Call for Landmine Monitors

Call for Landmine Monitors LANDMINE MONITOR
The purpose of this email is to alert you to the upcoming Landmine
Monitor meeting in Dublin September and to request your feedback on
whether you are interested on attending. It will be an invitation-only
meeting with about 100 people expected to attend. Invitations will be
sent out next week and participation will be limited to those who
expect to contribute significantly to the Landmine Monitor system.
Participants will be asked to provide in advance in writing a
statement from the organization's potential contribution to Landmine
Monitor. Below is a description of the initiative and the draft agenda
for the Dublin meeting. Please indicate as soon as possible whether
you would like to take part in this meeting. We anticipate some
funding will be available for travel and accommodation to the meeting.
Please give us feedback on the draft agenda.

Please contact:
- Mary Wareham, Human Rights Watch:
Tel. +1-202-371-6592, Fax. +1-202-371-0124, email. wareham-at-hrw-org
- Liz Bernstein, ICBL Coordination Team:
Tel. +258-1-49-39-81/82, Fax. +258-1-49-39-80, email.
banemnow-at-mail-tropical-co-mz
- Tony D'Costa, Pax Christi Ireland:
Tel. +353-1-496-5293, Fax. 353-1-496-5492, email. paxtdc-at-indigo-ie

What is Landmine Monitor?
Landmine Monitor is a civil-society based reporting network for
monitoring nations' compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty. The findings
of the reporting network will be presented in an annual report. The
objective of Landmine Monitor is to collect and evaluate data relating
to antipersonnel mines with the objective of evaluating the overall
progress of the international community in implementing the Mine Ban
Treaty and other landmine-related agreements, and in alleviating the
global landmine crisis. By doing so, Landmine Monitor aims to improve
the lives of those living at risk in mine-affected communities. Landmine Monitor compliments the existing state-based compliance and
implementation regime established by the Mine Ban Treaty. It aims to
provide a constant flow of standardized and high quality data from the
field on the nature of the antipersonnel mine crisis in all its
aspects.

Landmine Monitor seeks to provide:

INFORMATION:
1. On the policies and actions of every country in the world on
antipersonnel landmines including:
- adherence to international conventions relating to antipersonnel
mines such as the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) and the Revised Landmines
Protocol of the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW)
- adherence to unilateral bans, moratoria or restrictions on
antipersonnel mines
- support for significant resolutions, declarations or diplomatic
communiques on antipersonnel mines
- research and development of antipersonnel mines or their components
- production of antipersonnel mines or their components
- national stockpiles of antipersonnel mines
- transfer of antipersonnel mines or their components
- use of antipersonnel mines

2. On the nature of the global landmine crisis including:
- mine incidents
- mine victims
- mines already deployed
- mine clearance
- mine surveys
- mine awareness
- care, rehabilitation and reintegration of mine victims
- socio-economic impact of the weapon

How can I participate in Landmine Monitor?
Landmine Monitor requires the participation of mine-affected
communities, ICBL country campaigns and non-governmental
organizations, international organizations, the media and ordinary citizens. The Mine Ban Treaty would not have been achieved without the
support and work of people all over the world. For this reason, the
treaty has been called the "People's Treaty", one which must be upheld
by "People's Action". If the treaty is to make a difference to people
living in mined areas governments, non governmental organizations and
people everywhere must work together to monitor compliance.

Come to Dublin!

Landmine Monitor Meeting
Dublin, Ireland
15-19 September 1998

Agenda:

[Monday -- Core Group planning meeting]
Tuesday -- Overview, Structural, Training
Wednesday -- Thematic
Thursday -- Geographic
Friday -- Action Plan

Monday, 14 September -- Core Group planning meeting

Tuesday, 15 September

Morning Plenary

1. Welcome
Speakers: Govt Ireland, Irish Campaign, Core Group

2. Overview, Aims, Benchmarks
Speakers:

3. Development of Landmine Monitor Structure
a. Global Reporting Network/Annual Report/Research
b. Database/Information System
c. Donor Community

Afternoon
Small groups training sessions

Wednesday, 16 September -- Two Parallel Thematic Roundtables

For each category, discussion will center on what needs to be
monitored and how, what needs to be included in the annual report, on
the existing information available, on identifying gaps in
information, and on obtaining commitments for future research.

1. Banning APMs

Morning
a. Production &. Transfer
Roundtable Co-chairs:
Discussion points: What do we know about current landmine production
and export? What do we know about conversion or dismantling of
production facilities? Are current export bans and restrictions
moratoria strong enough? What do we know about the development of antipersonnel mine-like weapons - "new" or "renamed" APMs. What do we know about the development of antihandling devices (AHDs) on antitank mines (ATMs)?
b. Stockpile Information and Destruction
Roundtable Co-chairs:
Discussion points: What do we know about stockpile locations, numbers
and types of mines? Where have stockpiled antipersonnel mines been
destroyed? How? How does verification of this type of weapons
destruction differ from that of other weapons systems eg. tanks,
chemical and nuclear weapons?

Afternoon:
c. Use
Roundtable Co-chairs:
Discussion points: What do we know about recent deployment of
landmines in specific areas, for example: Afghanistan, Algeria,
Angola, Cambodia, Chechnya, Colombia, Djibouti, Georgia, Guinea Bissau, Israel, Korea, Kosovo, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Uganda? Who's laying the mines? What evidence is there?How
credible is this evidence? How can we distinguish between "new" and
"old" use? What has been done to stop use and stigmatize the users,
suppliers and producers?
d. Legal Measures and Building Norms
Roundtable Co-chairs:
Discussion points: What has happened in the past year regarding legal
measures under the MBT? Evaluation and comparison of implementing
legislation. Status of landmines in the establishment of the International Criminal Court. Status of the MBT and the development of
customary international humanitarian law. How will complementarity be
achieved between the two international instruments on landmines, the
CCW Landmines Protocol and the MBT? Status of efforts to restict
landmines through negotiations at the Conference on Disarmament.

2. Humanitarian Mine Action

Morning
a. Benchmarks for Progress
Roundtable Co-chairs:
Discussion points: What is the `big picture' on mine action - are we
winning or losing the battle against landmines on the ground? How can
we identify benchmarks for progress? What is being done to identify
areas of duplication in the response to the global landmine crisis?
What local, national, regional and global initiatives have been taken
or are planned for mine action?
b. Demining Data Collection
Roundtable Co-chairs:
Discussion points: What is being done to ensure effective coordination
of collection of data on locations of landmines on their clearance and
destruction?

Afternoon:
c. Survivor Assistance Data Collection
Roundtable Co-chairs:
Discussion points: What has been done to date and how open and
available is information on incidence of mine casualties, mortality,
care, protheses, and socio-economic reintegration?
d. Demining Technology Developments
Roundtable Co-chairs:
Discussion points: What is happening and How much money is going into
field-based mine action on a local, country, region and international
level as opposed to current development of technology for demining?

Thursday, 17 September -- Parallel Meetings of Geographic Groups

Each geographic group will exchange information, identify gaps and
targets for research, obtain commitments for future research,
workshops, discuss coordination and cooperation. These groups may
break down into smaller regional groups. Each Core Group NGO will take
responsibility for leading discussion in the group.

a. Africa
chair: Kenyan Coalition Against Landmines?
b. Asia-Pacific
chair: Handicap International?
c. Middle East
chair: Human Rights Watch?
d. Europe & Central Asia
chair: Norwegian People Aid?
e. Americas
chair: Mines Action Canada?

Friday, 18 September -- Meet in Plenary, Develop Action Plan

1. Reports from parallel meetings (ie short reports by 13 chairs)
2. Review of standardized methodology, reporting
3. Discussion on next steps, including follow-up meetings
4. Commitments
5. Agree on Action Plan

Landmine Monitor Core Group:

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Anne Capelle
rue de Spastraat 67, B-1000 Brussels, BELGIUM
tel. +32-2-280-16-01
fax. +32-2-230-60-30
email. hi.minesSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERskynet.be or anne.capelle-at-handicap-be

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Steve Goose or Mary Wareham
1522 K St. NW #910, Washington DC 20005, USA
tel. +1-202-371-6592
fax. +1-202-371-0124
email. gooses-at-hrw-org or wareham-at-hrw-org
web. www.hrw.org

KENYA COALITION AGAINST LANDMINES
Mereso Agina
PO Box 57217, Nairobi, KENYA
tel. 254-2-222-095/223-307
fax. +254-2-225-390/245 549
email. mywo-at-africaonline-co-ke

MINES ACTION CANADA
Celina Tuttle or Mary Foster
145 Spruce St.
Ottawa, ONT K1R 6P1, CANADA
tel. +613-234-6755
fax. +1-613-233-9028
email. cppceli-at-web-net and mfoster-at-web-net
web. www.minesactioncanada.com

NORWEGIAN PEOPLE"S AID
Christian Ruge
PO Box 8844, Youngstorget
NO-0028, Oslo, NORWAY
tel. +47-22-03-77-00
fax. +47-22-20-09-40
email Christian.Ruge-at-sable-npaid-no

Landmine Monitor Working Group:

LM Core Group Organizations (HI, HRW, KCAL, MAC, NPA)
ICBL Coordination Team (LIZ, SBW) and ICBL Resource Center (NPA)
Plus:
1. Association to Aid Refugees, email aarjapan-at-mxb-meshnet-or-jp
Contact: Yukie Osa
2. Cambodia Campaign, email jrscam-at-forum-org-kh
Contact: Denise Coughlan
3. Handicap International, email hiparis-at-compuserve-com and
mineslyon-at-compuserve-com
Contact: Phillipe Chabasse
4. Landmine Survivors Network, email lsn-at-landminesurvivors-org
Contact: Brady Lee
5. Medico International, email th.gebauer-at-t-online-de
Contact: Thomas Gebauer
6. Mine Clearance Planning Agency, email mcpa-at-mcpa-pwr-sdnpk-undp-org
Contact: Sayed Aqa
7. Non-State Actors Working Group, email emarino-at-zeus-uniandes-edu.-co
Contact: Eduardo Marino
8. Physicians for Human Rights, email ssirkin-at-phrusa-org
Contact: Susannah Sirkin