LES ÉTATS PARTIES AU PROTOCOLE II AMENDÉ SUR LES MINES, PIÈGES ET AUTRES DISPOSITIFS EXPLOSIFS SE RAPPORTANT À LA CONVENTION SUR CERTAINES ARMES CLASSIQUES DÉCIDENT DE POURSUIVRE LE TRAVAIL SUR LES DISPOSITIFS EXPLOSIFS IMPROVISÉS (en anglais)

The States Parties to CCW Amended Protocol II concluded their Eleventh Annual Conference on 11 November 2009 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva with a decision to continue to explore the issue on improvised explosive devices in all its aspects by an expert group next year. The open-ended Group of Experts, which was established by last year’s annual conference, met on 20 and 21 April 2009. The Group meets annually prior to the annual Conferences and is dedicated to strengthening the implementation of the Protocol. Presided by Ambassador Jânis Maþeiks of Latvia, the Conference also decided to focus next year’s expert meeting to review the operation and status of the Protocol, consider matters arising from the annual national reporting by States parties, as well as development of technologies to protect civilians against indiscriminate effects of mines.

The Conference also appointed two Coordinators to conduct the work of the experts group: Mr. Reto Wollenmann of Switzerland, who is responsible for the consideration on improvised explosive devices; and Mr. Abderrazzak Laassel of Morocco who will be responsible for reviewing of the operation and status of the Protocol, the consideration of matters arising from the annual national reporting by States parties, as well as development of technologies to protect civilians against indiscriminate effects of mines. Both Coordinators were also involved in the work of the respective issues this year.

In his message that was delivered by Mr. Sergio Duarte, the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underscored the importance of the Protocol’s universal adherence. He acknowledged the 93 States that have expressed their consent to be bound by the Protocol, and encouraged the States parties to continue efforts to expand the membership, especially among the developing countries and States affected by landmines or States in conflict. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also promoted wider adherence to other humanitarian conventions in the field of mine action, such as CCW Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War, the Mine Ban Convention, the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the new Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The Conference reiterated the importance of its universal adherence. An appeal to promote wider adherence to the Protocol was adopted. The latest addition to the list of States Parties to Amended Protocol II is Georgia, which acceded on 8 June 2009.

The States Parties considered matters arising from the 38 national annual reports containing information on the implementation of the Protocol by States, all of which are posted on the official CCW website.

The Conference decided that the Group of Experts would meet on 19 and 20 April 2010. The Conference agreed on the provisional agenda for next year’s annual conference and the presiding officers for that conference. The Conference designated Ambassador Germán Mundaraín Hernández of Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) to preside over the 2010 Twelfth Annual Conference. Three Vice-Presidents representing China, Germany and Romania were also designated to assist him.


The CCW Protocol on Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II) was amended on 3 May 1996 at the First Review Conference of the States Parties to the CCW. The number of States that 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 93. The 1980 Convention on the Prohibitions or Restriction of the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW) is an umbrella treaty, which houses five Protocols regulating different types of weapons, that can respond to advancements in weapons technology by adding more protocols if needed and takes into account developments in the nature and conduct of armed conflict.


For more information on the Conference and on the Protocol or the Convention the official website of the CCW is http://www.unog.ch/ccw .


For use of the information media; not an official record

DC09059E