3MSP Statement by the ICBL Non-State Actors Working Group

(Tuesday 25 September 2001 Managua - Nicaragua)

Engaging Non-State Actors in a Landmine Ban
ICBL Non-State Actors Working Group &
The Third Meeting of States Parties
Managua 2001

The Mine Ban Treaty has established an international norm prohibiting the use, stockpiling, production and trade of anti-personnel landmines. To achieve this goal efforts must be made to challenge all actors to adhere to the spirit and practice of this international law.

Armed groups, acting against or beyond the control of the states also produce, stockpile and use landmines. In response to this reality, the Working Group on NSAs was established in the ICBL in 1997. The NSA Working Group coordinates efforts to appeal to NSAs to renounce the use of APMs as a means of warfare. It also seeks to contribute to demining, victim assistance and community reconstruction efforts that will complement and strengthen the state-based focus of the Mine Ban Treaty.

A pioneering conference in March 2000 organized by a group of country campaigns brought together 120 participants, including government and NSA representatives, to discuss ways of engaging armed opposition groups in a landmine ban and mine action.

Some Non State Actors have already commited themselves to adhere to a mine ban, and some governments have also openly acknowledged the necessity of engaging NSAs. Early this month, the European Parliament issued a resolution on measures to promote a commmitment by NSAs to a total ban on APMs. The resolution noted the moral duty of the international community “to seek commitments from all the parties in such conflicts, States and non-State actors, to ban the use of anti-personnel landmines, in order to achieve a truly universal ban on these inhumane weapons.” It called on the Third Meeting of States Parties to support efforts to obtain strong commitments from non-State actors. It also asked all State parties to the Mine Ban Treaty to give closer attention to the problem of APMs in relation to NSAs, and to support the efforts made by specialist NGOs and international institutions to commit NSAs to the mine ban process.

At this Third Meeting of States Parties the NSA Working Group would like to reiterate:

• The NSA Working Group believes that it should be made known to NSAs that landmines are an unacceptable weapon.The Working Group reaffirms that provision of education about the indiscriminate nature of landmines and international humanitarian and human rights law are of vital importance.
• The NSA Working Group encourages all Non State Actors to accept the international norm established by the Mine Ban Treaty, and supports and encourages any intitiative by armed groups to make unilateral declarations or a bilateral aggreement with the governing authorities on a mine ban, demining and mine victim assistance programs in territories under their control. NSAs, who cannot directly join the Mine Ban Treaty should be informed that repositories for declarations exist, such as the independent Geneva Call initiative which provides a mechanism for receiving NSA commitments to the landmine ban.
• The NSA Working Group asks governments to continue and expand their cooperation and support of efforts aimed at achieving a universal ban by both State and Non-State Actors.

The accompanying brochure on the ICBL Non State Actors Working Group provides more details on the Working Groups activities.