11 February 2010

Invitation to a Press Briefing

12 February 2010, 10:30 amResidence Palace (International Press Centre) - Passage RoomRue de la Loi/Wetstraat 155, Brussels. As we get close to the entry-into-force of the new Convention on Cluster Munitions, four organizations are coming together to address some of the many questions that arise:

Can the Convention on Cluster Munitions really improve the lives of the victims? Which countries are not living up to their promises to help survivors? Should some countries be blacklisted? Which producers should be blacklisted? What criteria should be used for blacklists to make a difference? Why is the Belgian Minister of Finance not producing a blacklist of cluster munition producers? What steps have already been taken to ensure the destruction of the hundreds of millions of stockpiled cluster submunitions? Which countries violate the Mine Ban Treaty's stockpile destruction deadlines and what is the European Union's responsibility? What does global civil society expect from the European Union?

To address these questions, the following experts will be available:

  • Ms Esther Vandenbroucke, Netwerk Vlaanderen
  • Ms Sylvie Brigot, International Campaign to Ban Landmines
  • Mr Mark Hiznay, Human Rights Watch
  • Mr Stan Brabant, Handicap International

For more information please contact: hildegarde.vansintan@handicap.be, Phone: +32 2 233 01 06, Mobile: +32 485 111 460