Anti Personnel Mine Ban Convention Second Preparatory Meeting for the Fifth Review Conference

Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention - Second Preparatory Meeting for the Fifth Review Conference

EU Statement

Second Preparatory Meeting for the Fifth Review Conference

Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

Geneva, 18 September 2024

Mr President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Republic of Moldova[1] align themselves with this statement.

In the run-up to the Fifth Review Conference of the Convention in Siem Reap in Cambodia later this year, the EU stands united in its support for the universal ban on anti-personnel mines. The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is a success story of multilateral diplomacy and a key disarmament instrument, which combines a strong global norm against the use of these weapons with a comprehensive response to end the suffering and casualties caused by these weapons. We express our appreciation to Cambodia for hosting the Fifth Review Conference and acknowledge Cambodia's strong experience in all areas of mine action, as well as its readiness to help other countries benefit from its experience. The EU also expresses support to the priority given by the Cambodian Presidency to universalisation, implementation of article 5 and assistance to victims. The EU remains ready to engage in these areas. We regret the lack of progress in the universalisation since 2017, with 33 States remaining outside the Convention. We encourage renewed engagement in favour of universalisation from all States Parties and other actors.

We condemn Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the use of anti-personnel mines and improvised anti-personnel mines, that makes Ukraine the most mine-contaminated country in the world. We are also deeply concerned about new contaminations in countries, including Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Myanmar, as well as in the Sahel. The EU calls on all actors to refrain from the production, stockpiling, trade and transfer of anti-personnel mines and strongly condemns their use anywhere, anytime, and by any actor, whether by States or non-State actors. We call on States that have not yet done so to join the Convention without further delay and we encourage all parties to accelerate progress towards achieving a world free of anti-personnel mines. We look forward to the upcoming Review Conference, and hope for the adoption of an updated and strengthened Action Plan. The new Action Plan should address all aspects of the implementation of the Convention, and build on the gaps and challenges identified through the Review of the Operation and Status of the Convention. In the currentglobal context, with many disarmament and non-proliferation instruments under stress, preserving and strengthening the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is all the more important.

draft Review of the Operation and Status of the Convention

The EU welcomes the draft of the Review of the Operation and Status of the Convention circulated prior to the First Preparatory Meeting as a very good basis for our deliberations. It is a well elaborated and comprehensive document addressing all aspects of implementation.

draft Siem Reap-Angkor declaration

The draft Siem Reap-Angkor Declaration on a Mine-Free World is a good document, highlighting the importance of universalisation, reaffirming the strong commitment to upholding the norm against anti-personnel mines, recalling the importance of partnerships with all mine action actors, including civil society,synergies with other international frameworks,as well as recalling the efforts for providing comprehensive victim assistance.

Additionally, the EU would like to:

1. Support the inclusion of the elements regarding the rise in casualties caused by anti-personnel mines and the importance of preventing new victims;
2. Confirm that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that meet the Convention's definition of an anti-personnel mine, fall under the obligations of the Convention; and
3. Recall the importance of gender mainstreaming and promote conflict sensitive approaches in all aspects of mine action and in institutional proceedings of the Convention.

draft Siem Reap-Angkor Action Plan

The new Action Plan will guide our work for the next five years to come. As such, we are pleased that the Draft Action Plan addresses all aspects of implementation of the Convention, as well as recognizes theConvention's contribution to security and humanitarian efforts, socio-economic development and integrated support to mine victims.

We support the reference to the special partnerships of the Convention with the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and to foster partnerships with civil society in support of implementation of the Convention. The EU would also like also to recognise the contribution of the New Agenda for Peace and of the Pact for the Future to mine action.

We commend the Cambodian Presidency for including climate and environmental considerations in the implementation of the Convention, as well as of the promotion of innovative approaches for mine action. We are also pleased to see that States are encouraged to develop policies to best assist mine victims in a non-discriminatory manner addressing the specific needs of all civilians.

We would like to recall the issue of the unlawful use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that meet the Convention's definition of an anti-personnel mine as a critical concern that should warrant explicit consideration in the next action plan, in particular in the area of mine risk education.

Mr President,

Let me reassure you that the European Union will contribute constructively to a successful consensus outcome of the Review Conference and will support all your efforts with that regard.

I thank you, Mr President.

[1]North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.