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THURSDAY 7 JUNE AND FRIDAY 8 JUNE1. Opening of the meetingAmbassador Suraya Dalil of Afghanistan, President of the Seventeenth Meeting of the States Parties (17MSP) and Ambassador Stefano Toscano, Director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) delivered opening remarks: 2. Matters related to the mandate of the Committee on Victim AssistanceThe Chair of the Committee on Victim Assistance, Belgium, and the members of the Committee, Croatia, Ecuador and Mozambique, presented the Committee's activities and preliminary observations. The following States Parties that have indicated that they are responsible for significant numbers of landmine survivors responded to the Committee’s preliminary observations and/or provided updates on their efforts:
The following State Party provided a written submission on matters related to victim assistance: The following other delegations shared views and information on matters related to victim assistance: 3. Matters related to the mandate of the Committee on Article 5 ImplementationThe Chair of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Switzerland, and the members of the Committee, Chile, Colombia and the Netherlands presented the Committee’s activities and preliminary observations. Six States Parties which have submitted a request for extension of their Article 5 deadlines for consideration at the Seventeenth Meeting of the States Parties presented highlights of their requests: The presentations from these States Parties were followed by comments from the following delegations: On the request submitted by Bosnia and Herzegovina: GICHD, ICBL and MAG. On the request submitted by Croatia: ICBL. On the request submitted by Cyprus: Turkey and ICBL. On the request submitted by Serbia: ICBL. On the request submitted by Sudan: GICHD and the ICBL. On the requets submitted by the United Kingdom: ICBL.
One State Party which was due to submit a request provided an update: Ukraine's presentation was followed by comments from the following delegations:
The following States Parties which had been requested to submit updated work plans in accordance with decisions on their extension requests presented an overview of their updated work plan: The following States Parties with Article 5 deadlines in 2020 provided updates on progress to meet their deadlines: The following States Parties that are in the process of implementing Article 5 engaged with the Committee's preliminary observations and / or provided updates on their efforts: The following delegations shared views on matters related to Article 5 implementation:
4. Matters related to the mandate of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and AssistanceThe Chair of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance, Canada, and the Committee members, Algeria, Sweden and Thailand, presented the Committee’s activities and preliminary observations. The following delegations shared views on matters related to cooperation and assistance:
5. Matters related to the mandate of the Committee on Cooperative ComplianceThe Chair of the Committee on Cooperative Compliance, the 17MSP President, presented the Committee's activities and preliminary observations. The following delegations responded to the Committee’s preliminary observations and or shared views on matters related to cooperative compliance: 6. Thematic Panel: Implementation of Article 5 of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban ConventionThe Chair of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Mr. Vincent Choffat of Switzerland, moderated a panel discussion on the implementation of Article 5 aiming to recall and reinforce the understandings adopted by the States Parties on the implementation of Article 5, including for situations in which previously unknown mined areas, including newly mined areas, are discovered after deadlines have passed. In addition, the Panel aimed to reinforce the understanding on how improvised anti-personnel mines are dealt with in the context of the implementation of the Convention. Since the entry into force of the Convention in 1999, States Parties have taken a number of decisions to ensure a common unequivocal understanding of what it means to implement the mine clearance obligations under Article 5. The Panel underlined these common understandings and examined their practical implementation through two thematic presentations provided by States Parties followed by a discussion. The Panel features a presentation from the Implementation Support Unit which summarised the understandings adopted by the States Parties on "what it means to implement Article 5 of the Convention" and how to proceed if previously unknown mined areas are discovred after deadlines have passed. Mozambique shared its experience on identifying a previously unknown mined area and how it dealt with it in the context of the Convention. Colombia provided a presentation on how it addressed improvised anti-personnel mines as part of its Article 5 obligations. The following delegations shared views on the topic of the panel:
7a. UniversalizationThe 17MSP President presented the activities she undertook on universalization since the beginning of the year. The 17MSP President also presented a document on the status of universalization. The following delegations shared views and information on matters related to the universalization of the Convention: 7b. Stockpile destructionThe 17MSP President presented its activities and preliminary observations on stockpile destruction. The following States Parties which have missed their Article 4 deadline responded to the President's observations and / or provided updates on the status of their stockpile destruction programme: The following State Party in the process of carrying out its stockpile destruction activities presented on progress in meeting its stockpile destruction obligations: The following States Parties and organisations shared views on matters related to stockpile destruction:
No discovery of previously unknown stockpiled anti-personnel mines was provided. The following States Parties which have indicated that they are retaining anti-personnel mines for permitted purposes provided updates: 7c. ReportingThe 17MSP President provided an update on her activities related to reporting since the beginning of the year. In addition, she took stock of the situation concerning transparency reporting and in this regard highlighted the following persistent challenges: the rate of reporting and the quality of reporting. The 17MSP President also provided an update on the use of the Guide to Reporting.
No delegation shared views on matters related to reporting. 7d. Preparations for the Seventeenth Meeting of the States Parties (17MSP)7di. Presentation of a draft programme of work for the 17MSPThe 17MSP President presented a draft agenda and draft programme of work for the Seventeenth Meeting of the States Parties.
In addition, the 17MSP President provided an update on preparations for the 17MSP. 7dii. Update on preparations for the 17MSPThe 17MSP Secretary-General Designate, Switzerland, provided an update on the preparations for the 17MSP. One State Party took the floor on this matter: 7diii. 17MSP financial and organisational mattersThe 17MSP Executive-Secretary provided an overview of the status of assessed contributions for the Seventeenth Meeting of the States Parties. 7div. Update on the Sponsorship ProgrammeAustralia, in its capacity as Coordinator of the Convention's Sponsorship Programme provided an update on the programme. 7v. Proposed dates for the Convention's 2019 meetingsThe 17MSP President recalled that on 9 May 2018, Norway made the offer to host and preside over the Fourth Review Conference in 2019. Norway took the floor to confirm its candidature and indicated that the proposed location and dates of the Fourth Review Conference would be as follows: Oslo, week of 25 November 2019. Norway also announced tentative dates for the 2019 intersessional meetings: 22 to 24 May 2019. Norway also indicated that in the lead up to the Fourth Review Conference, it will be engaging various stakeholders through a preparatory process and consultations, in line with Norway's emphasis on partnerships. 7vi. Efforts to propose a set of office holders for election at the 17MSPThe 17MSP President recalled that eight new Committee members will need to be elected at the Seventeenth Meeting of the States Parties and reminded delegations to notify her of their interest by 13 July 2018. 8. Implementation Support Unit8i. Update on the activities and finances of the ISUThe ISU Director presented its update on the activities of finances of the ISU. The following delegation shared views on matters related to the Implementation Support Unit: 8ii.Update on the Pledging ConferenceThe 17MSP presented an update on the Pledging Conference. 9. Closing remarksThe intersessional meetings were closed by the 17MSP President.
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