STATES PARTIES TO CCW AMENDED PROTOCOL II ON PROHIBITION OF MINES TO MEET ON 23 NOVEMBER 2005

The Seventh Annual Conference of the States Parties to the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices (Amended Protocol II), annexed to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW), will commence on Wednesday, 23 November, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The one-day annual conference will be presided over by Ambassador Jürg Streuli of Switzerland as President, based on a decision by the Sixth Annual Conference held last year. In his capacity as President-designate, the Swiss presidency has been involved with the preparatory work for the annual conference, a procedure which is in line with a decision of the States parties to designate a future President and three Vice-Presidents by the end of the current conference to assure continuity in preparatory work. The three Vice-Presidents are Ambassador Hu Xiaodi of China, Ambassador Alexander Slabý of the Czech Republic and Ambassador Mousa Burayzat of Jordan.

The Conference is expected to review the operation and status of the Protocol, while emphasizing the necessity for universalization of the Protocol. In this regard, the States parties will also be expected to issue an appeal to promote wider adherence to Amended Protocol II.

In accordance with the provisions of Protocol, the Conference will also consider matters arising from the national annual reports of 50 States parties, containing material on the dissemination of information on Amended Protocol II to armed forces and civilian populations; mine clearance and rehabilitation programmes; steps taken to meet the technical requirements of the Protocol; legislation related to the Protocol; international cooperation and assistance and other relevant matters.

Protocol II was amended on 3 May 1996 at the First Review Conference of the States Parties to the CCW. The number of States which have notified the Depository of their consent to be bound by Amended Protocol II rose from 45 at the time of the First Annual Conference in 1999 to the current number of 85.

For use of the information media; not an official record

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