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WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL AND FRIDAY 11 APRIL1. Opening of the intersessional meetingsThe meeting was opened by Ambassador Boudjemâa Delmi of Algeria, President of the Thirteenth Meeting of the States Parties, and, Ambassador Stefano Toscano, Director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). 2. Overview of the general status of the ConventionThe President of the Thirteenth Meeting of the States Parties (13MSP), H.E. Boudjemâa Delmi provided an overview of the general status of implementation of the Convention. In addition, the following delegations shared general views: Belgium, the European Union and Indonesia. 3. ComplianceThe Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, Belgium and New Zealand recalled that the 13MSP expressed concern about the allegations of use of anti-personnel mines in different parts of the world and reaffirmed the determination of the States Parties to the Convention to put an end to the suffering and casualties caused by these weapons. With regard to the breach of the Convention in “Wadi Bani Jarmouz” in Yemen, the 13MSP warmly welcomed the commitment of Yemen to provide to the States Parties, through the President, an interim report by 31 March 2014, and a final report by 31 December 2014, on (a) the status and outcomes of Yemen’s investigation, (b) the identification of those responsible for deploying anti-personnel mines, and subsequent measures taken, (c) information on the source of the anti-personnel mines and how those mines were obtained, particularly given that Yemen had long ago reported the destruction of all stockpiles, (d) the destruction of any additional stocks discovered and the clearance of the mined areas in question, and (e) action to prevent and suppress any possible future prohibited activities undertaken by persons or on territory under its jurisdiction or control.
The following delegations provided updates or share views on compliance matters: Yemen, Canada, UNMAS, Austria, the ICBL, Ukraine, Afghanistan, the ICRC, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belarus, Australia and Turkey. 4. Updates by States Parties that have submitted requests for extended mine clearance deadlinesThe Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Japan and Mozambique indicated that it is anticipated that five States Parties – the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Yemen and Zimbabwe – will request extended mine clearance deadlines for consideration at the Third Review Conference. These States Parties were invited to share highlights of their requests with the Standing Committee, including by concisely addressing the following questions: 1) What has been accomplished since entry into force / since the last request for an extended deadline was granted in terms of the number of mined areas and the total area that has been cleared or released? 2) What remains to be done? How many mined areas containing or suspected to contain anti-personnel mines remain and what total amount of area remains to be addressed? If your State does not have clarity regarding the remaining state of contamination, what is it doing to acquire such clarity? 3) What is your State’s plan to address the remaining implementation challenge? What is your State’s proposed time-frame for completion of implementation? 4) Does your State have the resources to implement the plan in your State’s Article 5 extension request and, if not, what are your State’s needs? Yemen delivered a presentation, which was followed by comments by Norway, the ICBL and ICRC. Zimbabwe delivered a presentation, which was followed by comments by the ICBL. Eritrea delivered a presentation, which was followed by comments by the ICBL. The DRC delivered a presentation, which was followed by comments by the ICRC, the ICBL and Norway. Ethiopia delivered a presentation, which was followed by comments by the ICBL. 5. Updates by States Parties on mine clearance pursuant to past decisions of the States Parties and by States Parties that intend to complete implementation of Article 5 in 2014Presided over by the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Japan and Mozambique. In addition to Burundi, which has indicated that it intends to complete implementation in 2014, the following five States Parties are were invited to provide updates pursuant to decisions of the States Parties on their extension requests: Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Mozambique and Niger: The Co-Chairs recalled that Burundi has an Article 5 deadline that occurs on 1 April 2014 and had indicated at the 13MSP that it would complete by its deadline. Burundi announced completion of implementation of Article 5 of the Convention, becoming the 28th State Party to do so. In response to Burundi’s announcement, the ICBL and Switzerland shared views. The Co-Chairs recalled that the Second Review Conference noted Cambodia’s commitment to carry out a “Baseline Survey” of all affected districts by the end of 2012 to produce greater clarity on the remaining implementation challenge … and to provide to the States Parties a revised work plan, schedule and budget. Cambodia provided an update. In response, the ICBL shared views. The Co-Chairs recalled that the 13MSP requested that Chad submit to the President, by the Third Review Conference, a clear and detailed national survey and clearance plan leading to completion with this plan addressing information discrepancies in the extension request. Chad provided an update. The Co-Chairs recalled that the 10MSP requested that Colombia present a revised implementation plan that contains and takes into account a clearer and more substantiated understanding of the location and nature of contamination and that includes revised annual projections of which areas would be addressed when and how. Colombia provided an update. The Co-Chairs recalled that the 13MSP requested that Mozambique report to the States Parties, by 1 March 2014, on the following: (i) progress regarding the projection in the request that the 221 mined areas totalling 8,266,841 square meters (as of 31 August 2013) would be reduced to 100 tasks totalling 4,019,852 by 1 March 2014; (ii) time-bound benchmarks for progress for the extension period; (iii) progress in concluding a cooperation agreement with Zimbabwe; (iv) whether the demining efforts again had been affected by instances of “temporary insecurity”; (v) the role of the Mozambican Armed Defence Forces in supporting completion of Article 5 implementation; and, (vi) resources obtained relative to needs expressed in the request, including resources provided by the Government of Mozambique itself. Mozambique presented its progress report. In response, the ICBL shared views.
The Co-Chairs recalled that the 13MSP requested that Niger inform the States Parties, by mid-2014, of (i) the circumstances that led to anti-personnel mines being used in Niger, (ii) the methods used to identify the area known and areas suspected to contain anti-personnel mines taking into account the United Nations’ International Mine Action Standard’s emphasis on a basis of evidence for defining “suspected hazardous areas”, and (iii) humanitarian, social, economic, and environmental implications. Niger provided an update. In response, the ICBL and France shared views. In addition to the States Parties invited by the Co-Chairs to provide updates, updates were also provided by Algeria and Sudan. 6. Update on the Bridges between Worlds conference on assisting victims of mines and other explosive remnants of war in broader contextsPresided over by the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance, Austria and Costa Rica. Colombia provided an update on the global conference, Bridges between Worlds.
In response to the update provided by Colombia, the European Union and UNMAS shared views. 7. Updates by States Parties that have missed their deadlines for Article 4 implementationPresided over by the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Norway and Poland. The three States Parties, Belarus, Greece, and Ukraine, which have missed their deadlines for Article 4 implementation and which, as of the 13MSP, were still in the process of implementation, provided updates. In response, the following delegations shared views and information: the ICBL, the USA, the ICRC, Germany, the European Union and Lithuania. 8. Previously unknown stockpiled anti-personnel minesPresided over by the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Norway and Poland. The Co-Chairs raised the matter of previously unknown stockpiled anti-personnel mines. No delegation took the floor to discuss this matter. 9. Update on the activities of the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Resources, Cooperation and AssistancePresided over by the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Resources, Cooperation and Assistance, Ecuador and Indonesia. The Implementation Support Unit provided an update on the Platform for Partnerships information exchange tool, recalling that the Co-Chairs have invited all States Parties to share information on available assistance and that the Co-Chairs have extended the trial phase of the Platform for Partnerships until the Third Review Conference. The following delegations shared views or information on the matter of cooperation and assistance: Ecuador, Peru, UNMAS, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Germany. The Co-Chairs informed delegations of an event that they will convene on 20 May in Geneva.
10. Any other businessPresided over by Ambassador Boudjemâa Delmi of Algeria, President of the Thirteenth Meeting of the States Parties. The Director of the Implementation Support unit provided an update on ISU finances and activities.
11. Closure of the intersessional meetings Ambassador Boudjemâa Delmi of Algeria, President of the Thirteenth Meeting of the States Parties, closed the 2014 intersessional meetings. |