TAKE ACTION NOW to advance the ICBL’s goals for the “2004 Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World”!

(Thursday 27 May 2004 ) We need your help to prepare for the Intersessional week in June!

Dear all,

The Standing Committees of the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) will be held from 21 to 25 June 2004 in Geneva, followed by the 2^nd Preparatory Meeting on 28 – 29 June. This will be a very important 10 days as these are the last major formal and informal meetings bringing together all relevant actors on the road to the “2004 Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World”, the first Review Conference of the Convention.

We need YOUR contributions and preparations to help make the most of this opportunity!

We must use this intersessional week and the 2^nd PrepCom to make progress in achieving our goals for the Nairobi Summit, where we are seeking renewed political and resource commitments from ALL States Parties available at: www.doc.icbl.org/icbl_goals.doc . We need your help to make sure that governments come to Geneva prepared to participate actively and constructively in the discussions, and ready to work even more in the months leading up to Nairobi. That means we need YOU to talk to and encourage them to do just that!

Below you will find general information on each of the four Standing Committees, and suggestions on what YOU can do, now, to enhance the participation and results of this week, in preparation for the “2004 Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World”.

Do not hesitate to use the regional e-lists to share information of general interest. Please feel free to contact me or other ICBL staff should you have questions or need assistance. And please do send us any interesting information gathered from contacts with your government.

Good luck!

Sylvie

Table of Contents:

• 1) Introduction
• 2) Preparing the week
  • I. Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention (SC-GSOC)
  • II. Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies
  • III. Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Social and Economic Reintegration
  • IV. Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction

1) Introduction

Please meet now with your government contacts to discuss the June intersessional week. The SC weeks are open to States Parties and States not Parties. For States Parties, attending the intersessionals demonstrates their commitment to full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty and provides an opportunity to engage with all major players in the AP mine ban community, including donors and experts. For States not Parties, participation demonstrates an openness to eradicating anti-personnel mines and contributes to their understanding of the Convention.

1. Do they plan to attend the next Standing Committee meetings, scheduled in Geneva from 21-25 June 04?

2. Have they already registered? If not, they should do so now or at least by the 14 June deadline. It can be done easily online at http://www.gichd.ch/mbc/iwp/SC Jun04 /index.htm

3. What is the composition of the delegation? Will it include representatives from other ministries than MFA or Defence (e.g.Ministries of Health, Social or Humanitarian Affairs)?

• If your government does not intend to participate and is a State Party or a signatory to the MBT, ask them why not (and let us know) and please try to convince them to come!
• If your government confirms its participation, then ask them to consider the following suggestions on how to best prepare each of the Standing Committee meetings.
  If they want to make an intervention on one of the issues below, and need help, they can either contact Kerry Brinkert, from the Implementation Support Unit at k.brinkert atsignhere gichd.ch or ICBL’s Intersessional Programme Officer, Susan B. Walker at walker atsignhere icbl.org.

2) Preparing the week

The four Standing Committees will meet from Monday, 21 June, to Friday 25 June. The Second Preparatory Meeting for the Review Conference will be held on Monday and Tuesday, 28-29 June.

All Committees are relevant for all States Parties, but if a mine-affected state, they should pay particular attention to the Standing Committees on Mine Action and Victim Assistance, and what is suggested for mine-affected states to prepare for these Committees.

You will find below details for each Standing Committee, but if you have any queries on the priorities in your country please feel free to get in touch with me.

You will find the intersessional week agenda at:

http://www.gichd.ch/pdf/mbc/SC_june04/SC_june04_Agenda.pdf

I. Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention (SC-GSOC)

On Monday morning 21st and Friday 25 June, States will have the opportunity to provide updates or share their views on the following issues. Consider what you and your government can do to ensure we make significant progress by the Nairobi Summit.

1) Universalisation of the Convention:

Encourage your government to give an update on their effort to join the MBT or how they encourage other States to join. See ICBL goals on universalisation for Nairobi and our target countries at www.doc.icbl.org/universalisation.doc

Engagement of armed non-state actors to universalise the norm represented by the ban on antipersonnel mines is very important. Encourage your government to support the work of ICBL country campaigns and other NGOs engaging:

• NSAs to stop the use, production, trade and stockpile of APMS;
• NSA cooperation in victim assistance and mine clearing activities.

See our message on armed non-state actors at www.doc.icbl.org/nsa.doc

2) Resource Mobilization:

Encourage your government to give an update on the place of mine action and victim assistance within its own development strategies, best practices to ensure mine action funds are well spent and perspective on the Nairobi Summit outcomes on resource mobilization matters.

3) Article 7 Transparency Reporting:

Ask your government to give an update on the status of its transparency report or any proposals to assist other States in reporting. Ask new States Parties to try to submit their report for the intersessional if possible, in advance of their deadlines.
See the ICBL message on Article 7 and a list of late initial reports and reports due this year at www.doc.icbl.org/article_7.doc

4) Article 1, 2 and 3:

Ensuring that States Parties make progress toward a common understanding of these provisions before the Nairobi Summit is of utmost importance if we want to make the Convention stronger and remove possible ambiguities. Encourage your government to share their views or best practices on the following issues:

Article 1: joint operations and assist (and to review the non-paper circulated by the SC-GSOC Co-Chairs at the February intersessionals);

Article 2: anti-vehicle mines with sensitive fuses and anti-vehicle mines with anti-handling devices (and to review the table distributed by ICRC at the February intersessionals);

Article 3: mines retained for training (and to review the non-paper distributed by the ICRC at the February intersessionals, which includes language supported by the ICBL).

ICBL will be sending a separate message on these 3 articles in the near future.

5) Compliance: Article 9

Ensuring compliance with provisions of the Convention is a key element in progressing toward a mine-free world. The adoption of a national implementation measure or law is one way to do so, and an obligation under the Convention.

What can you do?

- Encourage your government to provide an update on the status of the adoption of national implementing measures (law or administrative measures) in accordance with Article 9 of the MBT. 30 States reported domestic legislation “in process”..the list of these countries and more information at www.doc.icbl.org/article_9.doc

Does your government need help to prepare for this Standing Committee? Use suggestions by the Co-Chairs available at: http://www.gichd.ch/pdf/mbc/SC_june04/SCGS_june04_Co_Chairs_Notes.pdf

Or contact Kerry Brinkert, ISU, or Susan B. Walker, ICBL.

II. Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies

On Monday 21st afternoon and Tuesday 22 June, States will have the opportunity to provide updates on their efforts to conduct mine action on their territory or support mine action in affected states. This will be an important contribution to the Review and Action Plan to come out of the Nairobi Summit.

What can you do?

1. For mine-affected states, encourage the government to update participants on their “4Ps”: problems they face, their plans, progress and priorities for assistance with regard to meeting the deadlines for mine clearance and implementing Mine Risk Education.
2. Encourage them to communicate their plans ahead of the Review Conference by filling the document available at: http://www.gichd.ch/pdf/mbc/SC_june04/SCMC_june04_Communicating_elements.pdf
3. For donor countries, encourage the government to give an update on their plans, efforts and initiatives in assisting mine-affected states in their mine action programmes.

See ICBL’s main messages and goals for the Review Conference regarding Mine Clearance and Mine Risk Education at www.doc.icbl.org/article_5.doc

Does your government need help to prepare? Suggest they use the” Framework to assist mine-affected States Parties to prepare this meeting” available at: http://www.gichd.ch/pdf/mbc/SC_june04/SCMC_june04_Suggested_framework.pdf

Do you need more help? contact Sara at sekkenes atsignhere icbl.org or Hakimi at mdcafghan atsignhere hotmail.com/ afghan atsignhere icbl.org or Susan.

For Mine Risk Education contact, Stan at stan.brabant atsignhere handicap.be or Habouba at habbouba atsignhere balamand.edu.lb.

III. Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Social and Economic Reintegration.

On Wednesday 23 June, States will have the opportunity to provide updates or share their views on the issue of Victim Assistance and Social and Economic Reintegration. What can you do? Again, this will be an important contribution to the Review and Action Plan to come out of the Nairobi Summit.

For mine-affected states:

1) Encourage the government to update participants on their:

1. “4Ps”: the problems they face, their plans, progress and priorities for assistance;
2. successes, good ideas and lessons learned in economic reintegration initiatives;
3. their efforts, if any, in supporting, participating and/or organising regional victim assistance initiatives.

To help them doing so, a useful framework is available at:

http://www.gichd.ch/pdf/mbc/SC_june04/SCVA_june04_%20Framework_to_assist.pdf

For all states:

2) Urge the country to be more involved in Victim Assistance, ask that a certain percentage of funding be dedicated for Victim Assistance.

See our goals for the 2004 Nairobi Summit and message at www.doc.icbl.org/vaser.doc

Does the government need help to prepare? Have a look at the Co-Chairs suggestions at:

http://www.gichd.ch/pdf/mbc/SC_june04/SCVA_june04_Co_Chairs_Suggestions.pdf

Do you need help? Contact Becky at becky atsignhere lsn.org , Margaret at margaret atsignhere icbl.org or Susan at walker atsignhere icbl.org

IV. Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction

On Thursday, 24 June, States will have the opportunity to provide updates on their efforts to destroy their stockpiles of anti-personnel mines.

What can you do?

1. For States Parties who are in the process of destroying their stockpiles:
   Encourage the government to give an update on their destruction programme including advances, challenges and request for assistance, particularly if the destruction must be completed by the Nairobi Summit. See lists of countries at www.doc.icbl.org/article_4.doc
2. For states assisting other states to destroy their stocks:
   Encourage them to share their views on all opportunities to provide assistance for stockpile destruction.
3. If you know the government has discovered anti-personnel mines after the end of destruction deadlines, encourage them to give an update during the Standing Committees, to include information in their Article 7 annual update (due on 30 April each year) and to destroy the additional stockpiles as soon as possible.

Do they need help to prepare? Use the document prepared by the Co-Chairs of this Standing Committee available at:

http://www.gichd.ch/pdf/mbc/SC_june04/SCSD_june04_Co_Chairs_Notes.pdf

Do you need more information? See the ICBL webpage on Stockpile Destruction at www.icbl.org/treaty/stockpiles or contact Mary Wareham or Susan.

We hope this alert will provide you with concrete ideas on actions you can take to prepare for the ever-important June meetings, but also in the coming months leading up to the “Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World”. Not all actions will be relevant to all countries, but please take time to determine which ones are relevant for your country and contact us if you have questions or need advice. Thank you in advance for your energy, commitment and action.

NOW IS THE TIME and together we have and will continue to make a difference!