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13 August, 2015

News from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines – Cluster Munition Coalition

The latest news from ICBL-CMC includes a commitment by the President of Colombia to ratify the CCM by Dubrovnik, Slovakia’s recent accession to the CCM and updates from the Intersessional meetings of the CCM and the MBT, and from the Second Preparatory Meeting for the First Review. Also included is a two-month countdown to Dubrovnik, several blogs on landmines and cluster munitions, a global action on Uganda and a summary of CMC actions around the 5th anniversary of entry into force of the CCM.

Colombia commits to ratifying the Convention

On 10 August 2015 the Colombian President announced that Colombia will ratify the CCM by the time of the First Review Conference of the convention. The announcement was made in a meeting with the CMC director, Megan Burke and the director of the Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines, Álvaro Jiménez in Bogotá, Colombia. The CMC welcomes the commitment made by the President of Colombia.

Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and Venezuela are the only Latin American countries that have not joined the CCM yet. The CMC calls on all the four countries to accede to the global ban and move Latin America towards a cluster munition free region. Read more.

Campaigners celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

While the international community gets ready for the First Review Conference of the CCM to be held from 7 to 11 September in Dubrovnik, Croatia, CMC members around the world celebrate the Fifth anniversary of entry into force of the CCM.
To mark 1 August, campaigners organized advocacy events in order to encourage their governments to pursue efforts towards joining and implementing the global ban on cluster munitions. See here a sample of national campaigns’ actions around 1 August.

Blog: A United Africa Against Cluster Munitions

Read Michael P. Moore’s blog on how important it is for all African countries to join the CCM.

Slovakia Renounces Cluster Bombs

Slovakia deposited its instrument of accession to the CCM on 24 July 2015 at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York. The Convention will enter into force for Slovakia on 1 January 2016. The accession is the outcome of a five-point action plan adopted by the Parliament in 2014. The plan noted that “from the foreign policy point of view, it is undoubtedly beneficial … to accede.” Read more.

Maputo Review Conference - One Year On. Let’s finish the job!

The Third Review Conference of the MBT took place one year ago, from 23-27 June 2014 in Maputo, Mozambique. At the conference, states committed to complete the task of ridding the world of antipersonnel mines. They have also committed to ensure the rights of victims of landmines are respected in a sustainable manner. ICBL members worldwide strongly believe that all States Parties to the MBT can fulfill their major treaty obligations no later than 2025. Read more.
For more information on progress made in a specific state, refer to the Landmine Monitor.

Dubrovnik Review Conference: Two Months to Go!

On 7 July, the CMC launched a two-month countdown to the First Review Conference of the CCM, which is taking place from 7-11 September in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
In the lead up to the landmark Dubrovnik Review Conference, CMC members across continents are stepping up their efforts to encourage the remaining signatories to ratify and non-signatories to accede to the CCM.

Earlier this year, Costa Rica marked a 100-Day Countdown to Dubrovnik and invited states to intensify their efforts towards the goal of 100 States Parties.

The 2015 Intersessional Meetings

The Intersessional Meetings to the CCM and the MBT took place 22-26 June 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland. CMC statements can be found on the CCM Intersessional Meeting webpage and ICBL statement are available on the MBT Intersessional Meeting webpage. To read the statements, which the CMC delivered at the Second Preparatory Meeting for the First Review Conference, click here.

President Santos of Colombia reiterates commitment for a mine-free Colombia

In a meeting with the ICBL and the Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines, the President of Colombia emphasized Colombia’s commitment to the rapid implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. In order to advance fast and effective clearance efforts, the President of Colombia proposed a joint effort between the government and civil society to convene an international forum that would study the last technological developments in de-mining to determine their applicability in the Colombian context. Read more.

Uganda: Ratify the Convention!

On 3 August 2015, members and supporters of the CMC from around the world urged H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of the Republic of Uganda and Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, the Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, to take immediate steps to ratify the CCM. Read more.

Recent blogs on landmines and cluster munitions

Sylvie Brigot-Vilain wrote a blog on the CCM, entitled Convention Strong, More Voices Of Outrage Needed. In her blog, Sylvie stresses the need for the norm banning cluster munitions to be stronger in order to better protect civilians, calling on all States Parties to loudly condemn new instances of use of cluster munitions.

Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan wrote his blog New Antipersonnel Landmine Use By North Korea? less than two months before the recent landmine incident, which left two South Korean soldiers severely injured.

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