DYB2011-Part-II-web

Conventional weapons issues
The Minister attached to the Prime Minister of Cambodia and
Vice-President of the Cambodian Mine Action Authority, Prak Sokhonn,
served as the President of the Meeting. Representatives of over 80 States
parties and 16 observer States, as well as representatives of the United Nations
and a number of international, regional and non-governmental organizations,
participated in the work of the Meeting.
Held at one of the locations where the landmine movement was born,
the Eleventh Meeting emphasized the evolution and vitality of the mine
ban process by reflecting on the 20 years of efforts to end the suffering and
casualties caused by landmines and by focusing on several key aspects of the
implementation of the Cartagena Action Plan. Against this background and
pursuant to the established practice, the Phnom Penh Progress Report100 was
welcomed as an important tool to support the application of the Cartagena
Action Plan by measuring progress and highlighting priority areas of work.
Deep concerns, however, were expressed about new uses of anti-personnel
mines both by non-States parties and armed non-State actors.
The question of universalization was identified as a continuous
challenge despite the recent accession of two new States to the Mine Ban
Convention—South Sudan and Tuvalu—which was the first increase in the
membership in four years. In this context, the States parties welcomed the
announcement of the imminent accession of Finland in 2012. The work of
Prince Mired Bin Raad Al-Hussein (Jordan), the President’s Special Envoy on
the universalization of the Mine Ban Convention, 101 received expressions of
high appreciation. Also, a decision on the continuation of his efforts as Special
Envoy received unanimous support.
The Meeting granted four States102 an extension to their article 5
deadlines following the thorough process of examination and assessment of
requests established by the time of the Cartagena Summit. For the first time,
however, one country, the Congo, had failed to follow the established practice
and was granted extension without its request being carefully examined and
analysed by the special Task Force chaired by the President of the Tenth
Meeting of the States Parties. The Eleventh Meeting noted, in particular, that
the Congo had been non-compliant with respect to article 5, paragraph 1,
of the Convention since 1 November 2011 and expressed concern over the
Congo’s failure to act in accordance with the agreed timeline and procedures.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/sgsm13973.doc.htm (accessed 2 June 2012).
100 APLC/MSP.11/2011/WP.6, WP.8, WP.10, WP.12, WP.13 and Add.1 and WP.14.
Also available from http://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/pdf/mbc/MSP/11MSP/
11MSP-PhnomPenh-ProgressReport-8Dec2011.pdf (accessed 2 June 2012).
101 Prince Mired Bin Raad Al-Hussein was nominated President’s Special Envoy by the
Norwegian Presidency of the Cartagena Summit (Second Review Conference). At the
Eleventh Meeting of the States Parties his status changed as he was appointed Special
Envoy of the Convention by all States parties.
102 Algeria, Chile, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Eritrea.
101