Summary
Sunday 27 November 2016, Atacama Desert, Chile
On 27 Novermber, prior to the commencing the official Meeting, Chile staged a day-long field visit for Heads of Delegations to see first hand, the work of the demining units near the city of Arica in northern Chile.
Monday 28 November to Thursday 1 December 2016, Santiago, Chile
The meeting was officially opened by the Fifteenth Meeting of the States Parties (15MSP) President, H.E. Heraldo Muñoz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile. A high level opening ceremony featured an address by the President of Chile, H.E. Michelle Bachelet and messages delivered on behalf of organisations that historically played a role in the Convention:
- Antonio Prado, Deputy Executive-Secretary of ECLAC on behalf of the UN Secretary-General
- Lorenzo Caraffi, Head of the ICRC regional delegation in Brasilia on behalf of the ICRC President
- Jesus Martinez, ICBL, on behalf of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize co-Laureate Jody Williams
- Barbara Haering, President of the Council of Foundation of the GICHD
In addition, an address was delivered by the Convention’s Special Envoy, HRH Mired Bin Raad Bin Zeid Al Hussein of Jordan.
The 15MSP was officially opened by the 15MSP President, H.E. Heraldo Muñoz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, acompanied by the Minister of Defence H.E. José Antonio Gómez Urrutia. The Meeting was then pesided over by H.E. Martha Maurás, Ambassador of Chile to the UN in Geneva.
The States Parties adopted the agenda for the 15MSP.
In keeping with past practice, those eight outgoing members of the Committees were elected as Vice-Presidents of the 15MSP, namely: Algeria, Canada, Ecuador, Ireland, Mexico, Senegal, Switzerland and Thailand.
Mr. Julio Bravo, Director of International and Human Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile was confirmed as the Secretary-General of the 15MSP.
The States Parties adopted the programme of work for the 15MSP.
The panel on Comprehensive Mine Action and Peace: Cooperating towards a Mine-Free World discussed the importance of a comprehensive mine action programme in Colombia’s peace process and the importance of cooperation and assistance in support of these efforts. The panel also learnt about the Global Demining Initiative co-led by Norway and the United States and discussed how this initiative could be replicated by other States Parties. The panel was chaired by Julio Bravo, Director of International and Human Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile and featured presentations from:
- Mauricio Gonzalez, Director, Multilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombia
- Hans Brattskar, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Norway Geneva
- Steve Costner, Deputy Director Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
Following the presentations of the panellists, the following delegations took the floor: Argentina, Mexico and the ICBL.
The following States Parties took the floor to deliver general statements: Switzerland, Mexico, Zambia, New Zealand, Japan, Belgium, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Poland, El Salvador, Guatemala, Slovenia on behalf of the Human Security Netwok, Slovenia, Slovakia, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Congo, Holy See, Italy, Ecuador, Uganda, Ireland and Ukraine.
The following States Parties provided their general statements in written form: Spain and South Africa.
The following organisation delivered a general statement: the European Union.
The following State Party took the floor to deliver general statements: Iraq The following States Parties provided its general statement in written form: Spain and South Africa. The following States not party to the Convention delivered general statements: China, India, Morocco and Palestine. The following organisations delivered general statements: ITF and MAG.
The following two States Parties which had submitted requests for extensions of their Article 5 mine clearance deadlines presented their requests: Niger and Peru.
The following delegations shared views with respect to the request submitted by Niger: France and the ICBL and the following delegation shared views with respect to the request submitted by Peru: Argentina and the ICBL.
During the meeting a third State Party delivered a statement indicating that due to unforeseen circumstances it would need to present a request for extension of its Article 5 mine clearance deadline during the 15MSP and it submitted its request to the Chair of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation: Ecuador. The Chair of the Committee on Article 5 made some brief observations with respect to this request.
- The following delegation shared views with respect to the request submitted by Ecuador: the ICBL.
- The following delegation made a general statement on the requests submitted under Article 5: the ICBL.
- The following State Party which had indicated that it would present a request for extension of its Article 5 deadline made a statement: Ukraine.
- The following delegations shared views with respect to the statement made by Ukraine: Zambia and the ICBL.
The Chair of the Committee on Victim Assistance presented conclusions and recommendations related to the Committee’s mandate.
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 #12 through #18 of the Maputo Action Plan: Afghanistan, Jordan, Cambodia, Sudan, Thailand, Croatia, Colombia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tajikistan, Iraq and Peru.
The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning victim assistance: Australia, the European Union, Belgium, Italy, Turkey, Slovenia, Costa Rica, Japan, Brazil, the ICBL, UNMAS and Greece.
In addition, the Chair of the Committee on Victim Assistance delivered closing remarks.
The Chair of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation presented conclusions and recommendations related to the Committee’s mandate.
Algeria declared that it was nearing completion of the Convention's Article 5 mine clearance obligations.
The following States Parties which are still in the process of clearing mined areas provided updates on steps taken to implement Actions #8 through #11 of the Maputo Action Plan: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Argentina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, United Kingdom, Colombia, Chile, Zimbabwe, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Croatia, Cambodia, Serbia, Yemen, Angola and Sudan.
The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning Article 5: Norway, Costa Rica, Switzerland and Uganda.
The following States Parties exerted their right of reply: Argentina and the United Kingdom.
The Chair of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance presented conclusions and recommendations related to the Committee’s mandate.
The following delegations commented on steps they have taken to implement Actions #19 through #24 of the Maputo Action Plan: Afghanistan, Thailand, European Union, Belgium, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Australia, Argentina, Turkey, Spain, Colombia, Poland, Croatia, Finland, Italy, Cambodia, Sweden, Iraq, Canada, France, Netherlands, Brazil, Germany, Kenya, Japan, Tajikistan, Botswana, Ireland, Lebanon, South Africa, ICBL, ICRC and UNMAS.
In addition, the Chair of the Committee on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance delivered closing remarks.
The President, as Chair of the Committee on Cooperative Compliance, presented conclusions and recommendations related to the mandate of the Committee.
The following delegations commented on the conclusions of the Committee or shared views or information on matters concerning cooperative compliance: South Sudan, Canada, Yemen, ICBL and Croatia.
In addition, the Chair of the Committee on Cooperative Compliance delivered closing remarks.
The President provided presented 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 #5 through #7 of the Maputo Action Plan: Greece and Ukraine.
The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning stockpile destruction: Canada, ICBL and UNMAS. 16. Any other business - UN assessed contributions
The Meeting discussed the status of the assessed contributions to the meetings of the States Parties to the Convention by States Parties and States not party participating in the meetings pursuant to article 14 of the Convention and the budget deficit resulting from outstanding unpaid balances, as well as measures to ensure sustainable financing for the meetings.
UNODA delivered a presentation on the status of UN assessed contributions.
The following delegations delivered statements: Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Mexico and Thailand.
The President provided an update on the status of universalization of the Convention.
The following delegations shared views or information on matters concerning universalization: United States of America, Japan, Canada, France, Croatia, ICRC, ICBL, Turkey, Jordan, in its capacity as the Convention’s Special Envoy, Mexico, Austria, Guatemala, UNMAS and Ireland.
The President presented an update on transparency and the exchange of information and encouraged States Parties to make use of the Guide to reporting when preparing their annual transparency reports.
The following delegations shared views or information on matters concerning transparency, including on mines retained for permitted purposes under Article 3: Brazil, Australia, the ICBL and UNMAS.
10.h.i. Report on the activities, functioning and finances of the ISU and presentation of a work plan and a budget for the 2017 activities of the ISU
The ISU Director presented the ISU work plan and budget 2017 and the 15MSP adopted this document.The following delegation shared views on matters concerning the ISU work plan and budget 2017: Hungary, Cambodia, Canada, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and Sweden.
In addition, the ISU Director presented the interim 2016 report on activities and finances and the audited annual financial report for 2015. The 15MSP approved these documents.
10.h.ii. Other matters concerning implementation support
The meeting considered a number of other matters concerning implementation support, including dates for the intersessional meetings in 2017, new Committee members and the Convention's Sponsorship Programme.
The 15MSP agreed that the 2017 intersessional meetings will take place on 8–9 June 2017.
In keeping with its mandate, the 15MSP President consulted with States Parties to identify a list of nominees to serve as new Committee members following the 15MSP. The meeting agreed on the following proposal:
- Article 5 Implementation: Chile and Switzerland until the end of the 17MSP and Costa Rica and Zambia until the end of the 16MSP;
- Victim Assistance: Ecuador and Croatia until the end of the 17MSP and Colombia and Belgium until the end of the 16MSP;
- Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance: Algeria and Canada until the end of the 17MSP and Uganda and the Netherlands until the end of the 16MSP;
- Cooperative Compliance: Iraq and the United Kingdom until the end of the 17MSP and Sweden and Peru until the end of the 16MSP.
In addition, Australia, in its capacity as Coordinator of the Sponsorship Programme provided an update on the Sponsorship Programme.
11.h.iii. Cooperation of the ISU with other relevant instruments
In 2015, the 14MSP requested the Presidency to conduct informal administrative consultations with the Presidents of other relevant instruments and with the Heads of other relevant ISU’s. The Presidency was requested to report on opportunities for cost-savings through cooperation as soon as practical but not later than at the Sixteenth Meeting of the States Parties. The President reported on the outcome of these consultations.
The following delegations shared views on this matter: Italy, on behalf of France and Italy and Brazil.
The first plenary panel on Gender and Mine Action took at the 15MSP in Chile, and featured the participation of the Minister of Women and gender Equality of Chile, Claudia Pascual, the Assistant Director, Conventional Weapons Section, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tanya Parkin, the Director of the Department of Mine Clearance of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, Mohammad Shafiq Yosufi, the representative of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Aisha Saeed, the Director of the Gender and Mine Action Programme, Ariana Calza Bini and the representative of the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, Adriana Quiñonez.
During this panel, the meeting had the opportunity to learn about key aspects of gender considerations in mine action and learn from States on how integrating gender considerations into mine action activities positively affected their programmes.
The meeting took decisions on the requests for extended mine clearance deadlines which had been submitted by Niger, Ecuador and Peru.
- Decision on the Article 5 request submitted by Niger
- Decision on the Article 5 request submitted by Ecuador
- Decision on the Article 5 request submitted by Peru
No delegation took the floor under this agenda item.
No delegation took the floor under this agenda item.
The 15MSP agreed to hold the 16MSP in Vienna, Austria the week of 18 December 2017 and that H.E. Thomas Hajnoczi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations in Geneva, be designated to preside over the 16MSP.
The meeting also noted with appreciation the offer by Afghanistan to preside over the Seventeenth Meeting of the States Parties in 2017.
Women youth delegates from the Women in Disarmament Youth Leaders Forum delivered a statement to the 16MSP.
The meeting considered and adopted the final report.
The President delivered closing remarks.
