States Parties 161 States Not Party 36
10 September 04
Dear campaigners,
This is your next action alert for the COUNTDOWN NAIROBI campaign! Here we focus on a key issue for the Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World (29 November - 3 December) and the final Preparatory Meeting in Geneva (24 September): getting clarity on important definition issues.
Clear understanding and consistent practice on treaty obligations such as stockpiles and joint operations with non member states, antivehicule mines that may be triggered by a person and the number of mines states keep for training, is necessary in order to ensure the treaty is fully upheld by all State Parties.
Please help us make progress on the issues of joint operations (Article 1 of the treaty) , anti-vehicle mines with sensitive fuses (Article 2) and mines kept for training (Article 3). Include these issues in discussions with your government about the Nairobi Summit.
The draft Review, Action Plan and Final Declaration, were sent to states for review on the first week of September and are now available at http://www.reviewconference.org/informal_meeting_24Sept.htm
Talk to your governement now, and ask them to stand up in Geneva on 24 September, share their views and be counted !
Thanks !!!
ICBL staff
The 3rd and last Preparatory Meeting for the Nairobi Summit will be held in Geneva on 24 September. Our objective is to strongly encourage States Parties to publicly state their understanding of assistance (art.1), the issue of ant-vehicle mines with sensitive fuses (art.2) and mines kept for training (art.3). So far only 31 States have made a public statement on these articles. We need more to speak up and show that these issues need to stay on the agenda until all States Parties agree on what they mean! Every State Party counts!
Please, in your discussion with your government include the following questions, note their answer and promote ICBL views on these issues!
If you don’t know them, or want to discuss further the arguments contact Sylvie at brigot@icbl.org
1) Assistance (article 1) Question: What is your government's understanding of “assistance” when engaged in joint military operations with other states or group of states not Parties to the Convention?
If so, will they stand up and be counted? Tell them to say so!
ICBL asked SP to conclude that: “States Parties engaging in military operations with other states or groups of states should not:
2) Anti-vehicle mines with sensitive fuses Question: Does your government consider that anti-vehicle mines fitted with break wires, tripwires, tilt rods and sensitive pressure fuses meet the definition of “anti-personnel mine” in Article 2.1 of the Convention and are prohibited? Is your government concerned with anti-vehicle mines with sensitive fuses that may be triggered by a person?
ICBL asked States Parties to conclude that: “Mines fitted with break wires, tripwires, tilt rods and sensitive pressure fuses meet the definition of “anti-personnel mine” in Article 2.1 of the Convention and are prohibited”.
3) Mines retained for trainingQuestion: Does your government consider that it is necessary to retain mines for training ?
Would the government agree that if “a State Party chooses to retain anti-personnel mines in accordance with Article 3, they should be numbered in the hundreds or thousands, or less, and not in the tens of thousands.”
ICBL asked States Parties to conclude that:“If a State Party chooses to retain anti-personnel mines in accordance with Article 3, they should be numbered in the hundreds or thousands, or less, and not in the tens of thousands”.
More:
With our first Countdown Nairobi! We highlighted ACTION in these areas:
TO-DO LIST
