2013 Campaign Action Plan

This Action Plan summarizes priorities and activities of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) in 2013 in line with the ICBL-CMC Strategic Plan 2012-2015 and input from national campaigns. The plan details campaign priorities on implementation and universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) in 2013, describes how we will work, and includes a calendar of key global dates and major activities in 2013.

The ICBL calls for:

• A total ban on the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines;
• Accelerated clearance and destruction of all emplaced landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW);
• Fulfillment of the rights and needs of all landmine and ERW victims; and
• Universal adherence to and implementation of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty.

Overview

2013 is an important year as we build towards the Third Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) taking place in the summer of 2014. In the lead up to the conference, the ICBL will continue, with States Parties and other partners, to work towards major milestones for full implementation of treaty obligations and of the ‘Cartagena Action Plan: Ending The Suffering Caused by Anti-Personnel Mines 2010-2014’ (CAP).

Our actions and activities aim to ensure the international community is alerted about key issues and recent developments regarding the treaty and mine action more generally. Key dates for 2013 include the Standing Committee Meetings and the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties (13MSP) to the MBT, both taking place in Geneva, Switzerland. Preparations for the Review Conference in 2014 will be also at the center of ICBL’s interest and work in 2013.

Throughout the year the ICBL’s focus will remain on implementation of the treaty and CAP with our efforts concentrated on two major areas of implementation: mine clearance and assistance to victims. Additional priorities include ensuring complete destruction of stockpiles as soon as possible, maintaining funding levels for mine action and securing the efficiency and effectiveness of resource use and mobilization. We will also address compliance challenges such as missed stockpile destruction deadlines and allegations of use.

Indeed, ensuring respect for the ban norm - no new use of antipersonnel landmines and strong condemnation of any use - will remain a priority for our engagement in light of the alarming use and allegations of use of antipersonnel landmines in a number of countries in 2011 and 2012. We will also continue efforts to make the treaty universal, with outreach towards a limited number of states not party that are most likely to join in the near future.

I. Campaign Priorities

Implementation

In 2013, the ICBL will further advocate for full implementation of the MBT and the Cartagena Action Plan. The ICBL will focus its campaign efforts on the areas outlined below.

Clearance (Art. 5)

In 2013, the ICBL will continue working to ensure that affected States Parties accelerate clearance of contaminated areas. In particular we will focus on:

• States Parties with limited progress on clearance, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, Colombia, Iraq, Senegal, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Turkey to ensure they increase their productivity and get back on track to meeting their goals.
• States with completion deadlines in the coming years to ensure they are making progress towards completion of clearance deadlines - by the end of 2013 in the case of Burundi, Hungary, Niger and Venezuela – and around the 3rd Review Conference in 2015 in the case of DR Congo, Mauritania, Mozambique, Serbia, Sudan, and Yemen.
• States needing to request an extension of their clearance deadline in 2013, including Chad, Serbia, Sudan and Turkey, to ensure submission of timely and quality extension requests for a minimum number of years. There may be other States that will need to do so during 2013.
• States Parties with unclear estimates of contaminated areas - including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, DR Congo, Senegal, Thailand, and Turkey - to ensure defined and realistic estimates of their remaining contamination.
• States Parties that have received extensions to monitor progress towards meeting the goals set out in their extension requests.

Victim assistance (Art. 6.3)

The ICBL will continue to push States Parties to achieve progress on implementation of victim assistance commitments made under the Cartagena Action Plan.
Specifically, the ICBL will focus on:

• States Parties with a significant number of victims including: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Colombia, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Senegal and Uganda, to advocate for increased access to and quality of services in line with needs identified by victims and commitments made under the CAP.
• States Parties with a significant number or victims including: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Colombia, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Senegal and Uganda, to identify financial and technical requirements to implement victim assistance within CAP.
• Increasing victims’ participation in decision-making fora that affect their lives and on victims’ contribution to the implementation and monitoring of decisions, including in Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Senegal, Serbia, and Tajikistan.
• Raising awareness about the rights and needs of victims in states not party with the greatest needs, including in Myanmar and Vietnam.

Stockpile destruction (Art. 4)

• In 2013, the ICBL will continue to work with States Parties and international actors to overcome the compliance challenges faced by the three States Parties that have failed to meet their deadlines for stockpile destruction - Belarus, Greece, and Ukraine - to ensure steady progress and final completion as soon as possible.
• The ICBL will also work with new States Parties that have antipersonnel landmine stockpiles - Finland and Poland - or which may have them - Somalia and South Sudan - to ensure the stockpiles are reported on and destroyed as soon as possible and within the deadlines.

Cooperation and assistance (Art. 6)

In 2013, the ICBL will continue working with affected and donor states as well as other partners to address challenges related to resource mobilization and utilization. In particular we will work to ensure:

• International funding for clearance, victim assistance, and stockpile destruction is maintained at least at current levels.
• Increased national contributions for clearance, victim assistance, and stockpile destruction.
• Effective and efficient use of resources for mine action.

Universalization

As of January 2013, a total of 161 countries had joined the MBT. Three countries joined the treaty in 2012 – Finland, Poland and Somalia. A total of 36 countries remain outside the MBT, including one (Marshall Islands) that has signed but not yet ratified the treaty.

No new use of landmines and any new use condemned

In 2013, the ICBL will continue to work to ensure all states adhere to the prohibition on antipersonnel mines and take steps to support the MBT. We will also continue to encourage all non-state armed groups to ban the use of antipersonnel landmines.
The ICBL will strongly condemn any use of antipersonnel mines by any actor and engage states and all relevant stakeholders to ensure any new mine use is strongly and widely condemned, investigated and reported on to States Parties.

Increased number of States Parties

During 2013, the ICBL and its national campaigns will continue to challenge states not party to join the treaty, with efforts focused on a limited number of states that have shown interest in the treaty and could realistically take significant steps towards, or come on board in the next few years. In particular, we plan to focus on:

• The US landmine policy review to press for a decision in 2013 to join the MBT;
• Myanmar, which remains a mine user but has been undergoing political changes that recently resulted in more interest in and engagement on the mine issue and the treaty.
• Middle East countries such as Libya, Oman, and Palestine that have recently shown interest in the mine issue and /or expressed intention to join the treaty in the near future.
• States from Asia and the Pacific such as Lao PDR and Tonga that have on previous occasions committed to join the treaty.

II. How we will work

Global outreach

At the global level, the ICBL will continue to engage with states on a regular basis through Geneva missions, diplomatic fora such as the Coordinating Committee, intersessional meetings and the 13MSP, on the margins of CCM meetings, CCW meetings in Geneva, and via the UN General Assembly (UNGA) First Committee meeting in New York, among others.

In cooperation with national campaigners, the ICBL Diplomatic Advisor, staff and experts may undertake advocacy missions to some priority countries.

Regional outreach

The ICBL will take advantage of relevant regional events to promote implementation and universalization of the MBT. These will include workshops, seminars and roundtables planned by various ICBL members and partners, including the ICRC - African Union workshop on mine action for affected countries in Africa in March 2013.

In-country outreach

At the national level, ICBL campaigners, including Victim Assistance Focal Points, will continue to undertake an array of activities according to their needs and priorities. Campaigning activities include regular contact with national authorities, national workshops, parliamentary engagement, grassroots mobilization, and media outreach.

In addition in 2013, the treaty’s Implementation Support Unit through financial assistance provided by the European Union will carry out eight national mid-term appraisals of states’ efforts to implement the victim assistance and clearance aspects of the Cartagena Action Plan. There are three VA appraisals planned to take place in Ethiopia, Peru and South Sudan; and five on clearance to be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina, DR Congo, Peru (possibly including Ecuador), Tajikistan and Thailand. The ICBL campaigners from these countries and/or ICBL staff and Monitor experts will participate and contribute to these appraisals.

Global actions

In 2013, the ICBL and its members around the world will continue to highlight a number of dates and events related to the MBT, mine action in general and the implementation and universalization of the treaty. The ICBL and its members will use the major events and actions to urge the international community to live up to its obligations to rid the world of landmines and to assist landmine survivors. The ICBL will also provide technical support and small grants to increase the impact of worldwide actions undertaken by campaigners.

• 1 March 2013, treaty’s anniversary of entry into force

The ICBL will commemorate the 14-year anniversary of the MBT’s entry into force on 1 March 2013 by launching a global “Lend Your Leg” action. Following its successful first global edition in over 74 countries in 2012, the ICBL will again partner with Fundación Arcangeles to again run the Lend Your Leg action globally this year. The action will be launched on 1 March with an international Lend Your Leg video and the momentum will build over a month-long period and culminate on 4 April, the International Day for Mine Awareness. The aim of the action will be to push relevant actors to take concrete steps on priority issues in their country (mine clearance, victim assistance, stockpile destruction, accession, etc.)

• Countdown to the Third Review Conference

The ICBL plans to launch a countdown to the Third Review Conference at the 13MSP in Geneva. The aim of the countdown will be to draw international community’s attention to the importance of the Review Conference and to challenge states to step up their efforts in the lead up to this meeting to achieve concrete and significant progress on specific treaty obligations and CAP commitments by the Review Conference. Following the launch of the countdown, the ICBL will be using a range of advocacy and communications tools to inject energy and stimulate the mine ban community’s efforts up to the Review Conference.

• 3 December, International Day of Persons With Disabilities / 16th anniversary of MBT opening to signature and 5th anniversary of CCM opening to signature

The ICBL-CMC Victim Assistance Focal Points and other members will mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by organizing a range of activities to raise public awareness about rights and needs of survivors, their family members and other persons with disabilities.

Media and communications

In 2013 the ICBL will work to strengthen media engagement and to provide recent, relevant and interesting stories to illustrate that landmines continue to blight the lives of thousands of people around the world. Media will be encouraged to highlight MBT successes and challenges - globally and at a national level – and to celebrate the achievements of civil society’s partnership with states. Specifically, the ICBL will:

• Further develop existing media contacts, maintaining regular contact with journalists especially interested in the issue, ensuring they are kept engaged and updated;
• Profile the ICBL (including the Landmine Monitor) as the one of the key global resources for journalists to find detailed information on landmines and their impact, interview opportunities with key campaigners and survivors, high quality images to illustrate the campaign and the issue and moving footage for use in broadcasts or on websites;
• Publicize the ongoing work of the treaty and the campaign in the run up to and during the the13MSP.
• Developing media and public interest in the treaty’s Third Review Conference taking place in Mozambique in the summer of 2014 by launching at the 13MSP communications efforts leading up to the Conference, which will include among others the slogan, key messages and story angles.
• Seek widespread coverage at national level of global actions throughout the year, including through the “Lend Your Leg” action, and provide support to national campaigns on media outreach work.
• Seek to identify opinion leaders and personalities at global and national levels who can help to disseminate advocacy messages and draw attention to the campaign and specific 2013 objectives.

The ICBL will use the following communications tools to promote and support the ICBL’s campaigning work at global and national levels, and to increase awareness about the landmine issue and about the treaty’s aims:

• ICBL website: ICBL-CMC is in the process of redesigning and consolidating its web platforms to better serve as a resource for the global and national campaigns as well as for stakeholders, and as the principle source of information on the campaigns for the general public. Construction of the new site will be ongoing throughout 2013, but the existing site will remain in operation pending completion of the new platform.

Online resources include downloadable advocacy and campaigning tools, such as leaflet templates, sample press releases and access to videos and other visual aids for campaigners to use for their work at national level.

• ICBL social media networks: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and You Tube. The ICBL will regularly communicate with members, partners and supporters, as well as the general public, with the goal of engaging them in the global campaign objectives for 2013 and beyond;

• Bi-monthly e-newsletter disseminated to campaigners, partners and key stakeholders highlighting relevant news, key events and calls to action.

III. Schedule of Events

2013 Global Dates

March 1: Mine Ban Treaty entry into force anniversary (1999 - 14th year)
March 1–April 4: “Lend Your Leg” Global Action
March 2-3: Civil Society Forum on Nuclear Weapons, Oslo
March 4-5: Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, Oslo
April 4: International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
April 8-12: CCW Meeting of Experts (Amended Protocol II and Protocol V), Geneva
April 8-12: Mine Action Programme Directors and UN Advisors meeting, Geneva
April 15-18: Convention on Cluster Munitions intersessional meetings, Geneva
May 27-31: Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings, Geneva
August 1: Convention on Cluster Munitions entry into force anniversary (2010 – 3rd year)
Sept 5: Cluster Munition Monitor report launch, Geneva
Sept 10-13: 4th Meeting of States Parties to the CCM, Lusaka, Zambia
Sept 23: High-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on disability and development, New York
Oct: First Committee (disarmament) of 68th UN General Assembly, New York
Nov 14-15: Meeting of States Parties to the CCW, Geneva
Nov 28: Landmine Monitor report launch, Geneva
Dec 2-6: 13th Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva
Dec 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 16th anniversary of the MBT opening for signature and 5th anniversary of the CCM opening for signature
Dec 10: International Human Rights Day

2013 National and Regional Dates

March 5-7: ICRC-African Union workshop on mine action, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
All year (dates TBD): National mid-term appraisals on:
o Victim Assistance: Ethiopia, Peru (23-25 April TBC) and South Sudan;
o Clearance: Bosnia and Herzegovina, DR Congo, Peru (22-23 March TBC), Tajikistan and Thailand.

PDF copy of the 2013 ICBL Campaign Action Plan