Belize

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Last updated: 09 July 2018

Summary: State Party Belize acceded to the convention in September 2014 and has expressed its intent to enact implementing legislation to enforce the convention’s provisions. In November 2017, Belize provided an initial transparency report for the convention that confirms it has never used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.

Policy

Belize acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 2 September 2014 and became a State Party on 1 March 2015.

In November 2017, Belize provided its initial Article 7 transparency report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[1] The report states “pending” under national implementation measures for the convention. Previously, in September 2014, Belize said it was preparing legislation to implement the convention’s provisions.[2]

Belize participated in the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions and sought a strong treaty text.[3] At the conclusion of the Dublin negotiations, Belize joined in the consensus adoption of the convention, which it said would be forwarded to the capital with the “strongest recommendation for its adoption and endorsement.”[4]

Despite this, Belize did not attend the convention’s Signing Conference in Oslo in December 2008 and did not participate in another meeting on cluster munitions until 2013, when it attended a regional workshop in Santiago, Chile.

Belize’s first and, to date, only participation in a meeting of the convention was in September 2014, when it attended the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in San Jose, Costa Rica and announced its plan to accede.[5] Belize has not participated in any meetings of the convention since then.

Belize voted in favor of a key United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution promoting implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in December 2017.[6]

Belize has also voted in favor of UNGA resolutions expressing outrage at the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in December 2017.[7]

Belize is party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

According to its transparency report, Belize has never produced cluster munitions and does not possess any stocks, including for research and training purposes.[8]

Belize stated in 2010 that is has never used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.[9] In 2014, a government representative affirmed that “Belize has never used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.”[10]



[1] The report, which was originally due by 28 August 2015, covers the period from 1 March 2015 to 31 October 2017. It consists of a completed cover sheet, which states “not applicable” in every form except form A on national implementation measures. See, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, 8 November 2017.

[2] Statement of Belize, Convention on Cluster Munitions Fifth Meeting of States Parties, San Jose, 2 September 2014.

[3] For more information, see ICBL, Cluster Munition Monitor 2010 (Ottawa: Mines Action Canada, October 2010), p. 198.

[4] Summary Record of the Committee of the Whole, Sixteenth Session: 28 May 2008, Dublin Diplomatic Conference, CCM/CW/SR/16, 18 June 2008.

[5] Statement of Belize, Convention on Cluster Munitions Fifth Meeting of States Parties, San Jose, 2 September 2014.

 [6]Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions,” UNGA Resolution 72/54, 4 December 2017. It voted in favor of similar UNGA resolutions promoting the convention in 2015 and 2016.

[7]Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic,” UNGA Resolution 72/191, 19 December 2017. Belize voted in favor of similar resolutions in 2013–2016.

[8] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Forms B and C, 8 November 2017.

[9] Letter FA/UN/32/10 (2) from Nyasha Laing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, 25 March 2010.

[10] Statement of Belize, Convention on Cluster Munitions Fifth Meeting of States Parties, San Jose, 2 September 2014.


Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 12 November 2019

Policy

Belize signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 27 February 1998 and ratified it on 23 April 1998, becoming a State Party on 1 March 1999. Legislation to enforce the antipersonnel mine prohibition domestically was enacted on 10 January 2004.[1]

Belize has not attended any recent meetings of the treaty. It did not attend the Third Review Conference in Maputo in June 2014. Belize submitted its third Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report on 24 March 2006 but has not submitted subsequent annual reports.

On 5 December 2018, Belize voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 73/61 promoting universalization and implementation of the convention, as it has done in previous years.[2]

Belize is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons. It is party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Production, import, transfer, and stockpiling

Belize has never used, produced, imported, exported, or stockpiled antipersonnel mines, including for training purposes.



[1] “Anti-Personnel Mines Act 2003,” provided to Landmine Monitor (Mines Action Canada) by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Emergency Management of Belize, Ref. FA/UN/28/04, 17 June 2004. It includes fines and imprisonment for violations of the Act, such as liability for $50,000 and imprisonment for seven years in case of persons possessing antipersonnel mines.

[2] “Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction,” UNGA Resolution 73/61, 5 December 2018.