12th Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty

This week, 3-7 December 2012, exactly 15 years after the Mine Ban Treaty was opened for signature in Ottawa, Canada, governments, international agencies, and civil society are gathering in Geneva for the treaty’s 12th Meeting of States Parties (12MSP).

The 12MSP will also mark three years since the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World, the treaty’s Second Review Conference and adoption of the Cartagena Action Plan: Ending The Suffering Caused By Anti-Personnel Mines 2010-2014. It is a chance for the international community to assess efforts to implement the treaty and the Cartagena Action Plan and to identify challenges and discuss plans how to fulfill these commitments by the treaty’s next review conference .

At the 12 MSP, ICBL expects:

• States Parties to report on what they have done recently “to translate the Cartagena Action Plan into sustainable progress” and on how they plan to fully implement it by 2014, when the Third Review Conference of the MBT will take place.
• States not party to join the treaty or to report on steps they have taken to join the treaty.
• All states to condemn all recent use of antipersonnel mines and to express concerns about and demand investigation of all allegations of mine use.
• All states to actively participate in discussions throughout the 12MSP, in particular on the following key issues: treaty compliance; new extension requests for clearance deadlines; mined areas discovered after the treaty deadline has passed; slow or lack of progress on stockpile destruction, land clearance and victim assistance.

ICBL Statements

Opening Statement to the 12th Meeting of the States Parties, 3 December 2012

General Exchange of Views, 3 December 2012

Comments on Mine Clearance Deadline Extension Requests, 3 December 2012

ICBL Comments on Afghanistan’s Extension Request, 3 December 2012

ICBL Comments on Angola’s Extension Request, 3 December 2012

ICBL Comments on Zimbabwe's Extension Request, 4 December 2012

ICBL Statement on the Extension Request Process, 4 December 2012

ICBL Statement on Victim Assistance, 4 December 2012

ICBL Comments on Art.5 Clearance Completion Declarations, 5 December 2012

ICBL Comments on Mine Clearance Reports, 5 December 2012

ICBL Statement on newly discovered mined areas, 6 December 2012

ICBL Statement on Stockpile Destruction and Retention, 6 December 2012

ICBL Statement on Universalization, 6 December 2012

ICBL Statement on International Cooperation and Assistance, 7 December 2012

ICBL Statement on Transparency, 7 December 2012

ICBL Statement on Compliance, 7 December 2012

Plenary Summaries

12MSP Summary: Part I - Opening Ceremony and Gen Exchange of Views

12MSP Summary: Part II - Universalization, Compliance, SD and Transparency

12MSP Summary: Part III - Victim Assistance

12MSP Summary: Part IV - Clearance and Intl Cooperation and Assistance

Press Releases and Media Advisories

Press release for the Global Release of Landmine Monitor 2012 - Landmine use by governments at low point, mine clearance funding at record level; assistance to landmine survivors still a challenge, 29 November 2012

Press release (opening) for 12MSP in English - Finish the Job! Says Nobel Prize Winning campaign on 15th anniversary of Mine Ban Treaty, 3 December 2012

Press release (opening) for 12MSP in French, 3 December 2012

Press release (opening) for 12MSP in Spanish, 3 December 2012

Press release (closing) for 12MSP in English - EU-Wide Mine Ban a Realisty, Five More Mine-Free Countries, Following Mine Ban Treaty Conference Press release (closing) for 12MSP in English, 7 December 2012

Press release (closing) for 12MSP in French, 7 December 2012

Press release (closing) for 12MSP in Spanish, 7 December 2012

Media coverage: Combined media monitoring from Landmine Monitor Report 2012 launch and the 12MSP

CONTACT: Jared Bloch at jared@icblcmc.org for all media and communications inquiries

For high resolution images from the conference and the global campaign, available to download for publication, visit the ICBL on Flickr: www.flickr.com/minefreeworld. Please credit images as shown.

SOCIAL MEDIA

ICBL FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/minefreeworld
ICBL FLICKR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/minefreeworld
ICBL TWITTER: https://twitter.com/minefreeworldhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/minefreeworld

Campaign Tools

ICBL LEAFLET: View or download the leaflet introducing the ICBL - perfect for people who don't know about us yet! The leaflet is also available in French, in Spanish and in Arabic.

ICBL MBT VIDEO: 12MSP Mine Ban Treaty

ICBL 20th ANNIVERSARY VIDEO: 20th Anniversary Video

MEMO FOR GOVERNMENT DELEGATES: The memo provides guidance on key issues pertinent to the 12MSP and practical information for government delegates to prepare and actively participate in the meeting. Click here to download the Memo in English, in French and in Spanish.

ONE-MONTH COUNTDOWN: is a global action of the ICBL with the aims of promoting implementation and universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty in the lead up to the 12MSP and active participation by government representatives at the 12MSP. Click here to download the Countdown in English.

SLOGAN: ICBL’s slogan for the 12MSP is “Act Today for a Mine-Free Tomorrow”. Click here to download the ICBL 12MSP 'Act today for a mine-free tomorrow' logo.

Logistical Info

To download the logistical memo please click here.

To register for the conference please download the registration form here as soon as possible.

Non-sponsored participants are encouraged to book their accommodation as soon as possible as availability is limited in December. The ICBL will arrange the accommodation for sponsored participants.

From now until December, we will send you regular updates and we invite you to liaise with us for any questions or enquiries at 12msp@icblcmc.org.