STATES PARTIES TO CCW PROTOCOL V TO PREPARE FOR FIRST CONFERENCE

The Preparatory Committee for the first Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War, annexed to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), will be held on 18 June 2007 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, pursuant to the decision of the Third Review Conference.

The States Parties to Protocol V have nominated Ambassador Johannes C. Landman of the Netherlands to chair the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom), subject to confirmation at its first plenary meeting.

In accordance with Article 10 (1) and (2) of Protocol V the High Contracting Parties undertake to consult and co-operate with each other on all issues related to the operation of the Protocol. It is stipulated that “[F]or this purpose, a Conference of High Contracting Parties shall be held as agreed to by a majority, but no less than eighteen High Contracting Parties.” Furthermore, “[t]he work of the conferences of High Contracting Parties shall include: (a) review of the status and operation of this Protocol; (b) consideration of matters pertaining to national implementation of this Protocol, including national reporting or updating on an annual basis; and (c) preparation for review conferences.”

The PrepCom is expected to submit a number of substantive recommendations to the First Conference for adoption. Those recommendations are essentially the requisites on how the States Parties wish to faithfully implement the Protocol in the most effective manner, notably on national reporting, the exchange of information, and cooperation and assistance. The consideration of these three main issues will constitute the bulk of the work of the PrepCom, which will adopt a procedural report containing substantive recommendations as well as other procedural matters at the end of its one-day meeting.

The Protocol was negotiated by the CCW Group of Governmental Experts and was subsequently adopted in 2003 by the CCW States Parties in response to an initiative launched by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2000. The Protocol covers post-conflict remedial measures of a generic nature in order to minimize the risks and effects of explosive remnants of war. Under the Protocol, each State party and party to armed conflict shall bear the responsibility to clear explosive remnants of war or to assist in such clearance. Moreover, parties to an armed conflict shall survey, mark and clear ERW in areas under their control or jurisdiction after a conflict; where appropriate, provide technical, material and financial assistance for the removal of ERW left by their armed forces in areas not under their control; record information on explosive or abandoned ordnance and share that information with organizations involved in clearance activities; and take all feasible precautions to protect civilians from the effects of ERW, including marking and fencing off dangerous areas and warning them of the risks.

During the Third Review Conference (Geneva, 7-17 November 2006) the States Parties adopted a special Declaration to mark the Entry into Force of Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War, which fell on 12 November 2006. At the time, 26 CCW States parties

have expressed their consent to be bound by the Protocol. Today the number has increased to 32, comprising: Albania, Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Holy See, Hungary, India, Ireland, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Ukraine.

The first Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War will be held on 5 November 2007 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.