States Parties 161 States Not Party 36
Programme of the sessions
Session 1 – Mine Clearance: Meeting Treaty Obligations
Session 2 – So You Want to Advocate for Survivor Assistance
Session 3A – Stockpile Destruction: New States Parties, Same Challenges, Mine Retention: How Many Is “Too Many”
Session 3B – Disarmament, CCW, MOTAPM… Where Does the Landmine Issue Stand?
Session 4A – Transparency Measures: Why Reporting Is Important
Session 4B – Passing National Law to Enforce the Treaty: How to Get Your Government Started
MINE CLEARANCE: MEETING TREATY OBLIGATIONS
session 1
This session gives you the opportunity to
review key aspects of states’ obligations regarding mine clearance
brainstorm on how to remind your government to clear all mines in all affected areas
share experiences on how to involve survivor advocates in mine clearance advocacy
begin to think about article 5 extension requests
Share your thoughts and experience! Please prepare short answers in advance.
Have you reminded your government about the need to clear all landmines in all mined areas by the deadline? What reaction did you get?
Do you know if your government has a Mine Action Plan with detailed priorities and deadlines, developed with input from mine-affected communities?
How can States avoid “donor fatigue”?
How could you/do you reach out to survivor advocates to join in your activities related to mine clearance?
Do you have ideas on ways to address with your government the question of extensions to the 10-year deadline?
Activities
Introduction: facilitator presents key speaker, introduces goals of the session: 5 min
Small groups gather their answers to some of the above questions: 20 min
Then share answers with assembly, with short comments from key speaker if he/she wishes: 25 min
Break: 5 min
Facilitator draws on previous discussion to say a few words on ICBL views and messages: 10 min
Key speaker presents 2 advocacy examples (challenges, what works, what does not work): 15 min
Assembly discusses those examples, asks questions to experienced campaigners: 20 min
Wrap-up: what have we achieved through this session, how to go further, hand-outs: 10 min
Facilitators
Stuart Maslen, Landmine Monitor
Tamar Gabelnick, International Campaign to Ban Landmines
Key Speakers
Eva Veble, DanChurchAid
Eva is MRE and Advocacy Officer with DCA. She has an extensive experience in lobbying on the implementation of article 5.
One Key speaker to be confirmed
SO YOU WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE?
session 2
hear about successful advocacy activities on survivor assistance
brainstorm on how your Campaign can transform these examples
into advocacy activities pertinent to your country, now!
discuss how an increased participation of survivor advocates shall enrich your Campaign
Have you discussed survivor assistance with your government? What reaction did you get?
Do you have ideas on how to encourage your government to work on a survivor assistance action plan? How could you/do you contribute to such a plan? For example, could you report on your government’s survivor action plan, and/or publicise it?
What resources/tools could your State draw on to better assist survivors? Can your Campaign provide some of those resources/tools?
What specific role can survivors play in advocacy for survivor assistance?
Do you know what kind of role survivor advocates from your country would like to play in your Campaign? What would they like to advocate more for? By using what means?
Facilitator draws on previous discussion to says a few words on ICBL views and messages: 10 min
Facilitators to be confirmed
1 Key Speaker TBC
Bekele Gonfa Oba, Landmine Survivors Network
Bekele Gonfa Oba is LSN Programme Manager in Ethiopia, graduated from the Raising the Voices programme and survivor himself.
STOCKPILE DESTRUCTION: NEW STATES PARTIES, SAME CHALLENGES
MINE RETENTION: HOW MANY IS “TOO MANY”?
session 3A
This Session gives you the opportunity to
take stock of the challenges ahead regarding stockpile destruction, especially for new States Parties
share your views on ways to discuss with your Government about the “minimum number” of mines retained for development and training
Have you discussed stocks with your government – both mines they choose to retain and mines they must destroy? What reaction did you get?
Why do some States retain stockpiled landmines? Do you know of examples when mine retention makes no sense?
Mine retention: how many is “too many”?
How could you remind your government of its obligation to destroy stockpiles? And what about mines found after the official stockpile was declared destroyed?
Introduction: facilitator presents key speaker, introduces goals of the session: 3 min
Facilitator invites participants to answer some of the above questions, assembly reacts: 20 min
Key speaker presents 1 advocacy example (challenges, what works, what does not work): 7 min
Small groups work on a “check-list” (steps, resources, key messages) for advocacy on stockpile destruction: 10 min
One group shares propositions with assembly: 10 min
Wrap-up: how to go further, hand-outs: 5 min
Mary Wareham, HRW
Frida Blom, Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (TBC)
Sweden is among the 5 countries keeping a large stock of mines, and having discovered stocks after their destruction deadline. SPAS did a lot lobbying on this issue in Sweden.
Iouri Zagoumenov, Belarus Campaign to Ban Landmines
Iouri Zagoumenov has been key in securing Belarus accession and negotiation between his government and the international community regarding the destruction of Belarus stockpile, which includes millions of the technically challenging PFM mines.
DISARMAMENT, CCW, MOTAPM…
WHERE DOES THE ANTIPERSONNEL LANDMINES ISSUE STAND?
session 3B
discuss and reaffirm the position of the antipersonnel landmines issue in the disarmament/humanitarian debate on explosive remnants of war
be able to more confidently define and distinguish key elements such as the ccw, avm, uxo, etc.
assess the challenge related to negociations on mines that can explode from the unintentional act of a person
Does your Campaign exclusively address antipersonnel landmines issues, or do your work on other disarmament/humanitarian matters as well?
How does the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons relate to the Mine Ban Treaty?
What distinction do you make between antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines, cluster munitions, unexploded ordnance, explosive remnants of war?
Have you asked your government to clarify its position on those definitions, especially regarding mines equipped with antihandling devices or sensitive fuzes? What reaction did you get?
Key speaker draws on previous discussion to say a few words on ICBL views and messages: 7 min
Small groups work on an informal statement about where the landmines issue stands in current humanitarian/disarmament debates: 10 min
One group shares its proposition with assembly: 5 min
Anne Villeneuve, Handicap International (TBC)
One facilitator to be confirmed
Stan Brabant, Handicap International
Handicap International is a member of the Steering Committee of the Cluster Munitions Coalition. Stan Brabant is engaged in active lobbying on the issue of CM and ERW.
Paul Hannon, Mines Action Canada (TBC)
Mines Action Canada is a member of the Steering Committee of the Cluster Munitions Coalition Paul Hannon is engaged in Active lobbying on the issue of CM and ERW.
TRANSPARENCY MEASURES: WHY REPORTING IS IMPORTANT
session 4A
discover how transparency reports can be useful – and why they are interesting for States
share your experience on how your Campaign has discussed the reporting issue with your government
draw up a list of selling points for discussion with your government
What must be included in a transparency report?
What facultative information should be included in a transparency report?
Have you discussed reporting with your government? What reaction did you get?
What are the reasons why some governments don’t submit a transparency report?
How many selling points for promoting transparency reports can you think of?
Small groups work on a list of “selling points” for discussion with their governments: 10 min
One group shares propositions with assembly: 5 min
Robert Mtonga, Zambian Campaign to Ban Landmines
Simona Beltrami, Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines ((TBC)
Simona Beltrami coordinates the Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines.
Katarzyna Derlicka
Now based in Brussels, Katarzyna Derlicka was part of the Polish Red Cross and was ICBL’s contact in Poland. This country handed out an Article 7 report short of ratifying the Convention. Kasia will illustrate this aspect of using the report for universalisation purposes.
PASSING NATIONAL LAW TO ENFORCE THE TREATY:
HOW TO GET YOUR GOVERNMENT STARTED
session 4B
better understand how States are to implement the Treaty into their National law
brainstorm on ways to overcome the slowness of the National law adoption process
Has your government passed National law(s) to enforce the Treaty?
Have you discussed National law adoption with your government? What reaction did you get?
What about governments who say they don’t need National law? Have they thought about every aspect of the Treaty?
How can we know if a law project or an adopted law is adequate?
What resources can you provide your government with?
Is there a way to overcome the slowness of National law adoption process?
Key speaker presents 1 advocacy examples (challenges, what works, what does not work): 7 min
Small groups work on a “check-list” (steps, resources, key messages) for advocacy on National law adoption: 10 min
Alfredo Lubang, Philippine Campaign to Ban Landmines (TBC)
Gustavo Veira, Brazilian Campaign to Ban Landmines
Landmine Action UK (TBC)
