STATES PARTIES TO ANTI-MINE PROTOCOL TO CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS CONVENTION CONCLUDE PREPARATORY MEETING FOR GENEVA CONFERENCE
Press Release
DC/2647
STATES PARTIES TO ANTI-MINE PROTOCOL TO CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS CONVENTION CONCLUDE PREPARATORY MEETING FOR GENEVA CONFERENCE
19990602(Reissued as received.)
GENEVA, 28 May (UN Information Service) -- States parties to Amended Protocol II to the 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons met in Geneva on 25 and 26 May to prepare for the first annual conference, which will be held in Geneva from 15 to 17 December 1999. The Amended Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices was adopted in May 1996 and entered into force in December 1998.
Under the chairmanship of Johan Molander (Sweden), the preparatory meeting approved the provisional agenda, cost estimates and draft rules of procedure of the conference. The draft rule on decision-making was amended to read that decisions would be taken in accordance with established practice under the Convention. An accompanying statement of the Chairman clarified that established practice was on the basis of consensus without recourse to voting.
A working paper submitted by Austria contained draft reporting formats designed to assist States parties in fulfilling their annual reporting obligations under the Amended Protocol. Austria also tabled proposals for the circulation of annual reports to States parties.
Mr. Molander (Sweden) was recommended by the preparatory meeting to serve as Chairman of the first annual conference in December. The meeting elected Petko Draganov (Bulgaria) and Il Changhe (China) as provisional Vice-Chairmen of the first annual conference. It was agreed that the three ambassadors would constitute a bureau, which would be responsible for handling the preparations for the first annual conference. Abdelkader Bensmail, Chief of the Geneva Branch of the Department for Disarmament Affairs, who served as Secretary-General of the preparatory meeting, was recommended to be confirmed as Secretary-General of the conference itself.
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