ICBL briefing for the opening of the Fourth Meeting
of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty
WHAT: media briefing for the opening of the Fourth
Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty
WHEN: 10h00, Monday 16 September
WHERE: Building E, Room 24, UN Palais des Nations,
Geneva.
WHO
Stephen Goose, Head of ICBL Delegation to the Meeting;
Jody Williams, ICBL Ambassador and co-recipient with the ICBL of the 1997
Nobel Peace Prize; and
representatives from Nicaragua and Belgium, outgoing and incoming
Presidents of the Meeting of States Parties.
BACKGROUND
The annual Fourth Meeting of States Parties (16 - 20 September at the
Palais des Nations in Geneva) is the principal event on the landmine calendar,
addressing implementation of the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the
Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their
Destruction (or Mine Ban Treaty). There will be Government delegations from
most of the 125 States Parties to the convention, and observers from
Governments in signatory and non-signatory countries, plus more than 100
campaigners, deminers, landmine survivors, researchers and other experts from
dozens of countries. See: Schedule of Media Events for information on the
Opening Ceremony and other highlights of the week.
The ICBL, together with the outgoing and the incoming Presidents of the
Meeting, will brief the media on the progress made since the treaty
negotiation just five years ago and their expectations for the Meeting and
beyond. The campaign, which has lobbied for a global prohibition of
antipersonnel landmines since the early 1990's and won the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1997, has official representation at the Meeting.
There will be a photo opportunity with Jody Williams immediately after the
briefing (at 11h30) in the gardens of the Palais or nearby. Exact location to
be announced.
CONTACTS For more information or media interviews with
Stephen Goose, Jody Williams and campaigners, deminers, landmine survivors and
researchers from different countries, please write to media@icbl.org or contact: Sue Wixley:
+ 41 (079) 470 1637 and Liz Bernstein: + 41 (079) 470 1634. Also: Sylvie Brigot
(français), + 41 (079) 470 1643, Charlie Avendaño (español): + 41 79 470 16 35
and Mary Wareham (Landmine Monitor): + 41 (079) 470 1642.
See: www.icbl.org/lm/2002 for Landmine Monitor
Report 2002 (to be released 13 September) and www.icbl.org/4msp for more about the Fourth
Meeting of States Parties. For media accreditation, contact: Ms Catherine
Fegli, Room C-203, Palais des Nations, Geneva. Tel: +41 22 917 23 13, fax: +41
22 917 00
73.