Members
of the Treaty Working Group (TWG) are tasked with taking the lead in developing
and implementing the ICBL’s strategies and actions related to the Mine Ban
Treaty and dealing with other mine-oriented international bodies and
instruments, such as CCW Amended Protocol II, as well as with national laws and
measures.
Approximately twenty-four ICBL member organizations are part of the TWG,
which is chaired by Human Rights Watch. While the TWG did not meet on a regular
or formal basis in 2001 or the first half of 2002, its members consulted and met
often during key meetings, including drafting common ICBL statements or
positions.
ACTIONS TAKEN
Universalization: The TWG and the Campaign
overall continue work to convince the remaining non-signatories to accede to the
treaty according to the universalization strategy outlined in the ICBL’s
2004 Action Plan (adopted at the General Meeting in March 2001 and updated in
April 2002), as well as year-by-year country targets. Members of the TWG
participated in regular meetings of the Universalization Contact Group, an
informal information sharing and strategy group consisting of more than twenty
pro-ban governments, the ICRC, UNICEF and the ICBL. Members of the TWG were
centrally involved in the six regional Landmine Monitor researcher meetings
between October 2001 and January 2002, including the meetings in two
non-signatory countries, South Korea and Armenia. Members of the TWG played key
roles in other regional landmine conferences, including in Bosnia, Brazil,
China, Croatia, DR Congo, Malaysia, Mongolia, Poland, Thailand, and Tunisia.
Members of the TWG visited target countries to press for accession to the
treaty, including Afghanistan and the DR Congo, and spoke on multiple occasions
in regional and international fora, such as the United Nations both in New York
and Geneva, the European Community, NATO, and the Organization of American
States.
Ratification: Following the 1 March 1999 entry into force of the
treaty, TWG members continued to press for the remaining signatories to ratify
the Mine Ban Treaty, of which there were less than twenty by June 2002. The TWG
monitors the ratification process, coordinates advocacy efforts with key
governments and international organizations, and sends out periodic updates
through the ban movement network.
Implementation and Monitoring: The TWG works closely with national
campaigns and other ban partners on the implementation and monitoring of the
Mine Ban Treaty. The TWG monitors and reports on progress made by States
Parties in submitting Article 7 reports and members distributed a
“Handbook on Transparency Reporting,” produced by VERTIC, to assist
governments to meet this treaty requirement. Compliance with the reporting
obligation rose considerably between 2000 and 2002, from approximately 55
percent to over 75 percent. TWG members also closely tracked developments in
national implementation measures (Article 9), including commenting on draft
legislation, and distribution of an “Information Kit on National
Legislation,” produced by ICRC.
The chair of the TWG serves as the coordination point of the Landmine Monitor
and Landmine Monitor’s data gathering process has served to reinforce the
work of the TWG and the ICBL; persistent inquiries from researchers have helped
convince governments to ratify and to better implement the treaty, especially in
terms of submission of Article 7 transparency reports.
Third Meeting of States Parties: Nearly all TWG members participated
in the 3MSP in Managua in September 2001. Along with the release of the
Landmine Monitor Report 2001, TWG members used the meeting to educate and
encourage governments to address issues of concern. The TWG chair served as the
Head of the ICBL delegation to the 3MSP and delivered the ICBL statement to the
Plenary. TWG members made interventions in other working sessions of the 3MSP,
and also participated an opening and closing day press briefing and several
media events.
Intersessional Work: The TWG chair was tasked with organizing the
ICBL’s participation in two intersessional groups, the Standing Committees
on Stockpile Destruction and on General Status and Operation of the Convention.
This was done through close coordination with the ICBL's Intersessional Program
Officer. The ICBL played a prominent role in these SCs by providing relevant
information, by clearly stating NGO positions and concerns, and by making
specific recommendations that the SCs could carry out.
General Status: The TWG chair and the Intersessional Program Officer
closely worked with SC co-chairs Norway and Thailand to include discussion on
key items of interest to the ICBL in this SC’s meetings including Article
1 (interpretation of “assist”), Article 2 (definitions, particularly
antivehicle mines with antihandling devices), Article 3 (mines retained for
training), Article 7 (transparency reporting), Article 8 (compliance) and
Article 9 (national implementation measures). Prior to the January and May 2002
SC meetings, the TWG in conjunction with the ICBL Coordinator sent letters to
all States Parties and signatories highlighting these and other issues with the
aim of spurring the governments to prepare seriously for discussion at the SC.
At the two SC meetings, a TWG representative gave a presentation on each issue.
TWG chair Human Rights Watch, on behalf of Landmine Monitor, distributed fact
sheets on Antivehicle Mines equipped with Sensitive Fuzes, Article 7 Reporting,
Claymore Mines, National Implementation Measures, Mines Retained for Training,
Foreign Stockpiling and Transit, and Joint Military Operations. TWG member
Landmine Action distributed a publication on antivehicle mine pressure
thresholds.
Stockpile Destruction: The TWG chair and the Intersessional Program
Officer closely worked with SC co-chairs Australia and Croatia to develop the
agenda for the SC meetings. The TWG chair presented a global overview of
stockpiles and stockpile destruction efforts at both SC meetings. A
“Landmine Monitor Fact Sheet, Antipersonnel Mine Stockpiles and their
Destruction” was updated and distributed at both meetings. Largely as a
result of TWG interventions, several governments have reduced or eliminated
altogether the number of antipersonnel mines they intend to keep for training,
and the number of governments providing progress updates increased during this
period as the initial deadline of March 2003 loomed closer.
United Nations General Assembly: In November 2001, the ICBL circulated
updates to the campaign on UNGA Resolution 56/24M, which urged universalization
and implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. The resolution, introduced by
Nicaragua, Norway, and Belgium (the present, past, and future presidents of
Meetings of States Parties), secured 138 votes in favor (including 20
non-signatories), none against and 19 abstentions (three less than last
year).
Convention on Conventional Weapons: In September 2001, the TWG Chair
led a small delegation of ICBL members attending the 3rd Preparatory Committee
meeting for the CCW Second Review Conference and a closing statement was
delivered. In December 2001, about half a dozen NGOs from the ICBL, in a
delegation led by the TWG chair, attended the third annual conference of State
Parties to Amended Protocol II of the CCW, as well as the Second CCW Review
Conference, in December 2001 in Geneva. The ICBL Intersessional Program Officer
delivered statements to the AP II annual meeting, as well to the opening and
closing plenaries of the CCW Second Review Conference. In the closing plenary,
the ICBL announced its support for calls to establish a moratorium on the use,
production and trade of cluster munitions, and stated the ICBL’s strong
support for efforts to create new international humanitarian law on the wider
problem of explosive remnants of war, including cluster weapons, by negotiating
of a new protocol in the CCW. The ICBL organized bilateral meetings with a
number of other non-signatories, as well as various briefings for Conference
delegates and the press during the course of the meetings. The ICBL also
participated in a May 2002 meeting of a CCW Group of Governmental Experts formed
to study explosive remnants of war and mines other than antipersonnel mines.
Conference on Disarmament: The TWG continued to monitor the CD’s
stalemate on reaching any agreement on an agenda. The ICBL strongly opposes any
effort to deal with antipersonnel mines in the CD.
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