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Programme

Monday 16 to Friday 20 November 2020

The meeting was officially opened by the Eighteenth Meeting of the States Parties (18MSP) President, H.E. Osman Abufatima Adam Mohammed, Deputy Permanent Representative of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva.  

A high level opening ceremony featured an address delivered by the Minister of Defence of Sudan addresses by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection,  as well as messages delivered on behalf of organisations that historically played a role in the Convention:

In addition, the 18MSP President paid tribute to the late Minister of Defence of Sudan, Lieutenant General Garmal Eldin Omer.

In keeping with past practice, those eight outgoing members of the Committees were elected as Vice-Presidents of the 18MSP, namely: Austria, Canada, Chile, Iraq, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

H.E. Félix Baumann, Ambassador of Switzerland to the Conference on Disarmament, was confirmed as the Secretary-General of the 18MSP.

The States Parties adopted the programme of work for the 18MSP, as orally amended.

  • 18MSP provisional programme of work

Chile took the floor to declare that it had fulfilled its Article 5 mine clearance obligations 

The following States Parties took the floor to deliver general statements: Algeria, Austria, Brazil, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uruguay, Ukraine and Venezuela. 

The following States not party took the floor to deliver general statements: China, India, Korea, Republic of, Libya, Myanmar and the Syrian Arab Republic. 

The following organisations delivered general statements: European Union and UNMAS on behalf of the UN Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action. 

Norway also delivered a statement on behalf of the Gender Focal Points. 

The following delegations submitted written statements: Canada (English and French), Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. 

The following nine States Parties which had submitted requests for extensions of their Article 5 mine clearance deadlines presented their requests: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan and Ukraine.  

Canada, in his capacity as Chair of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation introduced the analyses that had been prepared with respect to the requests submitted by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan and Ukraine. 

In addition, the Chair of the Committee delivered remarks on Eritrea. 

The following delegations shared views with respect to the requests: 

In addition, the following organisation delivered remarks: MAG on behalf of the Gender Working Group. 

The Chair of the Committee on Article 5 delivered closing remarks.  

Italy, in his capacity as Chair of the Committee on Victim Assistance presented the activities of the Committee and conclusions and recommendations related to the Committee’s mandate.

Chile, in her capacity as Gender Focal Point of the Committee on Victim Assistance delivered introductory remarks. 

  • Remarks of the Gender Focal Point of the Committee on Victim Assistance

The following States Parties that have indicated that they are responsible for significant numbers of landmine survivors provided updates on steps they have taken to implement Actions #33 through #41 of the Oslo Action Plan: Afghanistan, Colombia, Croatia, El Salvador, Iraq, Peru, South Sudan, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand and Yemen.  

The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning victim assistance: Algeria, Chile, Turkey, European Union, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Venezuela, ICBL, ICRC and UNMAS on behalf of the UN Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action. 

The following delegations submitted written statements: Cambodia and Mexico. 

The Chair of the Committee on Victim Assistance delivered his closing remarks followed by the incoming Chair of the Committee.

Chile took the floor to declare that it had fulfilled its Article 5 mine clearance obligations 

The following States Parties took the floor to deliver general statements: 

The following States not party took the floor to deliver general statements: 

The following organisations delivered general statements: 

Norway also delivered a statement on behalf of the Gender Focal Points. 

The following delegations submitted written statements:

The United Kingdom, in his capacity as Chair of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance presented the activities of the Committee and conclusions and recommendations related to the Committee’s mandate.

  • Opening remarks of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance

Colombia, in her capacity as Gender Focal Point of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance delivered introductory remarks.

  • Remarks of the Gender Focal Point of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance

The following delegations commented on steps they have taken to implement Actions #42 through #47 of the Oslo Action Plan: Australia, Cambodia, Chile, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Iraq, Japan, Sudan, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Venezuela, ICBL, ITF, GICHD and HALO Trust.  

In addition Peru and Ecuador delivered a joint statement.

The following delegations submitted statements in a written form: Italy and Mexico. 

The Chair of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance delivered closing remarks followed by the incoming Chair.

The President, as Chair of the Committee on Cooperative Compliance, presented the activities of the Committees and conclusions and recommendations related to the mandate of the Committee.

Panama, in her capacity as Gender Focal Point of the Committee on the Cooperative Compliance delivered introductory remarks.

The following delegations commented on the conclusions of the Committee or shared views or information on matters concerning cooperative compliance: Yemen, Sudan, Spain, ICRC and ICBL.  

The Chair of the Committee on Cooperative Compliance delivered closing remarks followed by the incoming Chair.

The President presented his conclusions on the status of implementation of Article 4.

The following States Parties that are still in the process of destroying stockpiled anti-personnel mines, including previously unknown stockpiles, provided updates on steps taken to implement Actions #13 through #17 of the Oslo Action Plan: Greece and Ukraine. 

The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning stockpile destruction and or the retention of anti-personnel mines: Chile, Indonesia and ICBL.  

The President provided an update on the status of universalization of the Convention.

The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning universalization: Morocco, New Zealand, Belgium, Indonesia, ICBL and ICRC. 

In addition, the following delegation submitted a written statement on this matter: Mexico. 

The President presented an update on transparency and the exchange of information and encouraged States Parties to make use of all the relevant tools, including the Guide to Reporting, when preparing their annual transparency reports.

UNODA presented the new Article 7 reports database. 

The following delegations shared views or information on matters concerning transparency and the exchange of the information: Netherlands, Switzerland and ICBL. 

The ISU Director presented the ISU work plan and budget 2021 and the 18MSP adopted this document.

In addition, the ISU Director presented the interim 2020 report on activities and finances and the audited annual financial report for 2019. The 18MSP approved these documents.

The following delegations shared views on these matters: Spain, Japan, France and the United Kingdom. 

The meeting considered a number of other matters concerning implementation support, including dates for the intersessional meetings in 2021, the new Committee members and the Convention's Sponsorship Programme.

Australia, in its capacity as Coordinator of the Sponsorship Programme provided an update on the Sponsorship Programme.

The 18MSP agreed to hold the 2021 intersessional meetings on 22-24 June 2021 in Geneva.

In keeping with its mandate, the 18MSP President consulted with States Parties to identify a list of nominees to serve as new Committee members following the 18MSP. The meeting  agreed on the following proposal:

  • Committee on Victim Assistance: Sweden and Thailand until the end of the Nineteenth Meeting of the States Parties and Algeria and Ecuador until the end of the Twentieth Meeting of the States Parties;
  • Committee on Article 5 Implementation: Norway and Zambia until the end of the Nineteenth Meeting of the States Parties and Belgium and Sri Lanka until the end of the Twentieth Meeting of the States Parties;
  • Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance: Colombia and Germany until the end of the Nineteenth Meeting of the States Parties and Japan and Sudan until the end of the Twentieth Meeting of the States Parties;
  • Committee on Cooperative Compliance: Panama and Poland until the end of the Nineteenth Meeting of the States Parties and Chile and Spain until the end of the Twentieth Meeting of the States Parties. 

The status of assessed contributions was introduced by UNODA.

  • Status of assessed contributions

The following delegation shared views on this matter: Japan. 

No delegation took the floor under this agenda item.

No delegation took the floor under this agenda item.

The President informed the 18MSP that no official expression of interest had yet been received for the Presidency of the Twentieth Meeting of the States Parties in 2022. The President invited interested countries to approach the President of the Nineteenth Meeting of the Parties.

The 18MSP agreed that the Convention’s Nineteenth Meeting of the States Parties will take place from 29 November to 3 December 2021 in Noordwijk, Netherlands. 

The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, H.E. Sigrid Kaag, delivered a message to the Eighteenth Meeting of the States Parties. 

The President of the Nineteenth Meeting of the States Parties, H.E. Ambassador Robbert Jan Gabriëlse, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the Conference on Disarmament presented his priorities for the Presidency of the Nineteenth Meeting of the States Parties. 

In addition, the 18MSP adopted cost estimates for the Twentieth Meeting of the States Parties. 

 

No delegation took the floor under this agenda item. 

The meeting considered and adopted the final report of the 18MSP.

The President delivered his closing remarks.