conference and Iraq and Switzerland until the end of the Eighteenth Meeting of the States Parties.   

In addition, Australia, in its capacity as Coordinator of the Sponsorship Programme provided an update on the Sponsorship Programme.

• Update of the Sponsorship Programme Coordinator

10. Financial status of assessed contributions to the Meetings of the States Parties

The status of assessed contributions was introduced by UNODA.

• Status of assessed contributions

The following delegations shared views on this matter: European Union, Croatia, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Japan, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, El Salvador and Austria.

10.a. Report on the President's consultations undertaken to strenghten financial predictability and sustainability

The President reported on the outcomes of her consultations and presented her report on the financial predictability and sustainability of United Nations assessed contributions.

• President' report

11. Consideration of requests submitted under Article 5

The meeting took decisions on the requests for extended mine clearance deadlines which had been submitted by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Serbia, Sudan, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. 

• Decisions on the Article 5 request submitted by Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Decisions on the Article 5 request submitted by Croatia
• Decisions on the Article 5 request submitted by Cyprus
• Decisions on the Article 5 request submitted by Serbia
• Decisions on the Article 5 request submitted by Sudan
• Decisions on the Article 5 request submitted by Ukraine
• Decisions on the Article 5 request submitted by the United Kingdom

The delegations of the United Kingdom and Sudan took the floor.

12. Consideration of matters arising from/in the context of reports submitted under Article 7

No delegation took the floor under this agenda item.

13. Consideration of requests submitted under Article 8

No delegation took the floor under this agenda item.

14. Election of the President of the Fourth Review Conference

The Meeting agreed to elect H.E. Hans Brattskar, Ambassador of Norway to the United Nations in Geneva, President of the Fourth Review Conference.

The President of the Fourth Review Conference presented his initial ideas for his presidency and for the Fourth Review Conference.  

• Statement of the President of the Fourth Review Conference

15. Date, duration, location of the Fourth Review Conference, and matters pertaining to the preparations for the Fourth Review Conference

The 17MSP agreed to hold the Fourth Review Conference in Oslo, Norway on 25-29 November 2019.  

The Meeting also agreed to hold the First Preparatory Meeting in advance of the Fourth Review Conference  in Geneva on 24 May 2019 and the Second Preparatory Meeting in Geneva on 18 September 2019. 

In addition, the 17MSP adopted cost estimates for the Fourth Review Conference and preparatory meetings. 

• Estimated costs for the Fourth Review Conference

16. Any other business

The Chair of the Committee on Victim Assistance reported on the outcomes of the 28-29 November 2018 Victim Assistance Experts meeting.

• Statement of the Chair of the Committee on Victim Assistance

Sudan took the floor to express its interest in chairing the Eighteenth Meeting of the States Parties.

• Statement of Sudan

Afghanistan took the floor to announce the next edition of the annual meeting which brings together Afghanistan's donors and implementing partners.

• Statement of Afghanistan

17. Consideration and adoption of the final document

The meeting considered and adopted the final report of the 17MSP.

18. Closure of the Seventeenth Meeting of the States Parties

The 17MSP President read her final declaration and delivered closing remarks.