CCW EXPERTS MEETING ON EXPLOSIVE REMNANTS OF WAR CONCLUDES, EVALUATING FIRST YEAR OF PROTOCOL'S OPERATION

The 2008 Meeting of Experts of the States parties to Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War, annexed to the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), concluded on Friday, 4 July 2008 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Ambassador Edvardas Borisovas of Lithuania, President-designate of the Second Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V (10 and 11 November 2008) remarked that participants had succeeded in making the best use of the gathering to implement a flexible and stable framework for international cooperation for the greatest practical benefit of all.

Five Coordinators from Austria, Croatia, Hungary, India, and the Netherlands had been appointed by the First Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V held last November and were responsible for leading the discussions on the different substantive aspects of the Protocol's implementation: clearance; cooperation and assistance, and requests for assistance; generic electronic template, and national reporting; generic preventive measures; and victim assistance. Following the deliberations of the Meeting, as well as a result of further informal consultations, the Coordinators will formulate concrete recommendations on how best to enhance the implementation of the Protocol. As expected, experiences of the current first year of operation of the Protocol were evaluated and, in some cases, led to substantive adjustments to be recommended for approval by the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V.

The Meeting also addressed the issue on the universality of Protocol V and welcomed the seven countries that had consented to be bound by the Protocol since the beginning of the year: Guatemala, Madagascar, Moldova, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, and Tunisia. More States are expected to finalize their ratification processes by the November conference.

These meetings of Experts, which represent key integral part of the implementation mechanism of Protocol V, were established with the purpose of consultation and cooperation among the States parties and as a forum where those in need can discuss and receive assistance from those in a position to provide such assistance. The findings of the Expert meetings will be submitted to the Conferences of the High Contracting Parties to be held in the same year.

The Protocol on Explosive Remnants of War (Protocol V) was negotiated by the CCW Group of Governmental Experts in 2002 and 2003. The Protocol was adopted by the Meeting of the States Parties to the CCW on 28 November 2003. It entered into force on 12 November 2006, six months after the date by which 20 States have notified their consent to be bound by it. Forty-three states have ratified Protocol V. The Protocol recognizes the serious post-conflict humanitarian problems caused by explosive remnants of war and addresses post-conflict remedial measures of a generic nature in order to minimize the occurrence, effects and the risk of explosive remnants of war.


For use of the information media; not an official record


DC08039E