Middle East-North Africa ICBL/Landmine Monitor Meeting

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
8-10 December 2003

From 8-10 December International Campaign To Ban Landmines (ICBL) members from the Middle East and North Africa met in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates for their annual regional meeting. This was the second in a series of meetings planned to prepare the sixth annual report of the ICBL's Landmine Monitor initiative and the first regional meeting on landmines to be held in the Gulf region since the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty was opened for signature. Qatar is the only member of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states that has joined the Mine Ban Treaty.

On 8 and 9 December, the campaigners attended a Workshop on the Risks of Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War, organized by the Arab Network of Researchers on Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) in cooperation the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, a humanitarian NGO that cares for children with disabilities. Over 60 people from international, regional and local organizations took part in the workshop, which featured presentations on humanitarian mine action, mine risk education, and victim assistance efforts across the region as well as a review of the current landmine/ERW situation in Iraq.

A representative of the Governor of Sharjah and member of the UAEs Supreme Ruling Council, Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al-Qasemi, opened the workshop, which was held at the Kanat Al-Kasba and at the Millenium Hotel in Sharjah. Campaigners from across the region spoke about the landmine situation in their countries and a representative of the Armed Forces of UAE gave a presentation of the countrys multi-million dollar contribution to mine action in South Lebanon and provided an exhibition and a film on their demining activities. The workshop gained good local and regional media attention.

On 10 December, the ICBL participants took part in 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. Eight researchers participated in the Sharjah meeting for Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, UAE, and Yemen. New civil society contacts interested in participating more in the ICBL attended from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Somaliland, Syria, and Tunisia.

The participants are grateful to Sheikha Jameela Al-Qasemi and the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, especially Ahmed, Khadeja, and Osama, for their expert hosting, financial support and warm welcome. They also thank the Arab Network of Researchers on Explosive Remnants of War, especially Dr. Ghassan Sharour, for putting the events together. They thank the Red Crescent of UAE, especially Salah Moussa Al-Taee, and the Armed Forces of the UAE, including Major Ali Rashed Al-hosani for their contributions to the workshop. Canada also provided financial support to the organization of the workshop.

All the workshops papers were translated in Arabic and will be disseminated in the form of a report on the meeting. See also the ICBL Press Release: Gulf States Urged to Do More to Eradicate Landmines, 8 December 2003, in English and Arabic.
Related ICBL information

Related Landmine Monitor Reports:

Published:
05 Jan 2004