Landmine Monitor researcher reflects on his experiences from the intersessional Standing Committee meetings: May 2006

Landmine Monitor researcher for Iraq, Jabran Mansoor, shares his experiences from his Geneva, where he participated for the first time in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings from 8-12 May 2006.

I attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings, held in Geneva from 8-12 May 2006. It was my first time attending the Standing Committee meetings and I found these meeting very useful. Numerous States Parties and officials from different countries attended these meetings and they read statements on their countries' actions and future goals.

I met with my thematic coordnator, Nick Cumming-Bruce, and I shared with him the latest available information on Iraq that I obtained. I also had an opportunity to meet with the Coordinator of Cluster Munitions Coalition, Thomas Nash, and we discussed the issue of cluster munitions in Iraq and the possibility of working together to coordinate future actions in Iraq.

As a new researcher providing information for the country update on Iraq, the intersessionals were a good opportunity for me to meet other researchers from different countries and share experiences with them. I took note of their in-country practices in mine action and will refer to those practices when developing mine action efforts in Iraq. I also gained valuable knowledge from attending workshops on Mine Risk Education and Victim Assistance during the ISC meetings. The ICBL daily morning briefings were a great opportunity for me to meet the active staff of ICBL on a daily basis and make use of their experience and knowledge. My first experience of the ISC meetings was a positive one and I gained valuable knowledge and insight into best practices for mine action that I shall bring back with me to Iraq.