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Ban Newsletter, Issue 27, October 2010

Editorial

A strong Vientiane Action Plan will set the Bar for the Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions at the First Meeting of States Parties in November 2010

On the First of August 2010, the international community, the Cluster Munition Coalition and in particular the survivors of cluster munition incidents, celebrated the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. In less than two years since the beginning of the Oslo Process a groundbreaking and exemplary humanitarian and disarmament treaty has come into effect. The world will be a safer place and the plight of affected communities will be better recognized if the international community works together to implement all the provisions outlined under the Convention. The work on drafting the Vientiane Action Plan, which will translate all provisions into action, has already been undertaken.

Realism and ambition will be necessary to make it strong enough to assure survivors, their families and all affected communities that their needs will be taken into account, needs which they can claim as ‘rights’ under this Convention. Handicap International, its civil society partners and survivors themselves have highlighted over and over again the lack of effective support for all survivors, even for those located in the most remote areas.

In recent conferences on cluster munitions, survivors have stressed the necessity of being included in the

decision-making process on the implementation of the Convention, in particular in their own countries. Who knows better than the survivors themselves how their needs can be fulfilled? They have reiterated the need for their call to be heard now with the same sense of urgency as at the beginning of this process.

The First Meeting of States Parties will take place in Lao PDR, a symbolic venue, as it is the most severely affected country in the world. If at this conference in November 2010, the States Parties show a willingness to commit to a constructive Vientiane Action Plan, it will be a demonstration of the international community’s political will to translate the Convention into practice, and will also serve to send a strong message to affected people and communities that international

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cooperation can lead to effective clearance of the land within a time-bound period, and coordinated and more effective assistance for the victims and survivors. Handicap International as part of the Cluster Munition Coalition calls on all states to listen carefully to the people in the affected areas and to prepare a strong Vientiane Action Plan.

Focus on Victim Assistance and International Cooperation

Victim Assistance and International Cooperation and Assistance are increasingly at the heart of the discussions on the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Negotiations on the implementation of the Cartagena Action Plan of the Mine Ban Treaty as well as preparatory talks on the Vientiane Action Plan for the Convention on Cluster Munitions that will be adopted during the First Meeting of States Parties in Lao PDR in November 2010, build on the same experiences and have to face similar challenges.

A sense of greater quality, efficiency and urgency should guide all steps of the implementation of victim assistance from the planning to the reporting and monitoring stages. Within this whole process, the active involvement of survivors and their representative organizations is now recognized as a necessity by all actors. Assessing the needs of survivors is a first step to be taken. Consensus is growing about what has been done up to now and what

needs to be done in the very near future and for the years to come. More and more the focus will be on how we do things rather than on what we have to do. It is not enough, for example, to stress on more funding, how funds are used is even more important. This should be reflected in the wording of the Vientiane Action Plan. Consultations with victims and their representative organizations should be “systematic” not only regarding the victim assistance provision but in relation to the implementation of the Convention as a whole. They should be “actively” and “meaningfully” involved in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of relevant national plans, budgets, laws and policies.

The plan should not only mention that survivors’ capacities should be enhanced but should go further by saying that those capacities should be built up “by financial and technical resources, effective leadership and management trainings, exchange programs”. Awareness-raising has to be “effective” and implemented “adequately”, if words are to be translated into action. Actions should be “specific”, “measurable”, “achievable” and “realistic”.

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To achieve results soon, actions should be time-bound with specified deadlines. Responsibilities and focal points should be identified within six months; data should be collected, actions coordinated and a plan developed (if this has not yet been the case) within one year after the entry into force of the Convention for a particular States Party. Availability and accessibility of services should be reviewed within two years.

All services need to be available and accessible to all survivors, no matter where they live. States should identify the environmental, political and social barriers preventing access to essential services and take action to remove

In many countries, services already in place need to be expanded substantially and geographically.

The focus should be on the whole range of support going from medical care, rehabilitation to economic and social

inclusion and psychological support, and on servicing remote areas. The First Meeting of States Parties offers an excellent opportunity for States Parties to come up with victim assistance plans already in place, provide information on decisions taken and show results on the ground.

Moreover, affected states can make clear how they can strengthen national ownership and extend their capacity for implementing victim assistance programs, while donor states can demonstrate their capacity to extend funding for victim assistance.

Another important recognition is that of the expertise and competence of affected states and their capacity to set up regional partnerships for a South-South cooperation, eventually based on best practices. Building upon national capacities, international and multilateral cooperation can strengthen national ownership.

The Vientiane Action Plan should make use of all the expertise governments, civil society and international organizations have gathered over the years, always bearing in mind that survivors, their families and communities need to see tangible improvements on the ground soon. Therefore the Vientiane Action Plan on victim assistance should be ambitious, clear and measurable.

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Finally a word on reporting: Reporting is not something that has to be encouraged but it is something States Parties are obliged to do so. States Parties should provide the relevant information in their annual transparency reports as well as at relevant international, regional and national fora. Progress reports shall also be used as a means to share good practices.

Photos: Handicap International, CMC and Mary Wareham

See below for more information on:

- Developments on the Mine Ban Treaty, the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

- Victim Assistance and International Cooperation under the Mine Ban Treaty and the

Convention on Cluster Munitions

- The Ban Advocates and the Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

- Investments in Mines and Cluster Munition Producers

- Recent articles, publications, videos, films and sites

More on the First Meeting of States Parties in Vientiane: www.ccm1msplaos.la www.clusterconvention.org; www.unog.ch/; http:// www.stopclustermunitions.org/1msp/ More on the CMC and the Entry into Force Events: www.august1.org www.stopclustermunitions.org More on the Ban Advocates: www.banadvocates.org

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MINE BAN TREATY (MBT)

For an update on the Status of the

Mine Ban Treaty:

http://treaties.un.org/pages/Treaties.a

spx?id=26&subid=A&lang=en

Military investigation on landmine

use by the Turkish army - After ICBL voiced grave concern over reports mentioning allegations of landmine use by the Turkish Army (see press release from 19 April 2010), Turkey said a military investigation was underway and no comments could be made until the investigation report was available. www.icbl.org//intersessionals10

Central America first landmine-

free region of the world - On 22 June 2010, at the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance for the Mine Ban Treaty, Nicaragua officially announced that it had completed clearance of all known mined areas. This major milestone has resulted in all of Central America becoming a mine-free region. www.apminebanconvention.org/

Lao PDR able to become party to

the MBT - On 21 June 2010, at the Standing Committee of the Mine Ban Treaty, the Lao PDR stated: “We are now in the process of consultation with all Ministries concerned to verify with readiness to meet all obligations stated in the Ottawa Convention. We are confident that, with all the efforts we are undertaking and the support of the international community, the Lao PDR would be able to become party to

the Ottawa Convention in the coming years.” www.apminebanconvention.org

68 US Senators ask the President

to join the MBT - On 18 May 2010, a letter signed by 68 Senators, asking the Obama administration to join the Mine Ban Treaty, was delivered to President Obama. The signatories included 10 Republicans and two Independents, constituting more than the two-thirds of the Senate needed to ratify a treaty. In a statement Senator Patrick Leahy said: “… it would be a mistake to underestimate or devalue the positive reaction, practical effects and depth of goodwill toward the United States and our military that would result from joining the treaty.” Representative James McGovern said: “I have met with landmine survivors, including children, who were only working their fields or walking to school when they stepped on a landmine. They are not victims, (…) – they are survivors and leaders in a global movement to ban this weapon from all current and future arsenals.” He expressed his belief “that it is in our best national and security interests to join the Convention.”

Information provided by Zach Hudson,

USCBL Coordinator, Handicap

International US on HI US on 18 May

2010 by mail to the ICBL.

More information and statements on:

http://www.icbl.org/index.php/icbl/con

tent/view/full/23295

http://www.handicap-international.us/

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Agenda:

November

24: Landmine Monitor Report 2010, Global

Release, Geneva, Switzerland

29 Nov –3 Dec: 10th Meeting of the States

Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva,

Switzerland

FOCUS ON VICTIM ASSISTANCE AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION UNDER THE MBT

Victim Assistance: Needs

Assessment, Plans, Coordination

Required

In its capacity of Co-Chair of

the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration of the MBT, Turkey wished “more clarity through a comprehensive mapping concerning victim assistance”. The ICRC insisted on “transparency on the part both of donors and of stakeholders” and said that “Information can be shared, for example through a donor database or a donor review” (…). Referring to “Voices from the Ground”, a 2009 study by Handicap International Belgium, Austria stated: “This systematic survey of survivors in affected countries revealed once again that there has been progress, in particular in the area of emergency and continuing medical care, but only 28% of the respondents believed that overall services were better in 2009 than in 2005.” Austria concluded: “much more needs to be done”. ICBL recommended states with significant number of victims that “Victim assistance should be identified as a national priority”. The ICRC said “that without strong national ownership to lead efforts and without a strategy to develop and/or strengthen national capacities, assistance activities have little chance to become sustainable” and said that without “national a coordinating body national efforts to raise awareness are impeded.”

Reports from the affected States were quite encouraging showing breakthroughs in implementing victim assistance. Several affected states reported new developments in working out a national plan and budget, as for example from Afghanistan, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, DR Congo, Croatia, El Salvador, Senegal and Thailand. Some states mentioned explicitly how they tried to improve coordination. Afghanistan stated that the “the establishment of an inter-ministerial taskforce for people with disabilities” was decreed and “two Regional Disability Stakeholders Coordination Groups in both the Northern and Eastern regions” were established in order to integrate the Cartagena Action Plan into the current policies, such as the Afghanistan National Disability Action Plan”. Croatia announced an inter-ministerial meeting of a victim assistance coordination group to develop the first victim assistance plan with broad inter-ministerial support. Guinea Bissau reported on collaboration with disabled people’s organizations, Mozambique on the collaboration between the National Institute for Demining (IND) and the Network of Mine Survivors (RAVIM) to identify and assess the needs of survivors living in rural areas near Maputo and Sudan on efforts to coordinate government and civil society activities.

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Several initiatives have been undertaken to assess the needs of survivors. Nicaragua mentioned that the Ministry of Health is collecting data on all services received by mine/ERW survivors. Senegal reported on a survey on the needs of civilian mine survivors. Uganda reported that a “Baseline Survey was conducted to establish the needs of survivors, service providers and services available”.

Using this baseline “a Mine Action Victim Assistance Project” and “a training manual on psychosocial support” were developed in Uganda. In order “to expand” this project and “create a sense of national ownership, the government allocated additional funds for implementation of activities for landmine survivors and other persons with disabilities.” However, Uganda admitted that “there is still more to do to reach all landmine survivors; hence the need to request for more support from the donor community.” Peru stated similarly that the government managed “to allocate more funds for disability but that nevertheless the public funding wouldn’t be sufficient”.

Despite the availability of disability services in all provinces, Cambodia admitted that challenges remain such as the inaccessibility of public buildings, transport etc., a low national budget allocation for the disability sector, lack of human resources, technical an financial capacity to fully respond to the needs, unreliable disability statistics, limited inclusion of disability into existing programs and services and a limited national coordination mechanism. This list is generally representative for many affected states.

Suggestions for More Efficient

International Cooperation

During a special session on International Cooperation and Assistance held on 25 June 2010

during the Intersessional Standing Committee Meetings in Geneva, some proposals were made to improve international cooperation in general. Zambia reiterated its proposal to create a Standing Committee on Resources to mitigate the needs of affected States in particular, “as a forum where both affected States and States in a position to assist would brainstorm on resource mobilization and utilization strategies”, as well as “an opportunity to exchange information”. This proposal was supported by the ICBL, the ICRC and several other countries.

Canada insisted on “coordination on the level of the contributing state to ensure that efforts by different agencies are consistent, synergistic and mutually reinforcing” and stated: “Coordination must be within countries, inter-ministerial as well as international. States should work together to maximize the combined effectiveness of assistance efforts. It is also relevant to consider that multilateral and bilateral actions and initiatives might be supplemented by plurilateral cooperation among groups of interested states.”

Affected states called on donor states to take into account their needs and principles. Cambodia expressed the hope that “ALL donors to Cambodia will commit to the “Partnership Principles for the implementation of the National Mine Action Strategy” drafted by the government”, and “increase alignment and harmonization of their assistance to the needs of the sector.” Afghanistan asked to allow the national governments to play a role in determining needs and to assist “donors in targeting the priorities of the country”.

Thailand stated that cooperation and assistance may be in-kind instead of financial, and can also arise in the South-South context. To ensure efficient use of limited

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resources, Thailand proposed that States Parties in need of assistance in similar areas may work together with donor countries or agencies to form a group, aimed at collectively sharing experiences and expertise or training. More on the Intersessional Standing

Committee Session on Victim

Assistance and Socio-Economic

Reintegration of the Mine Ban Treaty

was held on 21-24 June 2010,

together with a parallel program for

Victim Assistance Experts on 22-23

June and a special session on

Cooperation and Assistance on 25 June

in Geneva, where States Parties

reported on developments and

challenges in implementing victim

assistance under the Cartagena Action

Plan, adopted during the Second

Review Conference of the Mine Ban

Treaty in December 2009 in

Cartagena, Colombia.

www.apminebanconvention.org/interse

ssional-work-programme/june-2010/

Summary and ICBL statements:

www.icbl.org/index.php/icbl/Library/N

ews-Articles/intersessionals10

CONVENTION ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS (CCM)

For an update on the Status of the

Mine Ban Treaty:

http://treaties.un.org/pages/Treaties.a

spx?id=26&subid=A&lang=en and www.stopclustermunitions.org/treatyst

atus The First Meeting of States Parties (1MSP) will be held in Laos PDR on 9-12 November 2010. At a preparatory meeting, held on 6 September in Geneva, UNDP reported on the “Trust Fund for the Full Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in the Lao PDR within the framework of the Vientiane Declaration on Aid Effectiveness” and announced that so far only 5 donors have provided funds (mostly for the First Meeting of States Parties) US$ 2,2m (Australia), 0.09m (Canada), 0.06m (France), 1.8m (US) and 3m (Switzerland). The formulation of the Vientiane Action Plan (VAP) and the Vientiane Declaration was welcomed, although both documents require further work. The reporting format, presented by Belgium, Friend of the Chair on Reporting, was welcomed by States Parties and the CMC was pleased with the level of detail. Field trips will be organized before and during the Conference.

More information on the First Meeting of States Parties in Vientiane: www.ccm1msplaos.la www.clusterconvention.org; www.unog.ch/; http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/1msp/ CMC Statement at the UN - In a statement to the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on 25 October 2010 in New York, the CMC gave two messages: first ‘get on board’ and second ‘deliver results’. “ We say ‘get on board ’ to those who have signed, but not yet ratified the Convention; to those who have not yet signed or acceded; but also to those who have joined the Convention to reach out to and convince other countries to get on board and join the Convention. (…) In particular we urge affected states such as Cambodia and Vietnam, Serbia and Tajikistan to join the Convention so that you can share your experiences and expertise with other affected countries and begin to reap the benefits of the Convention’s humanitarian provisions. We say ‘deliver results now ’ because this is the primary purpose of the CCM (…) The treaty was not established to manage the status quo of clearance, victim assistance and international cooperation that is already going on, in particular in the context of the Mine Ban Treaty. The CCM requires new action, more work, increased resources and improved lives. For States Parties affected

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by cluster munitions, the Convention demands that we see positive change for individuals and communities. At the 1MSP, we expect to see plans set out by affected States Parties to accelerate clearance work and to expand the coverage of services to victims and survivors. We expect States Parties in a position to provide assistance to set out their intention to support these plans with additional resources.”

Special Event on the CCM at the

UN - On 19 October the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Japan hosted a special event on the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in New York during the UN General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. 45 countries participated in the event including 13 non signatories. The panel consisted of the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Lao PDR, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Japan and the Head of the ICRC Delegation to the United Nations in New York as well as the coordinator of the Cluster Munition Coalition. The Deputy Secretary-General stated that the entry into force demonstrated the world’s collective revulsion to the impact of cluster munitions. She recognized the role of civil society and of mine action workers and called on all states to ratify or accede the Convention on Cluster Munitions without delay.

Princess Astrid of Belgium

participating in the First Meeting

of States Parties – The Belgian Ambassador announced at the Event on 19 October that the Belgian delegation in Laos will be led by Princess Astrid “in order to show our continuing commitment” and added that Belgium will spare no efforts through its membership of EU, NATO and OSCE to universalize the Convention.

Montenegro destroyed cluster

munitions stockpiles - Montenegro announced at the Event in New York that two weeks ago, Montenegro destroyed its remaining 353 cluster bombs, thereby concluding its process of stockpile destruction well ahead of the treaty deadline. It said it was ready to share its experience. Belgium’s stockpiles of cluster

munitions destroyed - In a Press Release issued on 14 September 2010, the Belgian Ministry of Defense announced “the complete destruction of its entire stockpile of submunitions in early August 2010”. Belgium was the first country in the world to ban cluster munitions and it has lived up to its commitment to destroy its stockpiles within the eight years foreseen. The Ministry of Defense further pointed out that this “hereby shows its determination to live up to the commitments of the Oslo Treaty. Moreover, our country plays an active role in the Universalization of the treaty and in the finalization of a reporting format in order to work as transparently as possible.” www.mil.be/perscom/index.asp?LAN=

nl&id=1556

Entry into Force of the CCM

Munitions on 1 August 2010 - On 1 August 2010, the date of the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a number of governments spoke out in support of the CCM, as well as the UN Secretary General, various international organisations, the Cluster Munition Coalition and survivors and their organisations from all over the world. “The entry into force in little more than two years since its adoption, highlights,” according to the UN Secretary General, “not only the world's collective revulsion at these abhorrent weapons, but also the power of collaboration among Governments, civil society and the United Nations to change attitudes

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and policies on a threat faced by all humankind. Such cooperation will be crucial as we seek now to implement the Convention, including through assistance to victims.” On 30 July 2010 he encouraged all Member States to participate in the First Meeting of States Parties in November 2010 in the Lao PDR “to demonstrate their support for the Convention” and he called on “those States which have yet to accede to the Convention, to do so without delay.” www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=

4697

Thailand considering becoming a

state party to the CCM - On 18 August 2010, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN in Geneva wrote in a letter to the Team Leader of the Security and Disarmament Department of IKV Pax Christi in the Netherlands “that the relevant Thai authorities are currently in the process of considering the possibility of becoming a party to the Convention.” Letter provided by IKV Pax Christi to

the CMC on 24 August 2010 by email.

Resolution on the CCM by the

European Parliament - On 8 July 2010, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on European Union member states to urgently sign and ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions and to participate in the First Meeting of States Parties. 20 out of 27 EU member states have signed the Convention. The seven that have not yet signed are: Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 558 votes to 30 (mainly from Finnish and Polish Members of the European Parliament), with 24 abstentions (mainly from Romanian Members of the European Parliament).

More on:

www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.

do?type=MOTION&reference=P7-RC-

2010-

0413&format=XML&language=EN

www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/

infopress_page/031-78063-186-07-

28-903-20100707IPR78062-05-07-

2010-2010-false/default_en.htm

Recommendation on a “Ban on

cluster munitions” by the

European Council – On 7 July 2010, the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation on a “Ban on cluster munitions”. Only the Russian Federation raised objections, but it remained isolated. The Russian Federation declared “to be available to continue its work on humanitarian issues related to the use of cluster munitions under the United Nations within the framework set by the Geneva process [CCW].” The recommendation was initiated and promoted by the Belgian government. From the 47 Council of Europe members states Greece, Turkey, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Slovakia, Romania, Andorra, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Serbia, and Monaco, have not signed the CCM. The recommendation also notes that “a large number of Council of Europe member states have either ratified or signed the Convention and encourages all member states which have not yet done so to sign and ratify as soon as possible.”

See for the text

(CM/AS(2010)Rec1871) and the

decision

(CM/Del/Dec(2010)1090/10.7):

http://www.coe.int/T/CM/home_en.as

p

Keeping up a sense of urgency - At the global conference on the CCM from 7-9 June in Santiago, organized by the government of Chile in collaboration with Norway and UNDP, the CMC and the Ban Advocates urged all the 13 non-signatory states present, including Argentina, Thailand and Vietnam as

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well as absent Brazil to join the Convention. States expressed their willingness to intensify efforts to reach out to non-signatories and provide assistance for signatories to ratify. Japan, as Friend of the President on Universalization reported on its Universalisation activities which included sending letters in collaboration with the CMC. Lao PDR proposed that the President of the 1MSP could appoint a special envoy to visit non-signatory countries that have expressed objections to signing the Convention. New Zealand, Australia and Botswana supported this initiative. The CMC said that “The future culture and climate of the Convention should be based on the highly touted partnership of governments and civil society that brought it about”, “on openness and flexibility, and a willingness on occasion to step outside of traditional diplomatic boundaries and practices” and “on prioritization of and focus on the humanitarian impact of the work.” The CMC reminded everyone that “urgency” has been a catch-word of the Oslo Process, and stressed on keeping up that “sense of urgency”.

More information:

www.minrel.gov.cl/prontus_minrel/site

/artic/20090811/pags/2009081109292

1.php www.stopclustermunitions.org/chile/

“Competent and concerted African

effort” - The State Secretary of Norway stated at the Africa Regional Conference on the Universalization and Implementation of the CCM on 25-26 March 2010 in Pretoria, South Africa, that the CCM “would have been weaker in all key areas without the competent and concerted African effort” and added that “Now our common challenge is to make sure that the obligations set out in the Convention are translated into reality on the ground.” Malawi expected African States “to set an ambitious

pace for the implementation of the CCM” and send “high level representation” to the 1MSP in Laos. “There is need for more State Parties to participate fully in the 1MSP. This requires more ratifications as soon as possible.” CMC reminded everyone that Africa has helped keep the focus on the humanitarian suffering and the need to respond to it. It has kept the bar high in ensuring that the CCM was the strongest possible Convention that could be achieved and went on to say that it expected Africa to play the same role at the 1MSP. Ban Advocate, Berihu Mesele from Ethiopia called on his country to sign and ratify the CCM and posed the question: “Why only 38 African countries signed and only 6 ratified the CCM?” From his own experience, he pointed out how many challenges still remain in the field of victim assistance concerning physical rehabilitation, economic integration and psychological support. In the perspective of its role as Friend of the Chair on Reporting to the Vientiane conference, Belgium presented lessons learnt on national reporting under the MBT for the CCM including the need for training, improvements in data collection, and assistance. CMC noted that “fundamentally the gathering and sharing of information is key to providing good services to citizens and enhancing international cooperation.”

More information on The Africa

Regional Conference on the

Universalization and Implementation

of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

on 25-26 March 2010 in Pretoria,

South Africa, attended by 31 African

states/regions:

http://clustermunitionspretoria.blogsp

ot.com/

http://www.regjeringen.no/en/search.

html?quicksearch=Africa+Conference+

on+Cluster+Munitions

http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/n

ews/?id=2168

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“Ban on cluster bombs will have

financial implications for Slovakia” - Radio Slovakia International announced on 3 August 2010 “that the Slovak Defence Ministry recommends that Slovakia take part in the International Convention on Cluster Munitions (…), but only when the country is able to meet the commitments included in it.” http://www.rozhlas.sk/inetportal/rsi/pages/printClanok.php?clanokID=31506&lang=2

“Azerbaijan cannot join the

Convention on Cluster Munitions now”, the Foreign Ministry arms control department specialist said during a round-table-meeting organized by the Azerbaijani campaign against mines, Trend reported on 2 August 2010, because "Azerbaijani territories - Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions, are under occupation.” http://en.trend.az/news/karabakh/172976

4.html

Oslo Process an example for UN

Disarmament Negotiations – Associated Press wrote on 21 July 2010, that the UN Secretary General invited ministers from the UN member states to a meeting in September “to revitalize UN disarmament negotiations which have been deadlocked for more than a dozen years,” UN officials said and added: “Recent treaties on land mines and cluster munitions, for example, were negotiated outside the Geneva-based conference to bypass the bottleneck.” http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.

php?storyId=128681871

Cambodia still studying CCM - On 10 June 2010, the Phnom Penh Post quoted a statement by Handicap International saying “As a highly affected country, Cambodia knows the devastating effects of cluster munition use on families.” According to the Cambodian Mine Action Authority the government still plans to sign the CCM, but “must first study its implications”. According to the newspaper, the Defense Minister said: “We will sign in the future. Now we need to protect our country and our souvereignity first from other countries like Thailand, which has border problems with us.” http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.ph

p/2010061039627/National-news/clock-

ticking-on-approval-of-cluster-ban.html

US use of cluster munitions in Yemen?

– On 7 June 2010, Amnesty International released images of a US-manufactured Tomahawk cruise missile that carried cluster submunitions, apparently taken following an attack on an alleged al-Qaeda training camp in the community of al-Ma'jalah in the Abyan area in the south of Yemen. On 8 June, the CMC called on the United States to confirm or deny the reported use of US-manufactured cluster munitions in Yemen and condemned “any use of cluster munitions anywhere by any actor.” Neither the US nor Yemen have signed the treaty. www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-

updates/yemen-images-missile-and-

cluster-munitions-point-us-role-fatal-

attack-2010-06-04

Cambodia: Victim Assistance part of

Millennium Development Goals – According to the Resident Coordinator in of the United Nations Development Programme in Cambodia “The Cambodian Millennium Development Goals include one that is unique to this country. The government recognized that land mines and UXO present significant challenges to poverty reduction and added to their goals CMDG9: landmines, UXO and victim assistance”, so reported the Phnom Penh Post on 28 May 2010. Referring to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the UN official added: “We stand ready to provide assistance to Cambodia to facilitate its entry as signatory to the convention.” www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2010

052839348/National-news/lessons-from-a-

violent-past.html

Agenda

November

1: Cluster Munition Monitor Report 2010, Global Release, Bangkok, Thailand 9-12: First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Vientiane, Lao PDR

December 2010

13

3: Anniversary of the Convention on Cluster Munitions Signing Conference

FOCUS ON VICTIM ASSISTANCE AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

UNDER THE CCM

Suggestions for the Vientiane

Action Plan on Victim Assistance

On 6 September 2010, during the preparatory meeting in Geneva for the First Meeting of States Parties (1MSP) the CMC stated that all actions should be time-bound and measurable. According to the ICRC, States should present their plans for the extension of their capacities for the implementation of victim assistance and donor states should come up with concrete commitments for its funding. ICRC stressed the need for tangible benefits in 2011.

Participatory discussion amongst

campaigners and focal points

On 13 June 2010 in Santiago, the ICBL and CMC jointly organized a Victim Assistance Workshop in response to the questions and needs identified by Victim Assistance Focal Points in order to better equip them to be effective in their work. Many Focal Points, survivors and campaigners gave presentations and participated actively in discussions on synergies between MBT, CCM and CRPD, monitoring, inclusive development, creating awareness, fundraising for Victim Assistance and the Vientiane Action Plan. www.icbl.org/index.php/icbl/Library/N

ews-Articles/intersessionals10/va

Civil society as a bridge between

donors and affected states

As a CMC campaigner from Lebanon said at the Santiago Conference in June: “Civil society can also act effectively as a bridge between donors and affected states and among

affected states themselves to help bring all forms of resources and expertise together.” In that sense, Handicap International organized a 2-part regional victim assistance workshop in Amman, Jordan, on 25 and 26 May, one for civil society and service providers, including survivors and disability advocates, and the other for including government representatives, donors and embassy staff. Most countries in the region have yet to develop National Action Plans on victim assistance. Given the increased focus on action planning following the adoption of the Cartagena Action Plan, the aim was to support national level processes for victim assistance action planning by multi-stakeholder committees in the following countries: Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian Territories and Yemen. Presentations and more interactive sessions brought increased clarity on the need for national action plans and on items to be pursued in-country. Information provided by Elke

Hottentot, Victim Assistance Technical

Advisor, Handicap International

Switzerland.

The way from Process to Progress

on Victim Assistance

The President of the Cartagena Summit on the MBT said at the Vienna Expert Conference on Victim Assistance on 8-9 April 2010 “that a large number of victims have seen too little or even no progress in their lives”, “as was demonstrated through Handicap International’s report Voices from the Ground”. “This situation is unacceptable, and compels us to do more to achieve our goals. As we move ahead, our focus should be on

14

applying the common understandings that have been established for the immediate benefit of survivors, rather than on continued discussions amongst diplomats on words and phrases. This participative approach must not only be continued, but enhanced and improved. We have to make sure that the views of all survivors – regardless of gender or age – are heard and respected, and that their effective inclusion in decision-making processes is ensured.” According to the Cartagena Action Plan “a holistic and integrated approach to victim assistance must be pursued” and “The full, non-discriminatory and inclusive reintegration of survivors into their communities and into social, cultural and economic spheres of societies must be ensured by central and local government.”

The ICBL recognized that “process” activities such as developing laws, policies, coordination, tools, action plans and establishing the structures necessary to support national implementation of victim assistance” have been “extremely important” and process “is visible in most of the affected countries.” However improvements on “process” do not always and immediately lead to progress on the ground, and our next steps should focus on how to use these new structures to improve the daily lives of survivors. In addition, the States Parties have accepted the importance of a social model and rights based approach in victim assistance, but they have not been able to convert the theory into practice. They continued to focus their main attention on medical and rehabilitation issues rather than applying victim assistance as the holistic process that has been committed to in theory. We have to keep the pressing needs of survivors in mind when implementing the action plan.”

Survivor Corps agreed “that process-related progress is important, but there must also be focus on results and showing the concrete impact on the lives of survivors” and added that “Collecting relevant data to make an appropriate needs assessment is essential” and is also key to make sure that the impact of victimization is assessed comprehensively, and not only the impact on an individual, but also the family and community.” Survivor participation must also be “meaningful”, which means that the interests of survivors are represented in any document, instrument and efforts that affect their lives and where their participation is facilitated.”

The Director of CMC Austria stressed the fact that “So far, financial resources available for victim assistance programmes have been insufficient” and that for instance “Enough funding must be available for unique initiatives such as that of the Ban Advocates (…).” She said that testimonies from several diplomats and negotiators indicate that the passionate lobbying efforts undertaken by the Ban Advocates on individual states have had a powerful impact on changing national policy in many individual states. Victims and field-based organizations working in affected states usually know what is really happening on the ground.” She added that the “effective cooperation between survivors and field-based organizations in advocacy and media work should continue globally. The benefit of direct experience of victims and field staff makes the CMC a natural partner of governments in meeting their obligations under the CCM to collect reliable data and assess the needs of cluster munition victims. It is no coincidence that the Oslo Process has often been referred to as data-driven, as it was civil society that documented humanitarian evidence on the consequences of cluster munitions. Assessing the status quo on victim assistance implementation has proved

15

to be essential for identifying ongoing challenges and elaborating new and effective action plans for the future. And it will remain essential in the future, as States Parties to the CCM will need to agree on a roadmap for implementation at the First Meeting of States The coordinator of the CMC said: “It is our job to bridge the all too often gaping divide between policy discussions and action where it is needed in affected communities. Good work has been done of course, but the message, we in the NGO community are getting is that much more is needed. Victim assistance is an example of how the CCM can be beneficial to states and their citizens and that it can be done.”

Dejan Dicic, a cluster munition survivor and Ban Advocate from Niš in Serbia draw the attention “to the limited resources of the affected states, to the large imbalance of economic potential between disadvantages regions and developed regions within affected states and the number of layers between national/international donors on the one hand and victims or their families on the other hand.”

The Senior Advisor and Team Leader on Armed Violence, Mine Action and Small Arms, UNDP noted that “While the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) are specifically designed to address the needs of the xorld’s poorest citizens and the world’s most marginalized populations there are actually no references to persons with disabilities either in the MDGs themselves or in the accompanying body of guidelines and policies.”

The Vienna Expert Conference on

Victim Assistance, an informal expert

meeting, was held from 8-9 April 2010

in Vienna, was a joint initiative of the

Austrian Ministry of Defence and the

Ministry for European and

International Affairs and gathered

over 70 participants and panellists

from governments, UN, ICRC, CMC

and ICBL, as well as survivor.

Use and Reinforce Existing

Capacities in Affected States

At the Victim Assistance Session of the Pretoria Conference in March 2010, the Director of the Uganda Landmine Survivors Association, Margaret Arach Orech, called on all states in Africa to join the global community, and sign and ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions. “Ratifying the CCM, and beginning its implementation, including in the area of victim assistance is also a way to generate greater resources and cooperation for implementation of a number of other obligations that states have under international law.”

She admitted that “the low pace of ratification by African states is quite disturbing” and added: “especially as the onus for victim assistance rests on them. This may limit immediate implementation, which is quite vital if we are to see any changes and improvements in the quality of the lives of survivors.” As a landmine survivor herself, she said that survivors still wait for their states to take up responsibility where necessary and reinforce existing efforts for a better provision of victim assistance.” She called on “all governments to take advantage of the resources that exist in their communities” and asked them to “actively empower survivors and their representative groups to participate in the social, economic and political sector of their community and the country.”

She stressed the “need for continuing medical care, especially to survivors in remote areas” and noted that “governments can through their focal points on victim assistance reach out to survivors through the community based rehabilitation approach and ensure that they are able to access the available services

16

for medical care as well as for rehabilitation.” Services to support survivors to overcome long-term psychological trauma are lacking or are not easily accessible in most communities. Therefore, she suggested that more resources should be put toward the training of more “counselors as well as the survivors themselves to provide peer counseling.”

The Deputy Head of the Norwegian Mission in Pretoria stated that to “maintain dedicated funding, the use of resources is equally as important as fundraising” and emphasized “the importance of building national capacity and sharing national expertise developed in affected states with others, along with time-bound targeted strategic partnerships at the regional and sub-regional levels. She recognized “that survivors and other victims do not receive the assistance they are entitled to.” But achieving the aims (…) is not only about raising and spending more money (…) How resources are spent is

just as important as the amount of funds available.” She admitted: “We must to a much larger degree recognise the competence that exists in affected States” and referred to national expertise built up in Africa. She concluded that “International cooperation must be structured in a way that supports national ownership rather than undermines it.”

The CMC called on African states to foster South-South cooperation in the sharing of best practices as “the hallmark of the implementation of the CCM” and in creating a common framework at regional, sub-regional, and regional levels using groupings such as SADC, ECOWAS, and the African Union.”

http://clustermunitionspretoria.blogsp

ot.com/

Statement by the Director of the

Uganda Landmine Survivors

Association at: www.handicap-

international.be

FOCUS ON THE BAN ADVOCATES

Ban Advocates celebrate the Entry

into Force of the CCM on 1 August

2010

Ban Advocates called on states to join the CCM and launched worldwide the film “Ban Advocates: from Victims to Champions” directed by Chris Anderson.

Afghanistan: In Afghanistan, survivors were included in media outreach.

Albania: The Albanian Ban Advocate Ardjana Mani called on the government to work on quick implementation of the Convention and to prioritize victim assistance.

Belgium: Sladjan and Dusica Vučković from Serbia called on Serbia to join

the Convention at a press conference in Brussels on 30 July 2010.

Cambodia: Activities in Siem Reap, Cambodia included a survivor seminar. The Cambodian Ban Advocate Yoeun Sam En was interviewed during the 1 August event in Phnom Penh.

Croatia: In Croatia, the government and civil society organized an event in Zagreb, which included risk education performances for children and issued a press release.

Ethiopia: The Ethiopian Ban Advocates Aynalem Zenebe and Berihu Mesele called on their government to join the treaty during an event at the Mekele Ayder School that was bombed by cluster munitions in 1998. The film by

17

Chris Anderson was launched in Mekele and Addis Ababa.

Laos PDR: Ban Advocates from all over the Lao PDR were highly involved in the 1 August celebrations in Vientiane.

Thailand: The Laotian Ban Advocate Thoummy Silampan participated in the Round Table Discussion, organized by the Foreign Ministry of Thailand in cooperation with ICRC in Bangkok on 29-30 July 2010, with the participation of the Defence Ministry and other Thai government agencies, Australia, Germany, Japan, Laos, the UN, the CMC and the GICHD.

Tajikistan: During a Round Table on 3 August, Umarbek Pulodov, Ban Advocate from Tajikistan, expressed his hope that the Tajik government would join the Convention during a Round Table on 3 August, attended by representatives of the Presidential Administration, the Justice, Foreign and Defense Ministries the Mine Action Centre, local NGOs and the media as well as landmine and cluster munitions survivors.

US: Lynn Bradach, whose son was killed in Iraq while clearing cluster munitions, called on the U.S. to attend the First Meeting of States Parties to the CCM in Laos and to “work with other countries to make sure this weapon is banned globally once and for all.”

Serbia: Branislav Kapetanović urged the Serbian government to sign during a TV show in Serbia on the entry into force of the CCM.

Vietnam: In Vietnam, survivors and campaigners issued a joint statement to welcome entry into force of the Convention. A meeting was organized with representatives from 20 self-help groups of survivors, who then disseminated information about the

CCM to their 600 members and communities.

More:

http://blog.banadvocates.org/

http://www.august1.org/events

The film can be found on:

http://blog.banadvocates.org/index.ph

p?post/2010/07/30/Film-The-Ban-

Advocates%3A-From-Victims-to-

Champions

Laos Training – In anticipation of the First Meeting of States Parties in Lao PDR, the Lao Ban Advocates came to Vientiane from their villages to participate in an advocacy Refresher Workshop (the first workshop was held in January 2010) from 26-27 July 2010. They discussed the CCM and how the convention will affect survivors and affected communities. They practiced dealing with journalists and working with government representatives.

Training: from survivors to Ban

Advocates - The Tajik Campaign to Ban Landmines, with the support of Umarbek Pulodov as Ban Advocate, organized an “Advocacy & Awareness Raising Training for the Cluster Munition and Landmine Survivors” from 30 July to 4 August 2010. The main objective of this training was to have new Tajik Ban Advocates in Tajikistan to urge the government to sign and ratify the CCM as soon as possible, preferably before the first meeting of states parties in November in Lao PDR. They spoke about synergies and differences between the CCM, the MBT and the CRPD; the rights of persons with disabilities in Tajikistan; and received media training.

Ban Bus Tour in Tajikistan - Ban Advocate, Umarbek Pulodov, was involved in a Ban Bus Tour around affected regions of Tajikistan to inform the communities about the CCM. The

18

Bus Tour was also planned to raise awareness of people in remote affected regions and locations and to help them raise their voices in order to urge the Government of Tajikistan to join the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Call on states to involve survivors

– At the Santiago Conference, Ban Advocates from Lao and Afghanistan called on states to involve survivors in the implementation of the Vientiane Action Plan. “We, as survivors, need to be involved. We know what the real needs of the victims are. Support has to be based on our needs. Concrete assistance is urgently needed now, and for many years to come,” Bounmy Vijak, Ban Advocate from Lao PDR, said. “Cluster bomb survivors were a driving force behind the successful treaty negotiations, and we now call on states to make sure victims are fully included in all aspects of bringing the Convention into practice,” said Soraj Ghulam Habib, a 19-year-old Afghan cluster munition survivor and Ban Advocate on behalf of the CMC. “The more support we have from governments to rebuild our lives, the stronger we will become.”

Advocating at Amman Workshop

on Victim Assistance - Raed Mokaled, who lost his 5-year old son through a cluster munition explosion, shared his experience during a Workshop on Victim Assistance in Amman.

Speaking as an expert - Dejan Dicic, Ban Advocate from Niš in Serbia, participated in the Vienna Expert-Meeting on Victim Assistance.

Speaking from his experience in his own country, he said: “If we look at a map of Serbia we see that CM and LM victims were mostly from the least developed, rural regions within Serbia itself. After the war events in the Balkans, from the economically prosperous region of Niš, today Niš is the most underdeveloped region in Serbia.” He also spoke about the role of other family members to resolve the most basic questions of survival and living conditions.” “The monthly income of a family in southern Serbia is still up to 10 times less than the income in the north of Serbia. That's why there is a particular need for Victim Assistance in rural areas and he added: “The role of NGOs can be crucial in training the victims and educating them how to approach donors, national or international.”

Ban Advocates Film adapted for

aurally and visually disabled

persons - The Film “The Ban Advocates: From Victims to Champions” directed by Chris Anderson, has been made accessible to Dutch-language aurally and visually disabled persons by “Platform Handicap en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking” (PHOS) in cooperation with the organization “Fevlado” and “Licht en Liefde” with the support of the Flemish government. The adapted documentary can be obtained from Handicap International and PHOS.

More information:

www.banadvocates.org

www.handicap-international.org

www.phos.be

FOCUS ON INVESTEMENTS IN MINES AND CLUSTER MUNITIONS

Luxembourg Compensation Fund

for the Social Security will

disinvest - On 18 August 2010 the newspaper “Le Quotidien” from

Luxembourg, reported that a Member of Parliament accused the public “Fonds de compensation de la Sécurité sociale” of financing enterprises

19

producing cluster munitions. On 20 August, the enterprise said it would stop investing in enterprises linked with cluster munitions. Handicap International said an official black list of cluster munition producers is dramatically missing. Information provided by Handicap

International Luxembourg to Handicap

International Belgium on 20 August

2010

http://www.lequotidien.lu/index.php/p

olitique-et-societe/14502-Des-

pensions-explosives.html

http://www.lequotidien.lu/index.php/p

olitique-et-societe/14530-Maintenant-

faut-ragir.html

Germany criticised for buying body

scanner from cluster munitions

producer – “Germany's interior ministry is facing criticism for buying airport body scanners from the subsidiary of a US company known to produce internationally banned cluster munitions,” Deutsche Welle, as well as other media, reported on 11 August 2010, referring to two full-body scanners to be used for tests at Hamburg airport in September from a subsidiary of the US L3 Communications company, which according to a survey by the IKV PAX Christi aid organization, is a producer of cluster ammunition. Handicap International Germany accused the government in Berlin of double standards. “You simply weaken the treaty prohibiting cluster munitions if you pursue such business activities," the director told Deutsche Welle. The German organization landmine.de pressure group called on the government “to renounce such deals immediately." According to Handicap International Germany, the government replied that “this is only a test phase, we don’t buy the appliances at this stage. If it comes to a bigger order, we will apply the usual tender procedures”. Information provided by Handicap

International Germany to Handicap

International Belgium and by

landmine.de www.dw-

world.de/dw/article/0,,5891121,00.ht

ml

Japan banks ban financing cluster

arms - On 30 July 2010, AFP reported that Japan's three largest banks would refrain from financing the manufacture of cluster bombs. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and Mizuho Bank said they had stated in their regulations they would deny loans and investments for the productions of cluster munitions. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-

news-world/japan-banks-ban-

financing-cluster-arms-20100730-

10zkw.html

France prohibits financing of

producers of cluster munitions - On 8 July 2010, France announced that direct and indirect financing of the production or trade of cluster munitions is forbidden by French law. On the occasion of the debate on the national implementation law of the Oslo Convention in the French parliament, the government officially declared that "any knowingly direct or indirect financial assistance, to a

manufacturing or trading activity of

cluster munitions would be considered

as an assistance, encouragement or

inducement falling within the scope of

criminal law". This declaration is the first statement in France specifying the prohibition of assistance stipulated by the Oslo Convention, and incorporated in the law. Information provided to the CMC by

Handicap International France on 7

July 2010

The minutes of the plenary session of

the National Assembly

on:www.assemblee-nationale.fr

More information on www.amnesty.fr

and www.handicap-international.fr

Dutch financial institutions called

on government to prohibit

20

investments in cluster munitions - The Dutch Bank ASN called on the House of Representatives in the Netherlands to support the proposal on a prohibition on investments in cluster munitions. “It is incomprehensible to ratify the treaty and leave space to invest in this sector”, the Bank said on 2 July 2010. The call follows after two main Dutch pension funds (APG and MN Services) publically expressed a similar call to the Dutch government earlier this year to install a prohibition on direct investments in cluster munitions. On 8 December 2009, the Dutch House of Representatives adopted a motion to prohibit investments in cluster munitions. However, on 31 March 2010, the Dutch Minister of Finance and Minister of Social Affairs decided not to implement the motion. Information provided by IKV/Pax Christi to Handicap International Belgium www.asnbank.nl/index.asp?NID=1078

3

http://www.mn-

services.nl/portal/page?_pageid=136,

3554504&_dad=portal&_schema=POR

TAL&p_item_id=6107199

UBS AG excluded investments in

cluster munition producers - “UBS AG has pulled its investments from companies that manufacture cluster bombs, the Swiss bank said on 10 May 2010”, Associated Press in Zurich reported. “UBS Global Asset Management took a policy decision last

month to exclude such firms from its actively managed Swiss and Luxembourg funds”, a spokeswoman said. Information provided by Handicap

International Switzerland on 11 May 2010. http://xsltm8.finance.sp2.yahoo.com/

news/Swiss-bank-UBS-divests-from-

apf-2565382271.html?x=0

Financial institutions continue to

invest in cluster munition

producers - IKV Pax Christi (Netherlands) and Netwerk Vlaanderen (Belgium) launched an update to their October 2009 report, “Worldwide

investments in cluster munitions – a

shared responsibility”, in Geneva on

14 April 2010. The report revealed that “The world’s top financial institutions continue to finance the following seven leading producers of cluster bombs and cluster bomb components: Alliant Techsystems (USA), Hanwha (South Korea), L-3 Communications (USA), Lockheed Martin (USA) Poongsan (South Korea), Singapore Technologies Engineering (Singapore) and Textron (USA).”

www.stopexplosiveinvestments.org/re

port

www.ikvpaxchristi.nl/UK/below_thema

tic_security_and_disarmament_cluster

_munition_home_stop_explosive_inve

stments.htm

www.netwerkvlaanderen.be

CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

For an update on the Status of the

CRPD: www.un.org/disabilities/

Spain submitted its initial report to

the CRPD Committee - On 3 May, Spain submitted its initial report on its implementation of the CRPD to the Committee on the CRPD. It is the first country to submit its report.

Agenda

December 2010

3: International Day of Persons with

Disabilities: "Keeping the promise:

Mainstreaming disability in the

Millennium Development Goals

towards 2015 and beyond"

21

RECENT ARTICLES, BLOGS, PUBLICATIONS, SITES, VIDEOS

“Assistance, Advocacy, Access” a project mapping victim assistance in Serbia, June 2010, by the website of AAA-S, Serbia.

http://www.ppps.org.rs

“Ban Advocates: from Victims to Champions”, a film directed by Chris Anderson, globally launched on 1 August 2010, from Handicap International Belgium, shows how Ban Advocates from different countries played a crucial role in the process towards a global ban on cluster munitions andremain committed to take responsibility in the implementation of the convention. Available online at www.handicap-international.be, www.banadvocates.org and on Vimeo.

“Banksecrets.eu” updated on 1 April 2010 with cases of AXA, Dexia and KBC as well as translated into Dutch. The website Banksecrets.eu shows the investments of 16 well-known banks in harmful projects. www.banksecrets.eu/

“Cluster munitions and victim assistance”, a key list of information launched by “Source”, an International Information Support Centre designed to strengthen the management, use and impact of information on health and disability, a collaborative venture of CICH, Healthlink Worldwide, Handicap International and Exchange. http://asksource.ids.ac.uk/cf/keylists/keyli

st2.cfm?topic=dis&search=QL_CMVA09

“Deadly Movements: Arms Transportation Controls in the Arms Trade Treaty,’ report by Amnesty International, 19 July 2010, New York. It highlights examples of deliveries of cluster munitions and their components on ships registered in the UK, and managed by UK and German shipping companies, that were transported from South Korea to Pakistan between March 2008 and February 2010 for use by the country’s army. www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?Ne

wsID=18893

“Fulfilling the Ban: Guidelines for Effective

National Legislation to Implement the

Convention on Cluster Munitions.” New legal analysis paper of Human Rights. www.hrw.org/node/90721.

“Implementing the Convention on Cluster

Munitions,” Disarmament Forum 2010 no. 1, examines what will be required to implement some of the humanitarian and development commitments of the Convention. www.unidir.ch/bdd/fiche-

periodique.php?ref_periodique=1020-

7287-2010-1-en

“It’s past time for the U.S. to join a global

ban on cluster bombs”, op-ed by Ban Advocate, Lynn Bradach, which son Travis, a corporal in the U.S. Marines, was killed by a U.S. cluster bomb in July 2003, while he was clearing cluster munitions in Iraq, Oregon Live, http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.

ssf/2010/08/the_us_should_join_and_lead

_a.html

“Laos: hope for development”, report by IRIN, humanitarian news and analysis, a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 5 August 2010 www.irinnews.org/PrintReport.aspx?ReportId=90072

“Legacies of War: Unexploded Ordnances

in Laos,” a US Department of States release on the first congressional hearing, held on 22 April 2010, where the non-profit organisation “Legacies of War” testified about the dangers of UXO. The House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, examined the issue of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) in Laos and US funding for their removal. http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2010/0

4/140688.htm

22

“Laos Takes Centre Stage in Cluster Bombs

Treaty”, by Marwaan Macan-Markar, Bangkok, IPS, 5 August 2010 on the leading role of Laos in a global campaign to ban the use of cluster bombs. http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52388 “Negotiating the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The Role of African States,” Gugu Dube, ISS Paper 187, 1 June 2009. http://www.issafrica.org/pgcontent.php?UI

D=5217

“Survivors and activists hail cluster bomb

ban,” by Thin Lei Win and Maria Caspani, 30 July 2010, AlertNet Bangkok/London. http://www.alertnet.org/db/an_art/60167/2010/06/30-142951-1.htm

The-monitor.org – The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor is an initiative providing research for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC). It is the de facto monitoring regime for the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor produces several research products including the annual Landmine

Monitor and Cluster Munition Monitor reports, online country profile reports (launched on 22 June 2010 and finalized by the end of August), as well as factsheets and maps. All Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor research products are available for purchase and as a free online resource. www.the-monitor.org/index.php

“The Things We Left Behind: Fifty Years

Later, American Cluster Bombs Continue to

Kill in Laos”, by Alexis Collatos, 5 August 2010, on “Partnership for a Secure America”. http://blog.psaonline.org/2010/08/05/the-

things-we-left-behind-fifty-years-later-

american-bombs-continue-to-kill-in-laos/

“The Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Problem

and Operational Progress in the Lao PDR.” The Fact Sheet provides official figures by the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for UXO/Mine Action in the Lao PDR. May 2010. http://en.handicapinternational.be/LaosTh

e-Unexploded-Ordnance-UXO_a701.html

Contact and coordination: Hildegarde Vansintjan, Advocacy Officer, Handicap International vzw-asbl, Belgium

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Hildegarde Vansintjan, Advocacy Officer, Handicap International vzw/asbl; Phone: + 32 2 233 01 06 / Mobile: + 32 485 111 460 / Fax: + 32 2 230 60 30 / Spastraat 67 / 67, Rue de Spa / B - 1000 Brussels Belgium / hildegarde.vansintjan(at)handicap.be / www.handicap-international.be

Handicap International is an international organisation specialised in the field of disability. Non-governmental, non-religious, non-political and non-profit making, it works alongside people with disabilities, whatever the context, offering them assistance and supporting them in their efforts to become self-reliant. Since its creation, the organisation has set up programmes in approximately 60 countries and intervened in many emergency situations. It has eight national associations (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States) which provide human and financial resources, manage projects and raise awareness of Handicap International's actions and campaigns.

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