Press Release on FMSP from UN

First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction

• First Meeting of States Parties Concludes
• " Maputo Declaration" calls for universal application of Ottawa Convention,
• Intersessional work programme decided

The First Meeting of States Parties (FSMP) to the "Ottawa Convention" concluded in Maputo, Mozambique today with the adoption of a final Declaration and report on its work.

Addressing the closing plenary session, the President of the FMSP, Mozambique's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dr. Leonardo Santos Simão, urged all States to take urgent measures to eliminate landmines. "Eradication should be considered as a priority," he said, because anti-personnel mines continued to kill and maim thousands of defenseless civilians, particularly women and children.

Dr. Simão said the Maputo meeting should be a starting point for a systematic and effective implementation of the Ottawa Convention. He expressed the hope that the effective commitments assumed in Maputo would be priorities for all Governments, international and non-governmental organizations-and for civil society in general.

The Minister also stressed the importance of "the collaborative spirit" which prevailed in the five-day meeting. "Once more, the partnerships among and between Governments, international and non-governmental organizations were revealed to be effective in seeking better ways of undertaking the objectives of the Convention." The validity of the Convention would be judged through its capacity to boost the global movement for banning anti-personnel mines and, above all, for reducing the number of landmine victims, he said.

Maputo Declaration

Adopting the "Maputo Declaration" by acclamation, the States Parties reaffirmed their "unwavering commitment" to the total eradication of anti-personnel mines. The States Parties expressed their renewed commitment to work towards universalization of the Convention and appealed to "those who can offer technical and financial assistance" to "intensify your efforts and help build the capacity of mine-affected countries themselves" to take on the tasks of humanitarian mine action.

Assistance to victims, the Declaration says, "must be accorded the highest political importance and practical commitment by States

Parties" and all others concerned in the international community.

The text describes landmines as "a major public health threat" which requires long-term strategies aimed at social and economic reintegration of survivors; not just short-term care.

In an appeal to those able to offer technical and financial assistance, the Declaration urges them to intensify their efforts to help mine-affected States aid victims, meet treaty obligations, clear mines, and destroy stockpiles.

The Declaration also outlines an intersessional work programme, before the next meeting of States Parties. Experts will meet to discuss thematic issues under the Convention and build on the discussions in Maputo. Their task will be to develop, with the United Nations, "a global picture of priorities consistent with the Convention's obligations and time-frames". The Declaration says that the intersessional work programme should also take into account "important work done at the international, regional and sub-regional levels" outside the framework of the Convention.

The States Parties decided to hold their next meeting in Geneva from 11 to 15 September 2000.

Concern over continued use

In the Maputo Declaration, the States Parties expressed their "outrage at the unabated use of anti-personnel mines in conflicts around the world" and called on "those few signatories who continue to use these weapons" to "respect and implement" their commitments. The Declaration expresses the "serious concern" of the States Parties at the continued use of anti-personnel mines in areas of instability around the world.

More than 80 speakers took part in the portion of the meeting devoted to a general exchange of views. Achieving universality of the Convention was cited as a main goal by almost all speakers.

There were repeated calls for States Parties to give effect to the Convention's provisions by adopting the national legislation needed to "criminalize" violations and specify penalties.

The Declaration reflects the principal themes of statements during the five-day meeting. Many speakers voiced deep concern over reports that mines continued to be used in conflict areas, citing situations in Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Kosovo and Senegal, in particular. Angola did not respond publicly to the allegations at the meeting, but Senegal made a statement in which it "categorically rejects" allegations made by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which launched its Landmine Monitor Report 1999 on the opening day of the meeting. Turkey-which has not signed the Convention-also made a statement rejecting criticisms of the ICBL.

President's press conference

At his closing press conference, correspondents asked Dr. Simão to comment on the absence in the Maputo Declaration of references to specific allegations about landmine use. In reply, he said the Declaration was a statement of general principles, which expressed the consensus of the the States Parties. "The meeting was not a tribunal," he said. Paragraph 11, which concerns the continued use of landmines by signatories, reflected the concern of the meeting with the violations of the Convention by any signatory, Dr. Simão said.

Intersessional work programme

The States Parties agreed that Standing Committees of Experts should begin meeting in Geneva in September this year, and welcomed the support of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining in this regard.

The Standing Committees will take up mine clearance (13 - 15 September 1999); victim assistance, socio-economic integration and mine awareness (15-17 September); stockpile destruction (9-10 December); technologies for mine action (13-14 December), and the general status and operation of the Convention (10-11 January 2000) .

During the FMSP, working groups were set up to focus on these themes.

General Guidelines: The President presented a paper containing general guidelines for the intersessional work programme which he said should help maintain the momentum and cohesion behind global humanitarian mine action.

The Standing Committees of Experts should provide an informal forum where experts representing all those engaged in mine action-States Parties, signatory States, other interested States, as well as international and regional organizations and NGO-would have an opportunity to participate in substantive discussion.

The paper noted that the work of the Standing Committees of Experts should support, among other things, the coordination role of UNMAS. United Nations and regional organizations should be urged to participate in the work of the Committees.

Mine Clearance: The working group on mine clearance technologies focused on technological research and its contribution towards improving quality, effectiveness, speed and safety of mine clearance operations. The working group's objective was to help establish the link between users' needs and the capacities of technological development.

Technology must necessarily be seen in the overall context of mine action, the group noted. It must be based on a dialogue between deminers, private industry and donors. Financial support for development of technology should not detract from funding to current mine action programmes. The group explored such issues as measuring the impact and success of mine clearance, planning and prioritization.

Developing more dependable detection techniques was an urgent priority in order to increase the safety of deminers and accelerate demining operations. The group described building national capacity as "fundamental" and acknowledged the overarching role of the UN system in the coordination of mine clearance. The working group highlighted the importance of developing software for analyzing requirements of different demining environments and for perfecting the choosing between different techniques. It welcomed the pioneering work being done along this line by the UN Mine Action Service and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining.

Victim Assistance: The working group on victim assistance, socio- economic integration and mine awareness expressed consensus on the need for comprehensive and integrated mine victim assistance-including mine awareness and education-within the context of national reconstruction and development policies. The group proposed that the Standing Committee of Experts should, among other things, support a wider scope of assistance to landmine victims, including medical assistance and rehabilitation of individuals as well as communities. It should also promote the exchange of experiences and facilitate use at the country level of the

Strategic Framework for Victim Assistance, formulated by ICRC, WHO, UNICEF and the ICBL. The group recommended that the Standing Committee ensure consensus was reached on globally applicable approach to integrated programmes and on guiding principles for mine victim assistance.

The intersessional committee of experts should also aim at reaching consensus, before the September 2000 Meeting of States Parties, on a globally applicable approach to integrated programmes and on guiding principles for mine victim assistance.

Stockpile Destruction: The working group on stockpile destruction stressed "due and strict compliance" with Article 4 of the Convention. Referring to estimates indicating that some 90 per cent of the world's estimated 250,000,000 mines were in stocks held by non-signatory States, the group considered it imperative that universalization of the treaty was a top priority. The group welcomed some States' offers of assistance to others struggling to ensure their compliance with Article 4. The focus of the intersessional work should be to seek ways to ensure compatibility between the capacities of donors and the needs of States requesting assistance under Article 4.

Reporting formats adopted

The States Parties adopted standard formats for the presentation of their reports on measures taken to implement the Convention under Article 7. They also decided that States Parties could provide their reports in any of the authentic languages of the Convention (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish). The Convention does not provide for the costs of translating

reports. The FMSP called on interested States Parties to provide such translations, which then could be included in the United Nations database. States Parties agreed that the reports would be made public.

States Parties and other ratifying States

A total of 135 States have signed the Ottawa Convention. Under Article 17 of the Convention, a State formally becomes a "State Party" six months after its instrument of ratification is deposited with the United Nations Secretariat. By the end of the FSMP, a total of 80 States had deposited their instruments of ratification.

During the meeting, the Convention was in force for the following 55 States Parties:

Andorra, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, France, Germany, Grenada, Guinea, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Panama, Paraguay,

Peru, Qatar, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom, Yemen, Zimbabwe

In addition, 24 States deposited instruments of ratification but had not yet passed the six-month mark:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Chad, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Italy, Lesotho, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Swaziland, Uganda, Venezuela

Participants at the FMSP

Delegations from 108 States participated in the First Meeting of States Parties, including:

96 signatory States:Albania; Algeria; Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Australia; Austria; Bangladesh; Belgium; Benin;

Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Brazil; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Cape Verde; Chad; Chile; Colombia; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Ethiopia; France; Gabon; Germany; Ghana; Greece; Guatemala; Guinea; Holy See; Honduras; Hungary; Iceland; Indonesia; Ireland; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Jordan; Kenya; Lesotho; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malawi; Malaysia; Mali; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mexico; Mozambique; Namibia; Netherlands; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Niger; Norway; Panama; Peru; Paraguay; Philippines, Poland; Portugal; Romania; Rwanda; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; San Marino; Senegal; Slovakia; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Swaziland; Sweden; Switzerland; Thailand; The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Togo; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Kingdom; United Republic of Tanzania; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe.

12 non-signatories: China, Cuba, Finland, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Turkey.

The following 39 signatory States did not attend the Maputo meeting:

Andorra; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Botswana; Brunei Darussalam; Cook Islands; Costa Rica; Djibouti; Dominica; Equatorial Guinea; Fiji; Gambia; Grenada; Guinea Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Liechtenstein; Madagascar; Maldives; Malta; Marshall Islands; Monaco; Niue; Qatar; Republic of Moldova; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Samoa; Sao Tome and Principe; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Uruguay; Vanuatu; Venezuela.

Palestine was represented as an observer, along with international organizations and entities such as: the United Nations and its related programmes and agencies; the Organization of African Unity, the European Community and the Organization of the American States. The International Committee of the Red Cross also attended, along with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and other non-governmental organizations.