March 1st Action Alert

23 February – 1 March 2009

A Mine–Free World: Mission Possible!

The Mine Ban Treaty entered into force exactly 10 years ago on 1 March 1999, after the 40 required ratifications have been deposited. To review and asses the impact the treaty has made on the ground over the past 10 years, the 2nd Review Conference of the MBT will be held on 30 November – 4 December in Cartagena, Colombia. At the same time 2009 is a crucial year to ensure the new Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) enters into force quickly (30 ratifications required) and the number of its signatories continues to rise. Therefore while focusing on the Mine Ban Treaty and the road to Cartagena, we encourage you to also use your March 1st actions to promote the Convention on Cluster Munitions by integrating the messages and links between the two conventions, where feasible.

This is a week of activities and media work around March 1st - the date of entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty, with the following goals:

• To mark 10 years of entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty, in order to:

- Kick-start the road to the 2nd Review Conference in Cartagena;

- Draw media and public attention to 1st March and the landmine issue.

• Renew focus and commitment of decision makers to implementation and universalization of the MBT in the lead-up to the 2nd Review Conference and beyond
• To ensure rapid entry into force of the CCM by encouraging signatories to ratify the Convention and implement it without delay; and ensuring further states join the CCM.

Our Alert starts on Monday, 23 February and continues through Sunday, 1 March, in order to build up the momentum and generate media attention for the beginning of March. Actions, however, can and will continue later into March, including some major ones in Geneva and NYC on 2 March.

The ICBL 2009 slogan will be “A Mine-Free World: Mission Possible”. It clearly indicates we want to actually “put an end to the suffering and casualties caused by APM”, as the treaty states. The “mission” has already been successfully undertaken in some areas, and we know additional progress is “possible”. We believe it is a media-friendly slogan and gives us all many possibilities for street actions around the concept of mission. Ten years after the MBT’s entry into force, it brings an answer to those who thought addressing the mine crisis was virtually impossible.

The graphic design of the logo is underway with the aim to have it ready for mid-February so we can all start using it around our March 1st actions and continue throughout the year and at the Review Conference.

The March 1st Action Alert will have two major elements:

I) NATIONAL ACTIONS:

Organize in your country event(s) within the March 1st Action week, such as:

• Advocacy events targeted at national authorities (conferences, seminars, round-tables, meetings, petitions, receptions, etc.)
• Public awareness-raising events (marches, runs, visual stunts, photo exhibitions, film screenings, workshops for civil society, public happenings, concerts, etc.)
• Media work (media briefings, press conferences, press releases, open editorials, etc.)

So far we know of campaigns from around 40 countries taking national actions:

Afghanistan, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, USA, Yemen, Zambia

II) GLOBAL ACTION:

Help us encourage a few target countries to join or implement the Mine Ban Treaty this year!

1. JOIN the MBT in 2009: Mission Possible!

Target countries: Bahrain, Nepal, Poland, and the USA

• Hold meetings with the embassies of the four targets in your country in the week of 23 Feb – 1 March to urge them to join the MBT without delay!

- Send letters requesting the meetings in the action week NOW.

- We will provide background papers with messages on the four target countries by mid February.

• Send letters to the decision makers in the capitals and to the diplomatic missions of the four target countries in the week of 23 Feb – 1 March!

- We will provide template letters and contact details before the start of the Action Alert.

2. Set a good example of the treaty IMPLEMENTATION in 2009: Mission Possible!

Target country: Colombia (host of the 2nd Review Conference of the MBT)

• Send letters to the decision makers in the capital of Colombia and to its embassy in your country in the week of 23 Feb – 1 March!

- We will provide template letters and contact details before the start of the Action Alert.

We encourage you to approach and try to engage in your March 1st national actions a broad variety of partners, in particular:

* Other civil society organizations;

* Diplomatic missions, in particular of Canada (traditional leader of the MBT process), Norway (the President of the 2nd Review Conference, leader of the Oslo Process), and Switzerland (current President of the 9th Meeting of the States Parties)

* International organizations, in particular UNDP, UNICEF, as well as the ICRC

We have asked Canada, Norway, Switzerland, UNDP, Unicef, and the ICRC to mobilize their missions and country offices to work together with the ICBL campaigns and members on March 1st actions and in the lead-up to the 2nd Review Conference.

Gradually, by mid February we will be providing (posting on the web and sending to the network) the following tools for you to use in your actions and media work around March 1st:

• “A Mine-Free World: Mission Possible” Logo
• “A Mine-Free World: Mission Possible” Factsheet
• Template Press Release for the week leading to 1 March
• Photo exhibition and power point presentation
• Template letters and background papers on the target countries for the Global action

We encourage all ICBL members to take part in the March 1st Action Alert! If you can not organize a big event then do media work and take part in the global action by sending letters and holding meetings at embassies. You can be involved without big costs and long preparations!

Please send us information about your actions:

What actions and events are you planning in your country?

What is the aim, target, and key message of your actions?

What are the dates and location of your actions?

Who is involved?

Will you take part in the global action on the target countries? (please specify if you will send letters and schedule embassy meetings)

Please send in information and inquiries to Kasia Derlicka: kasia@icbl.org