The overall objective of this Decision is the promotion of peace and security by supporting the implementation of the Cartagena Action Plan, regarding the universalisation and implementation of all aspects of the Convention.
In order to achieve the objectives referred to in Article 1(1) of this Decision, the Union will undertake the following projects:
States Parties to the Convention are supported in implementing the victim assistance aspects of the Cartagena Action Plan in such a way that they are better able to coordinate and implement activities which will result in a meaningful positive difference in the lives of women, men, girls and boys who have fallen victim to landmines and other explosive remnants of war.
National technical support will be provided by the ISU in up to three instances, including by initiating and/or supporting inter-ministerial processes to implement victim assistance obligations in national contexts, to States Parties to the Convention that either (a) have engaged little in the effort to implement the victim assistance elements of the Cartagena Action Plan and therefore could benefit from a stimulus to begin doing so, or (b) have established, or are well on the way to establishing a national plan and therefore would have some implementation experience to assess, thus rendering themselves more likely to be candidates for a comprehensive national mid-term appraisal of efforts to implement the Cartagena Action Plan.
Comprehensive national mid-term appraisals, in up to three instances, will be made. Those appraisals will involve the ISU, in collaboration with key actors such as the ICBL, assisting beneficiary States in drawing up a detailed background paper for a national workshop, organising a national workshop, and drafting a detailed outcome document constituting the ‘appraisal’ in which remaining challenges will be outlined, objectives set and recommendations made.
Follow-up actions, in up to three instances, will be undertaken in response to recommendations contained in the mid-term appraisals. Those follow-up actions will involve the provision by the ISU of additional technical support (e.g. for the revision of national plans, the development of a project proposal or proposals, etc.).
A global, high level conference on assistance to the victims of landmines and other explosive remnants of war will be organised by the ISU, in collaboration with key actors such as the ICBL, with the aim of building upon the experience of assisting victims in the context of the Convention in order to take advantage of potential synergy/efficiencies with regard to the implementation of international instruments (e.g. the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), Protocol V 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) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)) which deal with the same subject matter and affected States.
Beneficiary States of technical support which have engaged little in the effort to implement the victim assistance aspects of the Cartagena Action Plan will identify a focal point which will further advance with the implementation of victim assistance obligations and participate in subsequent Convention activities.
Each beneficiary State of technical support in all instances will be provided with a report containing recommendations on the logical next steps it could take in implementing the victim assistance aspects of the Cartagena Action Plan.
Beneficiary States of technical support in five instances will have the concept paper developed and a list of participants proposed for national workshops to take place as part of a mid-term appraisal.
Beneficiary States of mid-term appraisals will receive a detailed outcome document setting out the remaining challenges, with objectives and recommendations for further action.
Beneficiary States of follow-up support will be better able to express their intentions to fulfil the Cartagena Action Plan commitments and their need for support (e.g. for the revision of national plans, the development of a project proposal or proposals, etc.).
Ways will be identified to take advantage of potential synergy/efficiencies with regard to the implementation of international instruments (e.g. CCM, Protocol V to the CCW and CRPD) which deal with the same subject matter and affected States.
Awareness of the global effort to address the needs and guarantee the rights of survivors through broad participation in a high-level conference will be raised.
States Parties to the Convention which have reported their responsibility for significant numbers of landmine survivors.
Women, men, girls and boys who have fallen victim to landmines and other explosive remnants of war, as well as their families and communities.
States Parties to the Convention are supported in implementing the mine clearance aspects of the Cartagena Action Plan in such a way that they are better able to complete mine clearance implementation in as short a period of time as necessary to enable individuals, communities and nations to benefit from land once considered dangerous being returned for normal human activity.
Comprehensive national mid-term appraisals, in up to five instances, will be made. Those appraisals will involve the ISU, in collaboration with key actors such as the ICBL, and with the support of the GICHD, assisting beneficiary States in drawing up a detailed background paper for a national workshop, organising a national workshop, and drafting a detailed outcome document constituting the ‘appraisal’ in which remaining challenges will be outlined, objectives set and recommendations made.
Follow-up actions, in up to three instances, will be undertaken in response to recommendations contained in the mid-term appraisals. Those follow-up actions will involve either the provision of additional technical support by the ISU (e.g. for the revision of national plans, the development of a project proposal or proposals, etc.) or the organisation of south-south exchange visits for beneficiary States to benefit mutually from lessons learned and improve future implementation.
Beneficiary States of mid-term appraisals will receive a detailed outcome document setting out the remaining challenges, with objectives and recommendations for further action.
Beneficiary States of follow-up support will be better able to express their intentions to fulfil the Cartagena Action Plan commitments and their need for support (e.g. for the revision of national plans, the development of a project proposal or proposals, etc.), and beneficiary States will have enhanced understanding of particular aspects of mine clearance implementation.
States Parties to the Convention, other than Member States, which are in the process of implementing their mine clearance obligations under the Convention.
Women, men, girls and boys whose lives are affected by the presence or suspected presence of anti-personnel mines, as well as their families and communities.
Barriers to adherence to the Convention are addressed in such a way that advances are made towards universalisation of the Convention by States not parties to the Convention.
A High Level Task Force on the universalisation of the Convention will be supported by the ISU, including support for high-level personalities to engage with the leaders of up to six States not parties to the Convention. Task Force members will participate in up to two other events to draw attention to ongoing efforts to universalise and implement the Convention.
A study on border security without anti-personnel mines will be produced by the ISU, working with those having expertise in this area and building on work carried out by the ICRC in the mid-1990s. A study report will be made accessible in various ways, including translation, production of summaries, production of materials in accessible formats, etc.
Universalisation workshops, in up to three instances, will be organised by the ISU, in collaboration with key actors such as the ICBL and the Coordinator of the Convention’s informal Universalisation Contact Group. Those workshops will take place at the national, sub-regional or regional levels to promote the Convention amongst States and to assist States not parties to the Convention in addressing real or perceived barriers to accession, particularly by making use of the study report on border security without anti-personnel mines.
Up to six States not parties to the Convention will be engaged with at ministerial or a higher level regarding adherence to the Convention.
Updated knowledge on the anti-personnel mine policies of States not parties to the Convention will be obtained. That information will be used in the preparation of substantive documents for the Third Review Conference, including through a comprehensive report on progress made towards achieving the aims of universalising the Convention, as well as scope for further progress.
Advocacy on the part of States Parties to the Convention and non-governmental organisations will be revitalised on the basis of follow-up actions resulting from High Level Task Force visits.
Increased knowledge will be amassed and compiled in a publication which addresses the most frequently raised perceived barriers to accession to the Convention and which can be used to support universalisation efforts.
Progress will be made towards accession to the Convention and/or an embracing of its norms by States not parties to the Convention which have been engaged with.
States, other than Member States, which have not yet ratified, approved, accepted, or acceded to, the Convention.
States Parties to the Convention and non-governmental and international organisations involved in efforts to promote the universalisation of the Convention.
The ongoing commitment of the Union and its Member States to the Convention is demonstrated as is their resolve to cooperate with, and extend assistance to, those States that need support in meeting their commitments under the Convention, and the leading role of the Union in pursuing the Convention’s vision of a conclusive end to the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines is enhanced.
A launch event will be staged to promote this Decision, and a wrap-up event will be organised to publicise the activities provided for in this Decision and their outcomes, thereby underlining the Union contribution.
Taking into account the importance of disseminating the awareness of the commitments made by the States Parties to the Convention at the Cartagena Conference and of ways and means of implementing them, as well as the need in those efforts to take into account a variety of audiences (e.g. different language audiences, persons with disabilities), the Convention’s website will be audited to ensure that high standards of accessibility are in place and the ISU’s existing publication documenting the victim assistance commitments made by the States Parties to the Convention are translated and published on the Convention’s website to extend the availability of those commitments in different languages.
A press visit will be organised to a mine-affected country in advance of the Convention’s Third Review Conference in 2014.
Communications materials (e.g. posters, advertising, video footage, publicity materials, etc.) will be acquired to take advantage of communications opportunities that arise.
Officials of the Union and its Member States will be aware of this Decision and how it may relate to their work.
The reach of understandings on victim assistance within the States Parties to the Convention will be extended, particularly in French-speaking mine-affected countries.
Information on the Convention will be made more accessible.
Exposure of the commitment of the Union to the Convention will be increased, and awareness of, and appreciation for, this Decision will be created and sustained, as demonstrated by press reports acknowledging the Union’s commitment and reporting appreciation for it made by States Parties to the Convention at their meetings.
Awareness of continuing efforts to promote the universalisation of the Convention will be raised.
States Parties to the Convention and non-governmental and international organisations, their representatives and other individuals interested or engaged in the effort to implement the Convention.