THE MINE BAN TREATY AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE

AMÉLIE CHAYER, INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES

For the past ten years, the Mine Ban Treaty has proven to be a solid treaty with a model record of implementation. Its ability to continue to garner respect from the international community depends largely on the willingness of its 156 States Parties to defend its integrity when needed, and on the relentless efforts by civil society to promote and monitor its implementation. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) participated as an observer to the 9th Meeting of the States Parties (9MSP) held at the Palais des Nations from 24– 28 November, and called on all States Parties to keep their word to honour and uphold the treaty, to speak out when abuses are observed, and to reconfirm their commitment to its provisions until it is fully and universally implemented.

Mine Clearance Deadline Extensions Granted After Careful Study
At the 9MSP, for the first time, States Parties had to decide whether to grant extensions to fifteen states unable to meet their 2009 deadline for mine clearance. The requests, submitted earlier in 2008 were first examined by a group of States Parties, with advice from external experts including the ICBL.

Under intense pressure from the States Parties and civil society, the United Kingdom announced that it would immediately begin demining the Falkland Islands and reaffirmed its commitment to their full clearance as soon as possible. This was the most contentious issue under study at the meeting, as the UK has still to clear a single mined area since joining the treaty in 1999. Under threat of a possible rejection of their extension request, the UK also agreed to provide to States Parties no later than June 2010 “a detailed explanation of how demining is proceeding and the implications for future demining”, plus to report on a regular basis about concrete progress made. The UK was, however, granted the requested extension.

Mine clearance deadline extensions were also granted to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Jordan, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal, Thailand, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe. “The process to grant these extensions was ultimately taken seriously by all parties, though we regret that the final decisions did not always apply the same vigorous standards to all”, said Steve Goose, head of the ICBL delegation. “We felt that Venezuela got off rather easily given the fact that it, like the UK, has not begun any demining operations in the past 9 years.” States Parties did officially encourage Venezuela, as well as Ecuador, Peru, Senegal, and the UK, to complete demining in less time than they were granted.

Three States Pressed on their Violation of the Stockpile Destruction Deadline
States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty and civil society pressed Belarus, Greece, Turkey to move quickly to finish destroying their mine stockpiles, which should have been destroyed by 1 March. In response, Greece announced it had started stockpile destruction and intended to finish in mid-2009, and Turkey stated that it has destroyed almost 800,000 mines in 2008 and aimed to finish destruction in early 2010. Belarus, however, could only report on slow progress in negotiating an agreement for international assistance from the European Commission.

Victim Assistance – True Progress on the Ground Still Needed
Fifteen mine survivors from the ICBL delegation urged the States Parties with the greatest number of survivors to take concrete actions to ensure that real progress on the ground is made by the next treaty meeting, and especially to answer the need for socioeconomic inclusion of survivors in addition to medical assistance. They deplored that victim assistance remains seen as a lower priority than stockpile destruction and demining programs. Along with official victim assistance experts from twenty-one States Parties with the greatest number of survivors, they participated in the parallel program organized by the Treaty’s Implementation Support Unit and side events organized by the ICBL. Over the course of the week, the indepth sessions allowed for the twenty-three ICBL victim assistance focal points to share their valuable experience and ideas, and to offer support to improve the lives of survivors by working alongside governments to implement their 2004– 2009 plans of action. They also urged states to prepare ambitious and realistic plans for the next five years, based on lessons learned.

Action-Oriented Exchanges Between Governments and Civil Society
A rich program of lunchtime side events provided the opportunity for government representatives, UN agencies and civil society members working in the field to openly and informally discuss progress, challenges and good practices for achieving the aims of the treaty. ICBL-sponsored side events included discussions on challenges to humanitarian mine action and victim assistance in Colombia; inclusive education in mine-affected countries; mine action in Nepal ; engaging with non-state armed groups ; a forward-looking briefing on the new Convention on Cluster Munitions; as well as a presentation of the major findings of the Landmine Monitor Report 2008 – the ICBL’s monitoring initiative that reports on ban policy, demining, casualties, risk education, victim assistance and support for mine action in 120 countries and areas.

Public mobilization and awareness have always been key to the success of the mine ban movement, and this year again Genevois and Genevoises took part in the event through an urban installation on rue du Marché, featuring cryptograms and road signs emphasising the struggle against antipersonnel mines by the artists’ association Imaginaid; a dance performance under the Broken Chair by Foofwa d’Imobilité and its company; and a photo exhibition by Raphaël Dallaporta, on display until 31 January 2009 at the Galerie Imaginaid.

Additional information:
9MSP on the ICBL website: www.icbl.org/treaty/meetings/9msp

Official 9MSP website: www.apminebanconvention.org/meetings-of-the-states-parties/9msp

Antipersonnel 1:1 photo exhibition, until 31 January 2009 at the Galerie Imaginaid, 28 rue des Grottes, 1201 Geneva: www.imaginaid.org