Summary
Monday 18 December to Thursday 21 December 2017
The meeting was officially opened by the Sixteenth Meeting of the States Parties (16MSP) President, H.E. Thomas Hajnoczi, Ambassador of Austria. A high level opening ceremony featured an address delivered on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria and messages delivered on behalf of organisations that historically played a role in the Convention:
- Thomas Hajnoczi, President of the Sixteenth Meeting of the States Parties on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria
- Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross
- António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
- Tom Markram, Director of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, on behalf of the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
- Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Co-Laureate
- HRH Prince Mired Bin Raad Bin Zeid Al Hussein of Jordan, Convention's Special Envoy
- Tun Channareth, ICBL Ambassador
- Barbara Haering, President of the Council of Foundation of the GICHD
Also during the opening ceremony, the delegation of Sri Lanka presented the 16MSP President with a copy of its instrument of accession to the Convention.
The 16MSP was officially opened by the 16MSP President, H.E. Thomas Hajnoczi, Ambassador of Austria.
In keeping with past practice, those eight outgoing members of the Committees were elected as Vice-Presidents of the 16MSP, namely: Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, Netherlands, Peru, Sweden, Uganda and Zambia.
H.E. Wolfgang Angerholzer, Director, Organisation of International Conferences and Matters Relating to International Organisations in Austria at the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria was confirmed as the Secretary-General of the 16MSP.
Sri Lanka, the latest State to join the Convention took the floor to deliver a general statement.
The following States Parties took the floor to deliver general statements: Thailand, Japan Slovakia, Ireland, Holy See, Germany and Belarus.
The following organisation delivered a general statement: the European Union.
The following States Parties took the floor to deliver general statements: Spain, Indonesia, Mozambique, Iraq, Netherlands, Slovenia, Belgium, El Salvador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Guatemala, Zambia, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Estonia, South Africa and Panama, on behalf of the Human Security Network.
In addition, the following State Party provided its general statement in written form: Ukraine.
The following States no party took the floor to deliver general statements: India, Pakistan and China.
The following organisations delivered general statements: MAG, the Halo Trust and UNMAS on behalf of the UN Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action.
The panel "20 Years of Sucess: Fulfilling the Promise of the Convention by 2025" drew lessons from 20 years of accomplishments and looked back at the government-civil society partnerships that made the Convention a success.
Panellists were able to share their personal experiences and their views on the status of the Convention and what it will take to fulfil the aspiration of a mine-free world to the fullest extent possible by 2025. The panel was moderated by H.E. Thomas Hajnoczi, 16MSP President and featured interventions from:
- Margaret Arach Orech, ICBL Ambassador
- Tammy Hall, Head of Strategies and Standards at the GICHD
- Pedro Comissário Afonso, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the United Nations in Geneva
- Steffen Kongstad, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Norway to the OSCE
- Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Co-Laureate.
The following four States Parties which had submitted requests for extensions of their Article 5 mine clearance deadlines presented their requests: Angola, Ecuador, Iraq, Thailand, and Zimbabwe. Ukraine which had previously indicated that it would present a request for extension of its Article 5 deadline made a statement.
The Chair of the Committee on Article 5, introduced the analyses that had been prepared with respect to these requests.
- The following delegation shared views with respect to the request submitted by Angola: ICBL.
- The following delegation shared views with respect to the request submitted by Ecuador: ICBL.
- The following delegation shared views with respect to the request submitted by Iraq: ICBL.
- The following delegations shared views with respect to the request submitted by Thailand: Cambodia and the ICBL.
- The following delegation shared views with respect to the request submitted by Zimbabwe: ICBL.
- The following delegations shared views with respect to the statement made by Ukraine: ICBL, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, Estonia, Costa Rica, Belgium, Switzerland, Mexico, Austria, Australia, Canada, Chile, Netherlands, Colombia.
The Chair of the Committee on Article 5 delivered its concluding remarks.
The panel looked back at how the Convention came to successfully include provisions for victim assistance in the text of the Convention and early efforts to implement victim assistance. Panellists discussed challenges that remain and gaps in assistance for victim assistance efforts noting that more needs to be done to ensure that the Convention delivers on its promise to mine victims. The panel further explored specific areas of victim assistance, in particular that of peer support and the importance of these activities in improving the lives and wellbeing of survivors.
The panel was opened by HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium, Special Envoy of the Convention, and facilitated by H.E. Beatriz Londoño Soto, Ambassador of Colombia to the United Nations in Geneva and Chair of the Committee on Victim Assistance and featured the following speakers:
- Kenneth R. Rutherford, Director of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery
- Elke Hottentot, Victim Assistance Technical Advidor, Handicap International
- Firoz Alizada, Campaigns and Communications Manager, International Campaign to Ban Landmines-Cluster Munitions Coalition
In addition, the ICRC delivered a statement to highlight the activities undertaken by the ICRC to increase the availability of and accessibility of rehabilitation services.
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, Peru, Serbia, Jordan, Cambodia, Croatia, Colombia, Chile, Tajikistan, Iraq, Thailand and Sudan.
In addition, the following State Party provided its statement on victim assistance in a written form: Somalia.
The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning victim assistance: European Union, Canada and Slovenia.
The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning victim assistance: Ireland, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Turkey, Belgium, Japan, ICBL and UNICEF on behalf of the United Nations IACG-MA.
The Chair of the Committee on Article 5 Implementation presented conclusions and recommendations related to the Committee’s mandate.
Algeria declared that it had completed its Convention's Article 5 mine clearance obligations.
Declaration of completion submitted by Algeria
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: Serbia, Croatia, Mauritania, Thailand, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, Colombia, Chile, United Kingdom, Argentina, Sudan, Chad, Cambodia, South Sudan, Niger, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Peru, Turkey, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning Article 5: Jordan, Norway, New Zealand, Canada, European Union, Austria, Netherlands, Palestine, ICRC, ICBL, ITF, UNMAS on behalf of IACG-MA, GICHD and MAG.
In addition, the Chair of the Committee on Article 5 implementation delivered closing remarks.
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: European Union, Finland, Japan, Peru, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Croatia, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Estonia, Turkey, Austria, Italy, France, Iraq, Thailand, Colombia and Sudan.
The following delegations commented on steps they have taken to implement Actions #19 through #24 of the Maputo Action Plan: Afghanistan, Brazil, Netherlands, Cambodia, Sweden, Somalia, Norway, ICBL and the GICHD.
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: Sudan, South Sudan, Croatia, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway and the ICBL.
In addition, the Chair of the Committee on Cooperative Compliance delivered closing remarks.
The President presented its conclusions on the status of implementation of Article 4.
Belarus declared that it had completed the destruction of its stockpiled anti-personnel mines.
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 Bulgaria.
The following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning stockpile destruction: Canada, Netherlands and the ICBL.
The President provided an update on the status of universalization of the Convention.
HRH Prince Mired of Jordan, the Convention's Special Envoy provided an update on its activities.
he following other delegations shared views or information on matters concerning universalization: Lebanon, Morocco, Myanmar, Azerbaijan, Palestine, European Union, Ireland, Croatia, Belgium, Japan, France, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, ICRC and the ICBL.
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: Algeria and the ICBL.
11.h.i. Report on the activities, functioning and finances of the ISU and presentation of a work plan and a budget for the 2018 activities of the ISU
The ISU Director presented the ISU work plan and budget 2018 and the 16MSP adopted this document.The following delegations shared views on matters concerning the ISU work plan and budget 2018: Canada and Sweden.
In addition, the ISU Director presented the interim 2017 report on activities and finances and the audited annual financial report for 2016. The 16MSP approved these documents.
11.h.ii. Mid-term review of the ISU four-year work plan 2016-2019
When the ISU four-year work plan and budget 2016-2019 was adopted at the 14MSP, the States Parties agreed to hold a mid-term review of this work plan during their 16MSP. The President presented the mid-term review.
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.
11.h.iv. Other matters concerning implementation support
The meeting considered a number of other matters concerning implementation support, including dates for the intersessional meetings in 2018, the new Committee members and the Convention's Sponsorship Programme.
The 16MSP agreed that the 2018 intersessional meetings will take place on 7-8 June 2018.
In keeping with its mandate, the 16MSP President consulted with States Parties to identify a list of nominees to serve as new Committee members following the 16MSP. The meeting agreed on the following proposal:
- Article 5 Implementation: Colombia and the Netherlands until the end of the Fourth Review Conference and Chile and Switzerland until the end of the 17MSP;
- Victim Assistance: Belgium and Mozambique until the end of the Fourth Review Conference and Croatia and Ecuador until the end of the 17MSP;
- Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance: Sweden and Thailand until the end of the Fourth Review Conference and Algeria and Canada until the end of the 17MSP;
- Cooperative Compliance: Poland and Zambia until the end of the Fourth Review Conference and Iraq and the United Kingdom until the end of the 17MSP.
In addition, Australia, in its capacity as Coordinator of the Sponsorship Programme provided an update on the Sponsorship Programme.
UNODA delivered a statement on the status of assessed contributions.
The following delegations shared views on this matter: European Union, Croatia, Canada, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Belgium.
The meeting took decisions on the requests for extended mine clearance deadlines which had been submitted by
The delegations of Angola, Ecuador, Iraq, Thailand and Zimabawe took the floor.
No delegation took the floor under this agenda item.
No delegation took the floor under this agenda item.
The 16MSP agreed to hold the 17MSP in Geneva the week of 26 November 2018 and that H.E. Suraya Dalil, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations in Geneva, be designated to preside over the 17MSP.
In addition, the 16MSP adopted cost estimates for the 17MSP.
The 17MSP President presented her initial ideas for her presidency and for the 17MSP.
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 of the 16MSP.
The President delivered closing remarks.
