Commonwealth of Independent States ICBL/Landmine Monitor Meeting

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
3-6 November 2003

International Campaign To Ban Landmines (ICBL) members from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) of the former Soviet Union met in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from 3-6 November 2003. This was the first in a series of meetings planned to prepare the sixth annual report of the ICBL's Landmine Monitor initiative. This was Central Asias first regional meeting on landmines since the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty was opened for signature. Of the five Central Asian republics, only Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have joined the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty.

On 3 and 4 November, small groups of ICBL representatives made visits to Kyrgyz government officials to discuss the countrys position on the eradication of antipersonnel mines. They met with the Deputy of Minister of Foreign Affair (Mr. Kushchubekov Talantbek Choubekovich), the Chairman of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Government (Mr. Mesir Asyrkulov), and the Deputy Chairman of the Ministry of Border Guards (Mr. Abylai Kaypov). The Red Crescent of Kyrgyzstan (Ms. Nasira Baratbaeva) also briefed participants were on the countrys landmine problem in the remote Batken region.

On 5 November, the campaigners attended a workshop entitled Landmines in Central Asia and CIS Countries: Defining the Problem and Identifying Solutions at the United Nations office organized by the host, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War/Kyrgyzstan and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Campaigners from the region also spoke, as did Kyrgyz officials and NGOs. The ICBL participants and the workshop attracted some media attention, including nightly television news stories.

On 6 November, the ICBL participants attended a full-day of internal ICBL/LM discussions on their research for Landmine Monitor Report 2004 and their advocacy activities in the lead-up to the Review Conference of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty next December. Seven researchers participated in the Bishkek meeting from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Ukraine, and new civil society contacts interested in participating more in the ICBL attended from Chechnya, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Unfortunately, Kyrgyzstan abstained from voting in support of this years General Assembly resolution despite the urgings of the participants for a positive vote. The Deputy of Minister of Foreign Affairs has, however, indicated his intent to attend the intersessional meetings of the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva next February, which would mark the first time Kyrgyzstan has attended a treaty-related meeting. Another regional meeting on landmines is tentatively planned in Tajikistan in mid-April 2004.

The participants are grateful to IPPNW-Kyrgyzstan for hosting their stay, especially Cholpon Galieva and Nurlan Brimkulov, and their team of supporters/translators Aleysya, Dennis, and Saltanat. They would also like to thank the Red Crescent of Kyrgyzstan, especially Nasira Baratbayeva, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyztsan, including Ulan Djusupov for their hard work in making the workshop a success.

All the workshops papers will be translated in Russian and disseminated in the form of a report on the meeting. See also the ICBL Press Release: Campaign urges Central Asian leaders to support landmine ban, 5 November 2003, in English and Russian.

Related ICBL information

Published:
05 Jan 2004