Status of the Ottawa Convention to date

The Secretariat of the First Meeting of States Parties (FMSP) confirmed today that Brazil, and Antigua and Barbuda had deposited instruments of ratification with the UN Secretariat (on 30 April and 3 May, respectively), bringing the total number of States Parties to 79. Since the Ottawa Convention’s entry into force on 1 March 1999, eleven more States have ratified it.

Highlights of General Exchange of Views

More than 80 participants have made statements in two days of meetings. Among them were five non-signatory States (China, Israel, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Turkey), including organizations participating in the FMSP

Speakers continued to call for universal adherence to the Convention. The representative of Hungary said, however, "while the drive for universal adherence to the Convention should remain one of the top priorities, the fact that some countries failed to sign on to our initiative must not divert our attention from the dreadful reality that there are still millions of anti-personnel mines lying hidden in the ground in often unmarked fields and hundreds or thousands of unsuspecting civilians fall prey to their terror every year." Governments had an obligation to future generations to continue to rid the world of anti-personnel mines.

Participants informed the meeting about their countries’ progress towards implementing the Convention at the national level, including efforts towards mine clearance and eradicating landmines. They also reported on bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation.

Among the topics addressed in the General Exchange of Views:

• the brutal consequences of the use of anti-personnel landmines;
• the importance of psychological assistance and social rehabilitation for landmine victims, particularly children;
• the importance of eliminating landmine stockpiles;
• the urgent need for new technology— particularly equipment for mine detection and mine protection—aimed at accelerating demining operations
• concern over the current situation in Kosovo;
• the need for more assistance and support from the international community to meet the requirements of the Ottawa Convention.

Several speakers referred to Mozambique’s experience to date in addressing the problem of landmines as a "success story". The representative of the Philippines said Mozambique serves as an example to other mine-effected countries. Working with the UN and other donors, it had successfully cleared some 4,000 miles of roads, allowing thousands of displaced persons and refugees to return to their homes.

Several States announced commitments to sign or ratify the Convention. The Czech Republic declared its commitment to ratify the Convention this summer. Turkey’s representative, speaking as an observer, announced "the decision of my country to sign the Ottawa Convention at the beginning of the next decade if present conditions would not change adversely."

The representative of China, also participating as an observer State, said "anti-personnel landmines are still of important practical significance for countries like China who lack advanced defensive weapons, to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It should be pointed out that the present rampant gunboat policy towards the developing countries is of no help to the goal of a global ban on anti-personnel landmines." He said, however, that his country places strict control on landmines and has actively undertaken mine clearance efforts within its borders.

Turkey’s representative said the security situation around his country had thus far prevented it from signing the Ottawa Convention. However, Turkey kept an open mind towards an eventual ban on anti-personnel mines, to be achieved in stages. At the close of his statement he referred to the ICBL’s Land Mine Monitor Report 1999, launched yesterday at the FMSP, which he said "contains incorrect, inaccurate and misleading information with regard to my country."

A representative of Cambodia said: "Landmines have inflicted prolonged suffering to their victims who have survived their blast. They kill off their hopes; they ostracize them socially; they kill off their longing to have families; they destroy their esteem and worth; they turn them into beggars, down and outs and they render them a social burden."

List of participants in the General Exchange of Views

Representatives of the following made statements: (Monday) Mozambique, Canada, South Africa, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Sweden, Croatia, Ireland, Thailand, Austria, Netherlands, Brazil, Slovenia, France, Zimbabwe, Denmark, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, Guatemala, Columbia, Mauritius and Mali

(Tuesday) Senegal, Zambia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Peru, Jordan, Turkmenistan, Hungary, Lithuania, Argentina, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Romania, Philippines, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, China, Chile, Ecuador, Jamaica, Malaysia, Turkey, Paraguay, El Salvador, Israel, Indonesia, Bulgaria and Ukraine, Lesotho, Algeria, Bolivia, Yemen, Nicaragua, Kenya, Holy See, Chile, Spain, Antigua and Barbuda, Ethiopia, Morocco, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Poland, Rwanda, Malawi, Palestine, European Community, Organization of American States, Organization internationale de la francophonie, UNMAS, UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, ICRC, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

At the close of Tuesday morning’s session, the Secretary-General of the Conference, Ambassador Carlos dos Santos, informed the meeting of decisions on the chairmen and rapporteurs for the informal consultations on Article 6 of the Convention (International cooperation and assistance), the intersessional work programme and the standing committees of experts, as follows:

Co-chairs: Mozambique and the United Kingdom;
Rapporteurs Peru and the Netherlands

Victim Assistance:

Co-chairs: Mexico and Switzerland;
Rapporteurs: Nicaragua and Japan

Co-chairs: Mali and Hungary;
Rapporteurs: Malaysia and Slovak Republic

Co-chairs: Cambodia and France;
Raporteurs: Yemen and Germany

Intersessional Work – General Status and Operation of the Convention:

Co-chairs: South Africa and Canada;
Rapporteurs: Zimbabwe and Belgium

Press Briefing by the Secretary-General of the FMSP

In a press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Carlos Dos Santos, Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the United Nations and Secretary-General of the FMSP, noted that almost every statement had identified achieving universality as a major priority. Among the themes addressed by many speakers were:

• the need for full and speedy implementation of the Convention, which will ultimately determine its success;

• the importance of international cooperation and the need to strengthen coordination of international in mine action—as weakness which could undermine the Convention’s effectiveness;

• creation of national capacities in landmine-affected countries in order to make mine action programmes durable and sustainable. Several countries had reported the establishment national centres for mine action—evidence of work under way to implement the Convention.

• monitoring and compliance with the Convention. Speakers had, in particular, condemned signatory States which continued to place mines in their territories. Speakers attached a great deal of importance to the Landmine Monitor Report, just released by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which was likely to prompt a response from certain countries. Discussion of Article 7 (Transparency measures) had, of course, figured prominently in statements.

He also cited messages from major countries which had not yet joined the Convention. He welcomed the presence of China, which, he said, was "very important". Finland was also represented at the meeting, and the United States President had sent a message read by the President of the meeting.

In response to questions from journalists, Ambassador dos Santos made the following points:

On landmines as necessary for national defense and protection of a State’s sovereignty: Ambassador dos Santos noted that this position, which had been stated by China at the FMSP was shared by many States that had so far been unwilling to sign the Convention. He noted, however, that signatory States also were concerned about national security, but they supported banning this weapon because it kills defenseless civilians. The movement to ban mines was already having an effect. The number of landmine-producing States had dropped from 55 to 15 as a result of this process. Eliminating production was one of the Convention’s goals. Eventually China and others could join the movement.

On access to new technology: The Convention and the FMSP were contributing to a more open debate about the development of new technology and about the best mechanisms to ensure that landmine-affected countries could benefit from it. He was convinced that after the FMSP, these countries would benefit still more after the meeting.

On Angola’s participation in the FMSP: Angola’s Deputy Foreign Minister was expected to attend and had been scheduled to speak on Tuesday morning. It had been hoped that he would offer an explanation of the laying of new landmines in his country. The Secretariat had received no indication that his participation had been cancelled. Although the "general exchange of views" was scheduled to conclude at the end of Tuesday, it could be extended to tomorrow morning if there were speakers who wished to take the floor

On the roles of Governments and civil society in demining, and charges of corruption in some mine action programmes: Ambassador dos Santos noted that the great strength of the Ottawa Convention was that Governments, international organizations and NGOs were working together in partnership. It was a model for future conventions; Governments had primary responsibility and under the convention have undertaken commitments to take action against landmines; but effective action required the combined efforts of Governments, international organizations, NGOs and civil society working together—at the national, as well as the international level. Corruption would always be a factor wherever money was involved, he said. Together, they must work together to fight it and ensure transparency

On addressing landmine problems in non-signatory States where conflicts were under way: Ambassador dos Santos noted that the Convention was applicable to all signatory States. Efforts were being made to encourage States engaged in conflicts to sign and to engage them in dialogue. It was hoped this would lead them to work with the States involved in mine clearance, while reinforcing the international cooperation being forged under the Convention. The primary responsibility for action against landmines rested with Governments, he said. "Through the UN and other international mechanisms, the countries in conflict can, and should, get involved in this international movement to ban landmines. The people of their countries will benefit."

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