GROUP OF EXPERTS ON CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS CONVENTION CONCLUDES TENTH SESSION

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 16 March (UN Information Service) -- The Tenth Session of the Group of Governmental Experts of the States Parties to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW), concluded on Friday, 11 March 2005. 

The session of the Group was chaired by Ambassador Gordan Markotić of Croatia, Chairperson-designate of the Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention to be held on 24 and 25 November 2005.  Two Coordinators also chaired meetings of the respective working groups:  Ambassador Jayant Prasad of India on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Ambassador Markku Reimaa of Finland on Mines Other Than Anti-Personnel Mines (MOTAPM).

In November 2004, the States Parties to the Convention reached agreement on mandates for the continuation of the work of the Group in 2005 on the issues of ERW, and MOTAPM, as well as on possible options to promote compliance with the Convention and its annexed Protocols and on the preparation of the Third Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention.

On the issue of ERW the Group held two meetings.  It also held one meeting of military and technical experts under the chairmanship of Mr. Roman Hunger of Switzerland.  It considered, including through participation of legal experts, the implementation of existing principles of International Humanitarian Law and further studied, on an open-ended basis, with an emphasis on meetings of military and technical experts, possible preventive measures aimed at improving the design of certain specific types of munitions, including sub-munitions, with a view to minimizing the humanitarian risk of these munitions becoming explosive remnants of war.  Exchange of information, assistance and cooperation was part of the Group’s work.  

On the issue of MOTAPM, the Group held four meetings.  It also held one meeting of military experts chaired by Major General Ahti Vartiainen of Finland.  It considered all proposals on MOTAPM put forward since the establishment of the Group, but specifically focused on a discussion paper presented by the Coordinator.  The Group considered topics such as detectability, restrictions on the use of MOTAPM, fuse design and sensors, protection of civilians -- warning and mine-risk education, transfers, transparency and other confidence-building measures, issues related to the irresponsible use of MOTAPM, international cooperation and assistance and others -- with the aim of elaborating appropriate recommendations on MOTAPM for submission to the next Meeting of the States parties.

The Group also held one meeting to consider possible options for promoting compliance with the Convention and its annexed Protocols, chaired by Ambassador Markotić, as well as one meeting to consider the preparation of the Third Review Conference of the States parties to the Convention.

The Convention, also known as the Inhumane Weapons Convention, was concluded on 10 October 1980, and entered into force on 2 December 1983.  The Convention consists of a framework instrument and five individual protocols that regulate specific types of weapons, which are considered to be indiscriminate, to cause unnecessary or unjustifiable suffering or to have other humanitarian consequences.  Currently 97 States are party to the Convention with a further seven having signed but not yet ratified.  Four of the Protocols, annexed to the Convention are in force, namely:  Protocol I on Non-Detectable Fragments; Protocol II on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices, as amended on 3 May 1996; Protocol III on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons; and Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons.

On 28 November 2003 the Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention adopted the most recent of the Protocols, annexed to the Convention, namely Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War.  The Protocol is intended to eradicate the daily threat that such legacies of wars pose to populations in need for development and to humanitarian aid workers operating in the field to help them.  Since its adoption, five States have thus far notified the United Nations Secretary-General, as depositary of the Convention, of their consent to be bound by Protocol V.

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