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-sixth session, the General Assembly of the United Nations in resolution 56/24 M requested the Secretary-General, “in accordance with article 11, paragraph 2, of the Convention, to undertake the preparations necessary to convene the Fourth Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention in Geneva, from 16 to 20 September 2002, 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 Fourth 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 1 February 2002. During the meeting, participants considered a number of issues relating to the organization of the Fourth Meeting, including a draft provisional agenda, a draft programme of work, draft rules of procedure and provisional estimated costs for convening the Fourth 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 Fourth 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 Fourth Meeting. It was also agreed that the record of work of the four Standing Committees would be communicated to the Fourth Meeting in the form of final reports prepared by the Co-Chairs of each Standing Committee.
5. The second meeting of the Standing Committee was held on 27 and 31 May 2002. 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 Fourth Meeting.
6. The opening of the Fourth Meeting was preceded by a ceremony at which statements were delivered by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr. Kaspar Villiger, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Astrid of Belgium. This ceremony also illustrated, through an interpretative dance piece performed by Nomades, the daily terror of landmines faced by thousands throughout the world, and featured testimonies provided by landmine survivors Ms. Felicidade Maria de Jesus from Angola and Mr. Marick Ngueradjim from Chad.
7. The Fourth Meeting was opened on 16 September 2002 by the Vice-President of the Republic of Nicaragua, Mr. José Rizo Castellón, on behalf of the President of the Third Meeting of the States Parties, who also presented the Conference with the “Managua Appeal” which was adopted in Managua on 28 August 2002 at the Conference on Progress in Demining in the Americas (contained in Annex VIII). The Fourth Meeting elected by acclamation Ambassador Jean Lint of Belgium as its President in accordance with rule 7 of the draft rules of procedure.
8. At the opening session, a message addressed to the Fourth Meeting by the Secretary-General of the United Nations was read by Under-Secretary-General and High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, and a statement was made by Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Ambassador for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. In addition, a message of the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross was read by Mr. Jean de Courten.
9. At its first plenary meeting on 16 September 2002, the Fourth Meeting adopted its agenda as contained in document APLC/MSP.4/2002/L.1. On the same occasion, the Fourth Meeting adopted its rules of procedure as contained in document APLC/MSP.4/2002/L.3, the estimated costs for convening the Fourth Meeting as contained in document APLC/MSP.4/2002/L.4, and its programme of work as contained in document APLC/MSP.4/2002/L.2.
10. Also at its first plenary meeting, representatives from Australia, Canada, Croatia, Germany, Honduras, Norway, Thailand and Yemen were elected by acclamation as Vice Presidents of the Fourth Meeting.
11. The Meeting unanimously confirmed the nomination of Ambassador Christian Faessler of Switzerland as the Secretary-General of the Meeting. The Meeting also took note of the appointment by the United Nations Secretary General of Mr. Enrique Roman-Morey, Director of the Geneva Branch of the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs, as Executive Secretary of the Meeting, and the appointment by the President of Mr. Kerry Brinkert, Manager of the Implementation Support Unit, as the President’s Executive Coordinator.
12. Eighty-nine States parties participated in the Meeting: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Macedonia (former Yugoslav Republic of), Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova (Republic of), Monaco, Mozambique, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
13. Five States that had ratified or acceded to the Convention, but for which the Convention had not yet entered into force, 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: Afghanistan, Angola, Cameroon, Comoros and Democratic Republic of Congo.
14. 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: Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Gambia, Greece, Haiti, Lithuania, Poland, Sudan and Ukraine.
15. A further 27 States not parties to 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: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Central African Republic, Cuba, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, and Yugoslavia.
16. Delegation information submitted in accordance with rule 4 of the rules of procedure of the Meeting was received from 132 States mentioned in paragraphs 12 to 15 above.
17. The Meeting took note of the delegation information of the representatives of all of the States mentioned in paragraphs 12 to 15 above.
18. In accordance with article 11, paragraph 4, of the Convention and rule 1, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the rules of procedure, the following international organizations and institutions, regional organizations, entities and non-governmental organizations attended the Meeting as observers: European Commission, European Parliament, Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, International Campaign to Ban Landmines, International Committee of the Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Order of Malta, Organization of American States, International Labour Office, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNICEF, United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and the World Health Organization (WHO). In accordance with rule 1, paragraph 4, the following organizations attended the Meeting as observers at the invitation of the Meeting: Canadian International Demining Corps (Canada), Emergency Life Support for Civilian War Victims (Italy), HAMAP Demineurs - Halte aux Mines Antipersonnel (Switzerland), International Committee for the Respect and Application of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Switzerland), International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (Slovenia), Mine Action Information Centre, James Madison University (United States), NAMSA - the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (Luxembourg), PRIO - International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (Norway), Solidest (Switzerland), South African Institute of International Affairs (South Africa), VERTIC - the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (United Kingdom).
19. A list of all delegations to the Fourth Meeting is contained in documents APLC/MSP.4/2002/INF.2 and APLC/MSP.4/2002/INF.2/Add.1.
20. The Fourth Meeting held eight plenary meetings from 16 to 20 September 2002.
21. The first, second, third and fifth plenary meetings were devoted to the general exchange of views under agenda item 10. Delegations of 50 States parties, 14 observer States and 5 observer organizations made statements in the general exchange of views, including rights of reply.
22. At the fourth plenary meeting, on 18 September 2002, the Meeting reviewed the general status and operation of the Convention, expressing satisfaction that 126 States have ratified or acceded to the Convention. The Meeting also expressed satisfaction 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. In addition, the Meeting expressed satisfaction that efforts to implement the Convention are making a difference, that 88 States parties no longer possess stockpiled anti-personnel mines, that considerable areas of mined land have been cleared over the past year, that casualty rates have been reduced in several of the world’s most mine-affected States, and that more and better efforts are being undertaken to assist landmine victims. The Meeting also heard of efforts in the area of universalization, including the action taken by the Human Security Network, the Declaration of which can be found in Annex IX.
23. Also in the context of reviewing the general status and operation of the Convention, States parties took note of the challenges that remain in achieving the Convention’s core humanitarian aims, expressing their will to work tirelessly to ensure that mined areas are cleared and stockpiles destroyed within the time limits contained in the Convention, to further assist landmine victims for as long as assistance is required, and to vigorously promote formal acceptance of the Convention, particularly by those States that continue to produce and/or use anti-personnel mines.
24. Also in the context of reviewing the general status and operation of the Convention, and in the context of a subsequent discussion on assistance and cooperation, it was recalled that States parties in a position to do so committed themselves on a long-term basis to sustain the process of achieving the Convention’s humanitarian aims, and that States parties should continue to give high priority to mine action within their development and humanitarian policies, particularly with a view to the Convention’s 10-year time frame for mine clearance.
25. Also in the context of reviewing the general status and operation of the Convention, the delegations of Austria, Canada, Germany and Norway expressed interest in hosting the Review Conference of the Convention in 2004.
26. At the fourth plenary meeting, on 18 September 2002, 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 Fourth Meeting. The Meeting took note of this.
27. 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 Fourth Meeting. The Meeting took note of this.
28. 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: resource mobilization, 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 V, with a focus on the actions recommended by the Committees.
29. At its fourth plenary meeting, on 18 September 2002, 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. On the basis of suggestions contained in the President’s Paper on article 7 reporting as contained in Annex III, the Meeting encouraged States parties to maximize the potential of the reporting format as an important tool to measure progress and communicate needs and, in this context, expressed their appreciation for and agreed to act upon, as appropriate, the suggestions made in the President’s Paper. This would include submitting reports electronically and, as relevant, using the suggested cover page.
30. 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 and expressed that on the basis of the President’s Paper on the Intersessional Work Programme as contained in Annex II, the Programme in the lead-up to the Convention’s First Review Conference should focus with even greater clarity on those areas most directly related to the core humanitarian objectives of the Convention. In addition, States parties expressed that the Intersessional Work Programme should proceed in a manner consistent with the principles that have well served the Programme to date, particularly the informal, inclusive and cooperative nature of the process.
31. Further to a proposal made by the President, States parties agreed to change the name of the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Awareness and Mine Action Technologies to the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies. Pursuant to extensive consultations, States parties also identified the following States parties as the Committee Co-Chairs and Co-Rapporteurs until the end of the Fifth Meeting of the States parties:
32. Further to a proposal made by the President, States parties agreed to set the dates of the 2003 meetings of the Standing Committees from 3 to 7 February and from 12 to 16 May.
33. States parties again recognized the value and importance of the Coordinating Committee in the effective functioning and implementation of the Convention and for operating in an open and transparent manner, requested that the Coordinating Committee, in a manner consistent with its mandate, continue to be practical-minded and apply the principle of flexibility with respect to the format of Standing Committee meetings, and their sequencing and respective time allocation, continue with its practice to make available summary reports of its meetings on the web site of the GICHD, and, requested the President, as Chair of the Coordinating Committee, to continue to report on the Coordinating Committee’s functioning.
34. The Meeting noted the Director of the GICHD’s report on the activities of the Implementation Support Unit (ISU), contained in Annex VII. States parties expressed their appreciation to the GICHD for the prompt manner in which it established the ISU and for its ongoing support for the Intersessional Work Programme, and to the ISU for quickly demonstrating its effectiveness and value to States parties.
35. The Meeting again noted the work undertaken by interested States parties through the establishment of a sponsorship programme, which had helped to ensure more widespread representation at meetings of the Convention and of the intersessional meetings. States parties expressed their appreciation of the sponsorship programme and of the efficient management thereof by the GICHD.
36. On the basis of the President’s Paper on Developing a Process to Prepare for the Convention’s First Review Conference as contained in Annex IV, the Meeting agreed to mandate the President to facilitate consultations leading to consideration of a variety of matters at the Fifth Meeting on preparations for the Convention’s First Review Conference.
37. States parties endorsed, and expressed satisfaction with, the work of the Standing Committees, welcoming the reports of the Standing Committees, as contained in Annex V. 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.
38. At its final plenary meeting, on 20 September 2002, the Meeting agreed that the Fifth Meeting of the States Parties would be held, in accordance with the provisions of article 11 of the Convention, from 15 to 19 September 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand.
39. At the same plenary, the Meeting adopted the Declaration of the Fourth Meeting of the States Parties, which is contained in Part II of this report. In addition, the Meeting warmly welcomed the President’s Action Programme, contained in Annex VI, as a practical means of facilitating implementation of the Convention in accordance with the recommendations made by the Standing Committees.
40. A list of documents of the Fourth Meeting is contained in Annex I to this report.
41. At its eighth and final plenary meeting, on 20 September 2002, the Meeting adopted its draft Final Report, contained in document APLC/MSP.4/2002/CRP.5.
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