4th Meeting of the States Parties to Ban Landmines

Interpreter Krystina whispers in Portuguese to landmine victims and attendees of the training
Interpreter Krystina whispers in Portuguese to landmine victims and attendees of the training

Project at a glance

Dates and Place

15 - 20 September 2002, Geneva, Switzerland
United Nations

Organizers

International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

Project details

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), launched in 1992, is coordinated by a staff of 8 and a committee of thirteen organizations. It brings together over 1,300 human rights, humanitarian, children, peace, disability, veterans, medical, humanitarian mine action, development, arms control, religious, environmental and women's groups in over 90 countries who work locally, nationally regionally, and internationally to ban landmines.

The work of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines has brought about tremendous change in a short period of time. In Ottawa, in December 1997, 122 countries signed a treaty that bans the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of landmines. To date over 143 countries have signed and 125 countries have ratified the Mine Ban Treaty.

In 1997, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the ICBL and its then coordinator, Jody Williams. In its announcement, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said the Campaign had changed a ban from "a vision to a feasible reality". It also noted that by working with small and medium-sized countries, "this work has grown into a convincing example of an effective policy for peace that could prove of decisive importance to the international effort for disarmament..." The work must continue even more relentlessly until the day when there no longer are mine victims. The ICBL continues to focus on ratification of the treaty by the remaining signatories, universalization and implementation. It its General Meeting in Washington DC in March 2001, the ICBL agreed to redouble its energy and efforts to achieve universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT), as well as ensure its full implementation, with a target of the Review Conference in 2004. Towards this end, the General Meeting adopted the ICBL 2004 Action Plan, a comprehensive plan in which the ICBL challenges itself to accomplish its goals as quickly as possible. Other working groups of the ICBL continue to focus international attention on the needs required for mine clearance, mine awareness programs, and survivor assistance, as well as on non-state actors.

The Fourth Meeting of States Parties to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty (4MSP) is the most important landmine event of the year 2002.

External links

http://www.icbl.orgInternational Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)

Volunteering Opportunities

20 volunteers of ICVolunteers helped with this conference, carrying out the following tasks:
  • Interpreting English / French / Portuguese
  • Assisting the 16 landmine victims who attended the training of "Raising the Voices"
  • Ensuring office support at ICB's office at the United Nations


Short Term Projects

ICVolunteers promotes volunteerism and its recognition, by enhancing civic commitment and involvement, and by providing leadership and links between organizations, individuals and communities. With this perspective, ICVolunteers develops projects and leads initiatives.

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