Overview of 5MSP Week

(Monday 22 September 2003 Bangkok, Thailand) Overall the Fifth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty was a success.

Some of the key achievements and disappointments were outlined in the ICBL morning briefing and in the statement by Stephen Goose (head of the ICBL delegation) at the closing press conference.

Highlights:

• High turnout: 111 states were represented, including 80 States Parties and 18 non-States Parties, plus 280 representatives from NGOs including the ICBL. The attendance of so many non-States Parties, particularly from the region (Burma, China, Vietnam) is particularly noteworthy.
• There were strong statements from States Parties on their continued commitment to implement and promote the treaty. Thus, the political will to fulfill the objectives of the convention, was renewed.
• A strong Bangkok Declaration was issued, with expanded languages on Non States Actors and on the need to reach common understanding on definition and interpretation issues (e.g. Articles 1, 2 and 3).
• There was a shared understanding amongst States Parties of the importance of the Review Conference in 2004. Many statements emphasized the importance of the event as 1.) a forum for mine-affected states to present their plans on mine action and victim assistance and 2.) an opportunity for re-commitment by states (political and financial) to finishing the job of creating a mine-free world.

Concerns:

• Lack of financial re-commitment by States Parties: there were no announcements on funding or grants for the coming period.
• Universalisation: the conference did not spur a great number of countries to finalise ratification of or accession to the treaty, although Belarus joined in the week prior to the conference and Serbia & Montenegro on the second last day.
• There were few strong statements on compliance issues: either in terms of taking up the issue of Turkmenistan’s retention of 69,200 antipersonnel mines in its stockpile, or in terms of condemning ongoing use by Burma, Russia (in Chechnya) and others.