PART I
ORGANIZATION AND WORK OF THE THIRD MEETING
A. Introduction
1. The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction provides in Article 11, paragraphs 1 and 2, that:
"The States Parties shall meet regularly in order to consider any matter with regard to the application or implementation of this Convention, including:
(a) The operation and status of this Convention;
(b) Matters arising from the reports submitted under the provisions of this Convention;
(c) International cooperation and assistance in accordance with Article 6;
(d) The development of technologies to clear anti-personnel mines;
(e) Submissions of States Parties under Article 8; and
(f) Decisions relating to submissions of States Parties as provided for in Article 5"; and,
Meetings subsequent to the First Meeting of the States Parties "shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations annually until the first Review Conference".
2. At its fifty-fifth session, the General Assembly of the United Nations in resolution 55/33 V requested the Secretary-General, "in accordance with Article 11, paragraph 2, of the Convention, to undertake the preparations necessary to convene the Third Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention at Managua, from 18 to 21 September 2001, and, on behalf of States Parties and according to Article 11, paragraph 4, of the Convention, to invite States not parties to the Convention, as well as the United Nations, other relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organizations to attend the Meeting as observers".
3. To prepare for the Third Meeting, the Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, established by the First Meeting of the States Parties, held two meetings, to which all interested States Parties, States not parties to the Convention, as well as the United Nations, other relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and relevant non-governmental organizations were encouraged to attend.
4. The first meeting of the Standing Committee was held on 8 December 2000. During the meeting, participants considered a number of issues relating to the organization of the Third Meeting, including a draft provisional agenda, a draft programme of work, draft rules of procedure and provisional estimated costs for convening the Third Meeting. No objections were raised in connection with the proposals made with respect to the draft rules of procedure, draft provisional agenda, draft programme of work and the venue for the Third Meeting, and it was agreed that they, along with all other conference documents with the exception of reports submitted under Article 7 of the Convention, would be finalized in all six languages of the Convention to be put before the Third Meeting. It was also agreed that the record of work of the four Standing Committees would be communicated to the Third Meeting in the form of a five-page report prepared by each Committee.
5. The second meeting of the Standing Committee was held on 11 May 2001. During the meeting, no objections were made with respect to the provisional estimated costs, and it was agreed that they would be put before the Third Meeting.
6. Between the Second and the Third Meetings of the States Parties, the Standing Committees received considerable support from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). States Parties expressed their appreciation for this assistance and the GICHD’s contribution to the successful operation of the intersessional work programme. In addition, States Parties recognized that the work of the Standing Committees benefited greatly from the active participation of relevant non-governmental, regional and international organizations. States Parties expressed their gratitude to these organizations for their substantive involvement in the intersessional work programme.
7. The opening of the Third Meeting was preceded by a ceremony at which statements were delivered by the following: Francisco Xavier Aguirre Sacasa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua; Colonel William McDonough with a message of the Secretary-General from the OAS; Jesus Martinez, a landmine survivor from El Salvador, with a message from Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan; Enrique Larenas, father of a landmine survivor in Chile, Juan Carlos Varela, deminer of the Nicaraguan Army and landmine survivor; Pablo Ubilla, President of the National Post Office of Nicaragua; Gema María Peña Navarrete, winner of the organized painting contest; and Arnoldo Aleman, President of the Republic of Nicaragua. In addition, Jonas Patin, an indigenous Nicaraguan and landmine survivor introduced the documentary entitled "Mine victims in Nicaragua" in his native Misquito language. The ceremony served to remind States Parties of the central importance of supporting the care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration, of landmine survivors.
B. Organization of the Third Meeting
8. The Third Meeting was opened on 18 September 2001 by the President of the Second Meeting of the States Parties, Ambassador Steffen Kongstad of Norway. The Third Meeting elected by acclamation Francisco Xavier Aguirre Sacasa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua, as its President in accordance with rule 7 of the draft rules of procedure.
9. At the opening session, a message addressed to the Third Meeting by the Secretary-General of the United Nations was read by Under Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala, and a statement was made by Jody Williams, Ambassador for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
10. At its first plenary meeting on 18 September 2001, the Third Meeting adopted its agenda as contained in document APLC/MSP.3/2001/L.1. On the same occasion, the Third Meeting adopted its rules of procedure as contained in document APLC/MSP.3/2001/L.3, the estimated costs for convening the Third Meeting as contained in document APLC/MSP.3/2001/L.4, and its programme of work as contained in document APLC/MSP.3/2001/L.2.
11. Also at its first plenary meeting, representatives from Belgium, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Slovakia and Zimbabwe were elected by acclamation as Vice-Presidents of the Third Meeting.
12. The Meeting unanimously confirmed the nomination of Mrs. Bertha Marina Argüello, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nicaragua, as the Secretary-General of the Meeting. The Meeting also took note that the Republic of Nicaragua had appointed Mr. Kerry Brinkert as Deputy Secretary-General.
C. Participation in the Third Meeting
15. Eleven signatories that have not ratified the Convention participated in the Meeting as observers, in accordance with Article 11, paragraph 4, of the Convention and rule 1, paragraph 1 of the rules of procedure of the Meeting: Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Greece, Indonesia, Lithuania, Poland and Sudan.
D. Work of the Third Meeting
23. At the fifth plenary meeting, on 20 September 2001, the Meeting reviewed the general status and operation of the Convention, expressing satisfaction that 120 States have formally accepted the obligations of the Convention, that 30 States Parties have completed destruction of stockpiled anti-personnel mines and a further 17 States Parties are in the process of stockpile destruction. The Meeting also expressed that the new international norm established by the Convention is taking hold as demonstrated by the behaviour of many States not parties to the Convention. The Meeting also expressed satisfaction that efforts to implement the Convention are making a difference, with considerable areas of mined land having been cleared over the past year, with casualty rates having been reduced in several of the world’s most mine-affected States, and with more and better efforts being undertaken to assist landmine victims.
24. At the fifth plenary meeting, on 20 September 2001, the Meeting considered the submission of requests under Article 5 of the Convention. The President notified the Meeting that he had not been informed that any State wished to make such a request at the Third Meeting. The Meeting took note of this.
25. At the same plenary, the Meeting considered the submission of requests under Article 8 of the Convention. The President notified the Meeting that he had not been informed that any State wished to make such a request at the Third Meeting. The Meeting took note of this.
26. In addition, within the framework of the sixth and seventh plenary meetings, the Meeting held informal consultations on international cooperation and assistance in accordance with Article 6 on the following topics: mine clearance and related technologies; victim assistance, socio-economic reintegration and mine awareness; and the destruction of stockpiled anti-personnel mines. These consultations involved a review of the work of the relevant Standing Committees, as recorded in their reports contained in Annex III, with a focus on the actions recommended by the Committees.
E. Decisions and recommendations
27. At its fifth plenary meeting, on 20 September 2001, the Meeting considered matters arising from and in the context of reports to be submitted under Article 7, including matters pertaining to the reporting process. States Parties expressed their continued satisfaction with the technical ways and means of circulating reports as adopted at the First Meeting and as amended at the Second Meeting. States Parties encouraged the submission of reports electronically and, when submitting an annual update, the highlighting of changes in relation to earlier reports. In addition, States Parties recognized and expressed their appreciation for the efforts of Belgium and the non-governmental organization VERTIC to develop and distribute an Article 7 reporting guide. States Parties also encouraged the use of optional Form J, especially for matters such as victim assistance programmes and mine action funding.
28. Further to the recommendations made by the Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, the Meeting recognized the continuing importance of the intersessional work programme. States Parties accepted the minor change to the structure of the intersessional work programme with the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance and Related Technologies becoming the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Awareness and Mine Action Technologies and the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance, Socio-Economic Reintegration and Mine Awareness becoming the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration. In addition, pursuant to further consultations the following States Parties were identified as the Committee Co-Chairs and Co-Rapporteurs until the end of the 4th Meeting of the States Parties:
- Mine Clearance, Mine Awareness and Mine Action Technologies: Germany and Yemen (Co-Chairs); Belgium and Kenya (Co-Rapporteurs);
- Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration: Canada and Honduras (Co-Chairs); Colombia and France (Co-Rapporteurs);
- Stockpile Destruction: Australia and Croatia (Co-Chairs); Romania and Switzerland (Co-Rapporteurs);
29. States Parties recognized the value and importance of the Coordinating Committee in the effective functioning and implementation of the Convention and requested that the Coordinating Committee consider further improvements in the format, timing and work of the Standing Committees in order to ensure the identification of concrete and practical outcomes. States Parties agreed that the President, as chairperson of the Coordinating Committee, would report on its functioning to the intersessional meetings and also to the annual meetings of States Parties.
30. The Meeting also noted the work undertaken by interested States Parties through the establishment of a sponsorship programme had helped to ensure more widespread representation at meetings of the Convention.
31. States Parties endorsed, and expressed satisfaction with, the work of the Standing Committees, warmly welcoming the reports of the Standing Committees, as contained in Annex III. The Meeting was in general agreement with the recommendations made by the Standing Committees and urged States Parties and all other relevant parties, where appropriate, to act with urgency on these recommendations.
32. At its final plenary meeting, on 21 September 2001, the Meeting agreed that the 4th Meeting of the States Parties would be held from 16 to 20 September 2002 in Geneva, Switzerland, and nominated Ambassador Jean Lint of Belgium as President of the Fourth Meeting of States Parties.
33. States Parties endorsed the President’s Paper on the Establishment of an Implementation Support Unit, as contained in Annex II to this report. States Parties warmly welcomed the establishment, within the GICHD, of an Implementation Support Unit to further enhance the operation and the implementation of the Convention. States Parties expressed their appreciation to the GICHD for its cooperation in the establishment of this unit, encouraged States in a position to do so to make voluntary contributions in support of the unit and mandated the President of the Third Meeting, in consultation with the Coordinating Committee, to finalise an agreement with the GICHD on the functioning of the unit.
F. Documentation
36. A list of documents of the Third Meeting is contained in Annex I to this report.
G. Adoption of the Final Report and conclusion of the Third Meeting
37. At its seventh and final plenary meeting, on 21 September 2001, the Meeting adopted its draft Final Report, contained in document APLC/MSP.3/2001/L.7.