AFRICA REGIONAL GROUP

The Africa Regional Group met on four occasions to discuss the following:

The Mine Ban Treaty: (a) Political aspects (b) Legal aspects
Demining and Mine Awareness
Survivor/Victim Assistance
Non-State Actors
The issue of the Mozambican Campaign
Further discussions on the goals and strategies of the region
Development of a plan of action
Recommendations to the General Assembly
Identify items for General Assembly action.

Regarding the issue brought up by the Mozambican Campaign, the matter was discussed at length and the Africa Regional Group came up with a statement . The Mozambican Campaign is satisfied that a process of mediation has started and informed the Group that it would rather leave the matter to be thrashed out through the said process.

10. Mine Ban Treaty

AA. Political aspects:

The Africa Regional Group suggest that in its call to all African States to ratify/accede to the Mine Ban Treaty, the Campaign should also call for the respect of human rights, because the use of Anti-Personnel Mines, is in one way or the other, linked to disrespect or perceived disrespect of human rights. The destruction of stockpiles should be transparent.

BB. Legal Aspects

The Africa Regional Group undertakes to urge African States Parties to implement in their national legislations provisions of the Treaty and that those who violate should be stigmatised and appropriate measures be taken against them.

13. Mine Clearance and Mine Awareness

The Africa Regional Group recommended that UNMAS should intensify Level One Survey to determine actual prevalence of APMs in Africa.

Local institutions should be involved in the planning and implementation of mine clearance programmes.

Local capacity in Mine Clearance should be built and strengthened.

Mine Awareness

This process should be encouraged and strengthened and should be made sensitive to local, cultural context.

Survivor Assistance

States , NGOs , Donors and others should recognize survivor assistance as the most critical area that is least addressed.
Survivor Assistance for victims and their communities should be prioritized. National legislation on persons with disability should be enacted.
Encourage participation of survivors and their communities.

Non State Actors

The Africa Regional Group supports the General meeting's approval of the Working Group on Non State Actors as an official WG of ICBL.

The Africal Regional Group calls o the ICBL and its leadership to:

gg. Reflect the international character of the campaign and in particular those countries who are affected by landmines.

hh. Be responsive and sensitive to the wide variety of contexts that make up the ICBL;

ii. Develop a systematic programme by which good working relationship between National Campaigns and the coordinating Committee and its staff can be established, including access to resources (financial and material) and promote transparency in the whole process.

jj. Reaffirm its commitment to the Campaigns original definition of Landmines as per their effect.

aaa. to recognise that the problem of Landmines has been created as a result of the structural inequality especially between the North and the South

Plan of action

In the next two years the African Campaign will concentrate on the following:-

bbb. building up of new campaigns (for example in Nigeria and Central Africa) and strengthening already existing ones

ccc. Building up a viable resource base and capacity enhancement.

ddd. Target the issue of security and landmines and Non State Actors in the Horn of Africa

eee. Use the ICBL mechanism to intensify work on NSAs.