Ly Thuch, President of the 2024 Ottawa Convention, on March 27, chaired an online meeting with the Committee on Cooperative Compliance and the Universalization Coordinating Group of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Anti-Personnel Mines (Ottawa Convention).

The meeting discussed measures to facilitate the implementation of standards, transparency, and strengthening compliance with the Ottawa Convention among the States Parties, focusing on three agendas, including

1. The accusations of the three States Parties, namely Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen, which have been using anti-personnel mines;

2. The legal obligation of Article 9 (National Implementation Measures of States Parties) of the Convention; and

3. Urging states parties to submit reports Article 7 (Transparency of Convention Implementation).

At the same time, the meeting also focused on the progress of the globalisation of non-party states to become parties to the Ottawa Convention. The meeting called for further re-examination of State Parties accused of using anti-personnel mines in violation of the Convention.

The meeting also reviewed the situation of 46 State Parties that did not properly implement Article 9 of the Convention due to various reasons of each state party. Regarding Article 7, 57 States Parties have reported on transparency and commitment to the Convention, and the Commission is awaiting reports from other States Parties until May 2024.

The Meeting continued to urge all States Parties to strengthen the implementation of the Convention on the Conformity, Transparency, and Obligations of the Convention and to submit their progress reports and efforts to the Commission in a timely manner in preparation for the Transitional Meeting on the Status of Obligations in June. 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. AKP

• Tags: anti-personnel mines, Ottawa Convention