National Focal Point Japan

TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

CHEMIN DES FINS 3 - P.O. BOX 131
1211 GENEVA 19 (SWITZERLAND)
TEL (022) 717 34 44
FAX (022) 788 38 18

Geneva, March 21^st, 2001

The Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, in its capacity as Co-Chair of the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance, Socio-Economic Reintegration and Mine Awareness presents its compliments to the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction, on the occasion of submitting the Report for the Meeting of the Standing Committee held in Geneva on December 4-5, 2000.

In the context of agreements made during the last Meeting of the Standing Committee, Japan and Nicaragua, in their capacity as Co-Chairs of this Standing Committee, would like to encourage States Parties, particularly mine-affected and donor States, to designate a focal point or focal points for matters pertaining to landmine victim assistance. The intention is that designated individuals would serve as principal points for the receipt and transmission of relevant information both flowing from the work of the Standing Committee and disseminated by others working on victim assistance initiatives. Japan and Nicaragua would be grateful if contact information for focal points could be submitted either to the Delegation of Japan or the Permanent Mission of Nicaragua in Geneva by April 23, 2001.

Similarly, in order to increase the information available on victim assistance needs and programs, Japan and Nicaragua would like to encourage that States Parties fill out the Form J section of the Article 7 reporting format, adopted at the Second Meeting of States Parties, as a means to include issues not specified under the obligatory forms in the reporting process. To facilitate this task, States may consider using as guidance the advice provided to the Standing Committee by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) Working Group on Victim Assistance (Attached).

In addition, Japan and Nicaragua encourage all interested parties to make available information on any victim assistance programs to the ICBL Working Group on Victim Assistance in order that this information be included in the next edition of the Victim Assistance Portfolio to be published for the Third Meeting of States Parties to be held in Managua, Nicaragua in September 2001.

The Delegation of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, in its capacity as Co-Chair of the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance, Socio-Economic Reintegration and Mine Awareness avails itself of this opportunity to renew the assurances of its highest consideration.

States Parties to the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling and Transfer of
Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction