The Sixteenth Meeting of States Parties

The Sixteenth Meeting of States Parties (16MSP) to the Mine Ban Treaty took place at the UN office in Vienna from 18 to 21 December 2017.

His Excellency Thomas Hajnoczi, Ambassador of Austria to the United Nations in Geneva was the President of the 16MSP. Ambassador Hajnoczi focused on Universalization, Victim Assistance and Mine Clearance of the Mine Ban Treaty.

Highlights of the Meeting

• Having deposited its instrument of accession to United Nations in New York a week before the 16MSP, Sri Lanka became the 163^rd State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. States Parties warmly welcomed Sri Lanka.
• Palestine announced country’s decision to join the treaty and subsequently deposited its instrument of accession to the United Nations’ Headquarters in New York on 29 December 2017. Palestine becomes the 164^th States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty.
• States Parties condemned any use of landmines and the President of the 16MSP, Ambassador Thomas Hajnoczi reiterated States Parties’ call in condemning “any use of anti-personnel mines by any actor under any circumstance…” in a declaration published at the end of the meeting.
• Special Envoy of the Mine Ban Treaty, Princess Astrid of Belgium spoke in a special event on victim assistance to encourage States Parties to increase efforts in assisting landmine victims.
• States Parties marked the 20^th anniversary of the treaty by holding special events with participation of ICRC President Peter Maurer, 1997 Nobel Peace Co-Laureate Jody Williams, ICBL Ambassador Tun Channareth, Treaty’s Special Envoy HRH Prince Mired of Jordan, and the President of the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining.
• States Parties granted extension to Angola, Ecuador, Iraq, Thailand, and Zimbabwe allowing them more times to clear remaining mined areas.
• Over 500 delegates have attended in the 16MSP.
• Ambassador Suraya Dalil of Afghanistan's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva will preside over the 17th Meeting of States Parties (17MSP) to the Mine Ban Treaty in 2018. The 17MSP will be held from 26 to 30 November at the UN office in Geneva.

ICBL Statements

• Opening Statement
• Comments on Angola's extension request
• Comments on Ecuador's extension request
• Comments on Iraq' extension request
• Comments on Thailand's extension request
• Comments on Zimbabwe's extension request
• Clearance
• Comments on the situation in Ukraine
• Victim Assistance
• Compliance
• Cooperation and Assistance
• Stockpile Destruction
• Transparency
• Universalization

Official Documents

• All official documents of the meeting will be available on the Secretariat of the Mine Ban Treaty's website and the UNODA's website.

 Images of the 16MSP

Memo for Government Delegates

• The Memo provides guidance on key issues related to the 16MSP and practical information for government delegates to prepare and actively participate in the meeting. Click here to download the Memo.

Campaign Tools

• Download the 'Finish the Job 2025' logo
• Mine Ban Traty's 20^th anniversary video
• ICBL's 25th anniversary video
• Mine Ban Treaty status
• The Landmine Monitor website
• Maputo Action Plan (MAP) and Maputo +15 Declaration
• How states can take action to finish the job
• All ICBL campaign materials can be found in the resources section of the ICBL website.

Landmine Monitor

• The Landmine Monitor 2017 report was launched on 14 December 2017 and delegates attending the meeting was briefed on key findings of the report. Find the report online, at http://the-monitor.org/LM17.

Media and Communications

• For media enquiries please contact:Firoz Alizada, ICBL Campaigns and Communications Manager. Email: firoz@icblcmc.org, T: +41 22 920 03 20, M: +41 78 65 77 331

Social Media

• ICBL Twitter: https://twitter.com/minefreeworld
  ICBL Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/minefreeworld
  ICBL Flickr: http://bit.ly/20rgaBN
  ICBL YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UConje8PMHNFOSR_eGjI5QiA

Anniversary Booklet

Click here to read what campaigners, partners and friends of the Mine Ban Treaty say on landmine ban process, and their conviction for a mine-free world.

Anniversary Videos

2017 is a significant year for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and for the Mine Ban Treaty community.

October 2017 marks 25 years since the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) was founded. After preparatory work began in 1991, the campaign was established by Human Rights Watch, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, Mines

18 September 2017 marks 20 years since the Mine Ban Treaty was adopted, when the international community agreed to end the scourge of landmines once and for all. Following the adoption, on 3 December 1997 the treaty was signed by 122 States; it entered into force on 1 March 1999. To date, 162 nations have formally joined the treaty.

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In run-up to the Vienna meeting:

The Second International Pledging Conference

His Excellency Ambassador Thomas Hajnoczi, Ambassador of Austria to the United Nations in Geneva and President of the 16^th Meeting of States Parties convened the Second International Pledging Conference for the Implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty on 28 February at the UN office in Geneva.

ICBL staff members, Ms. Amelie Chayer and Mr. Firoz Alizada spoke on current implementation challenges and status of funding for mine action.

ICBL and its members Handicap International (HI) and Mines Advisory Group (MAG) urged all States Parties to provide sufficient funding to meet treaty commitments and obligations by the year 2025.

© ICBL, 28 February 2017

Report of the Conference can be found on the Mine Ban Treaty's website.

ICBL campaigners meeting Austrian Ambassador, the President of the 16th Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, 1 December 2016, Santiago, Chile ©ICBL