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REPORTS: 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 |
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Comments Received by Landmine MonitorPages: << | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | >> | Sort by: Date / Country Country: Senegal Date Received: 05 May 1999 STATEMENT MADE BY THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION FOLLWING SOME ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED IN THE 1999 REPORT OF I.C.B.L. (FIRST MEETING OF STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON A.P. LANDMINES) Nonofficial translation THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION WAS ASTONISHED TO COME ACROSS ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED IN THE REPORT CIRCULATED BY I.C.B.L. AND WHICH READS: "IT APPEARS CERTAIN THAT SENEGALESE FORCES USED MINES IN GUINEA BISSAU IN 1998 WHILE SUPPORTING THE GOVERNMENTAL TROOPS". THESE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS WERE REPEATED BY THE I.C.B.L. COORDINATOR IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL DEBATE WHEN HE ALLEGED THAT: " IT IS LIKELY THAT SENEGALESE ARMY USED LAND MINES IN GUINEA BISSAU IN 1998 IN SUPPORT OF GOVERNMENTAL TROOPS" THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION WAS MORE SO ASTONISHED BECAUSE AT NO TIME DURING THE OTTAWA PROCESS, THAT ALLOWED FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN STATES AND N.G.Os, DID I.C.B.L. OFFICIALLY NOTIFY THE SENEGALESE GOVERNMENT OF ANY ACTION UNDERTAKEN BY THE LATTER AND WHICH RAN CONTRARY TO THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER OF THE CONVERNTION ON LAND MINES. GOING BY LOGIC, THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY, THE SPIRIT OF CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP AND, HENCE, THE CREDIBILITY THAT PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE OTTAWA PROCESS, ANY DOCUMENT PRODUCED WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK, EVEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF SENSITIZING, MUST CONTAIN ONLY RELIABLE INFORMATION, THAT IS CHECKED AND CROSSCHECKED ESPECIALLY AT THE LEVEL OF ALL PARTIES CONCERNED, INCLUDING ACCUSED STATES. IN THAT RESPECT, THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION CATEGORICALLY REJECTS THE ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED REPORT AND SPEECH FROM I.C.B.L. INDEED, AS EARLIER POINTED OUR IN ITS ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL DEBATE ON TUESDAY MAY 4TH 1999, THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION SOLEMNLY REAFFIRMS THE FOLLOWING: "SENEGAL DOES NOT PRODUCE, DOES NOT BUY, DOES NOT SELL, DOES NOT STOCKPILE LANDMINES, HENCE, THE STRONG COMDEMNATION AND BANNING BY THE SENEGALESE AUTHORITIES OF ANY TRANSFER AND USE OF LAND MINES. THE FIRST LAND MINES ENCOUNTERED IN SENEGAL HAD BEEN LAID ALONG ITS SOUTHERN BORDER BY THE FORMER COLONIAL POWER OF A NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY, IN THE SEVENTIES AND LATER BY AN ARMED SEPARATIST REBELLION, IN THE NINETIES SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN SENEGALS CONCERN TO SEE TO IT THAT ITS TERRITORY IS FREE OF SUCH BLIND KILLERS AND ITS POPULATION RELIEVED FROM THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLIGICAL PAINS CAUSED TO THEM BY THOSE ARMS. THAT HAS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND SENGALS LONG TIME COMMITMENT TO THE JINTERNATIONAL STRUGGLE AGAINST LAND MINES. AVAILING ITSELF OF THE CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE AND PRODUCTIVE PARTNER SHIP BETWEEN STATES AND N.G.Os THAT HAVE SO FAR CARACTERIZED THE OTTAWA PROCESS, THE SENEGALESE DELEGATION TOOK THE INITITIVE TO HAVE AN HOUR LONG WORKING MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF I.C.B.L. AND TO SUPPLY THEM WITH FACTUAL INFORMATION TO BE ADDED TO THEIR DATABASE FOR FURTURE UPDATING FOR THE PART OF THEIR REPORT CONCERNING SENEGAL. MOREOVER, THE SENEGALESE DELEGAION AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF I.C.B.L. HAVE AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE CONCRETISATION OF THE PROPOSAL MADE BY SENEGAL AIMED AT HOLDING SENSITIZING SEMINARS AND TRAINING WORKSHOPS IN THE WEST AFRICAN SUB REGION FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND AN EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTAION OF THE CONVENTION FOR THE BANNING OF LANDMINES IT IS WORTH REMINDING, THAT IN 1996, "HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL", A MEMBER OF I.C.B.L., DID ORGANISE IN DAKAR, THE CAPITAL CITY OF SENEGAL, A SIMILAR SEMINAR FOR MEDIA PEOPLE AND CIVIL SOCIETY. MAPUTO MAY 5TH 1999 Non official translation Country: Turkey Date Received: 04 May 1999 THE TEXT OF THE STATEMENT MADE BY THE HEAD OF THE TURKISH DELEGATION MR. VURAL ALTAY, AT THE FIREST MEETING OF THE STATE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PROHIBITION OF THE USE, STOCKPILING, PRODUCTION AND TRANSFER OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES AND ON THEIR DESTRUCTION MAPUTO, MAY 4 1999 Mr. President, Having made my official statement, if you allow me, I now would like to say couple of words about the Land Mine Monitor Report 1999 and its executive summary which were prepared by the Landmine Core Group and distributed here yesterday. As you might imagine, due to time constraints, I was not in a position to read the whole report last night. However, I found the time to have a quick look at the relevant sections concerning my country. I feel compelled to bring to your attention and to the attention of the distinguished delegates here today that the report contains incorrect, inaccurate and misleading information with regard to my country. It is not my intention to take the valuable time of the Plenary with this issue. I will rather choose to take up this with the editors of the report. However, above all, I must underline here that, in contrary to what has been written in the report and in its executive summary under my county�s section, new anti personnel mines were not laid by my government, more precisely by the Turkish Army, between December 1997 to early 1999 as alleged in the report. In contrary, a de-mining program has been launched during that period. I am sure that the editors of the above-mentioned report would take into consideration my remarks and make the necessary corrections and changes in due time. Country: Brazil Date Received: 04 May 1999 LM Discussion with Brazilian Delegation Maputo, Mozambique 4 May 1999 LM: Celina (MAC) and Mary (HRW)
It was an accusation published in Brazilian press. The UDR denied and the matter has never been under consideration by the Congess (Senate or House of Representatives). Country: China Date Received: 04 May 1999 LM Discussion with Peoples Republic of China Delegation Maputo, Mozambique 4 May 1999 LM: Paul (MAC) and Mary (HRW) "The stockpile figure is exaggerated." Country: Greece Date Received: 03 May 1999 LM Discussion with Greek DelegationHead of Delegation, John Korinthia Maputo, Mozambique 3 May 1999 LM: Susan Walker (ICBL) Mr. Korinthia wanted to speak about "mistakes" in Landmine Monitor
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