Author(s):
Virginie <andre@icbl.org> .
Tuesday 14 June 2005
Speaking in the opening of the Standing Committee meetings, Jody Williams called on participants to not only SPEAK about action but also to TAKE action to fulfil the promise of the Nairobi Summit Action Plan. Meetings then started with the first session of the Standing Committee on the General Status of the Convention.
1) ICBL Presentations
Speaking in the opening of the Standing Committee meetings, Jody Williams, set the tone of the week with a vibrant appeal to participants to not only SPEAK about action but also to TAKE action to fulfil the promise of the Nairobi Summit Action Plan. Jody recalled that ending the suffering caused by antipersonnel landmines once and for all means a MINE FREE WORLD, a world in which all mined areas are cleared. ICBL called on States Parties to strengthen and strategically coordinate their efforts to encourage signatories to complete the ratification process, and non States Parties to join, and adopt interim measures to show their willingness to comply with the norm the Convention established. ICBL also stressed that use by Non States Armed Groups had to be addressed both energetically and creatively. Landmine Monitor issued a fact sheet on Transparency measures and Mines Retained for Training and Research which were presented by the head of the ICBL delegation in the plenary.
2) Concerns for the ICBL
- 53 States Parties have not yet submitted their annual report for 2004, including several mine affected States. Five States Parties have not yet submitted their initial report.
- States Parties should use Form J to clarify issues especially the use of mines retained for training purposes, measures taken to ensure Claymore mines kept are legal under the Convention (so not victim activated), foreign stockpiles.
3) Highlights for the ICBL
- Ukraine announced that its national parliament unanimously ratified the Convention on 18 May 2005, while Latvia reported that on 19 May its parliament approved the countrys accession to the Convention. Bhutan announced its national assembly is expected to approve accession to the Convention in the coming weeks. Haiti, Iraq, Sri Lanka, and for the first time Azerbaijan, also spoke.
4) Quote for the day
“We must all be very clear that mine action is not just taking mines out of the ground, it is a treaty compliance issue. We must all be very clear that meeting the needs of landmine survivors is not just a humanitarian gesture, it is a treaty compliance issue.” Jody Williams, ICBL Ambassador.
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