Photo: Jonathan Smith, Unsplash

7–11 September 2015, Dubrovnik

First Review Conference (1RC)

As agreed at the 5MSP, the First Review Conference (1RC) of the CCM took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from 7 to 11 September 2015.

Statement by Mr. Manuel Gonzalez, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Religion of Costa Rica

Opening remarks by Mr. Zoran Milanovic, Primer Minister of Croatia

Statement by Ms. Virgina Gamba, UNODA on Behalf of UN Secretary-General

Statement by Ms. Christine Berli, ICRC

Statement by Mr. Branislav Kapitanovic, CMC

Statement by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica
Statement by Minister of Defense of Niger
Statement by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zambia
Statement by State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Defense of Slovakia
Statement by Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lao P.D.R.
Statement by Germany
Statement by Lebanon
Statement by Bosnia & Herzegovina
Statement by Netherlands
Statement by Sweden
Statement by Norway
Statement by Bulgaria
Statement by Austria
Statement by European Union
Statement by Japan
Statement by Mexico
Statement by Croatia
Statement by Mozambique
Statement by Honduras
Statement by Nicaragua
Statement by Switzerland
Statement by Montenegro
Statement by Denmark
Statement by Albania
Statement by France
Statement by Holy See
Statement by Ireland
Statement by New Zealand
Statement by United Kingdom
Statement by Italy
Right to reply by Sudan
Statement by Iceland
Statement by Belgium
Statement by Canada
Statement by Colombia
Statement by Portugal
Statement by Spain
Statement by Slovenia
Statement by Congo
Statement by Czech Republic
Statement by Paraguay
Statement by South Africa
Statement by Australia
Statement by Chile
Statement by Ghana
Statement by Luxembourg
Statement by Iraq
Statement by Moldova
Statement by Pakistan
Statement by Viet Nam
Statement by Cuba
Statement by Thailand
Statement by China
Statement by IFRC
Statement by RACVIAC
Statement by GICHD
Statement by UNMAS
Statement by CMC
Statement by Afghanistan
Ecuador by Ecuador
Statement by Algeria
Statement by Peru
Statement by Burkina Faso
Statement by State of Palestine
Statement by South Sudan

Statement by South Africa
Statement by ITF – Enhancing Human Security

Adoption of the Dubrovnik Declaration

Statement by Australia
Statement by United Kingdom
Statement by Canada
Statement by Mexico
Statement by Austria
Statement by Ghana
Statement by Netherlands
Statement by Ecuador
Statement by Zambia
Statement by Nigeria
Statement by New Zealand
Statement by CMC
Statement by Costa Rica
Statement by Lithuania
Statement by Lebanon
Statement by Switzerland
Statement by Ireland
Statement by France
Statement by Uganda
Statement by ICRC
Statement by Lao PDR
Statement by Hungary
Statement by Paraguay

Statement by Ambassador Thomas Hajnoczi, Co-Coordinator on International Cooperation & Assistance (Austria)

Statement by Croatia
Statement by Japan
Statement by Netherlands
Statement by CMC
Statement by United Kingdom
Statement by Switzerland
Statement by Ecuador
Statement by South Sudan
Statement by UNMAS
Statement by Italy
Statement by Lao PDR
Statement by Lebanon

Opening remarks by the Coordinator

Statement by IACG-MA
Statement by Bosnia Herzegovina
Statement by Lao PDR
Statement by CMC

Opening remarks by the Coordinators on Universalization

Statement by Chad
Statement by Croatia
Statement by France
Statement by Canada
Statement Lao PDR
Statement by IACG-MA
Statement by CMC
Statement by Ghana
Statement by Bulgaria
Statement by Costa Rica
Statement by Togo
Statement by Ecuador
Statement by South Africa
Statement by Armenia
Statement  by Senegal
Statement by Switzerland
Statement by Japan
Statement by Grenada
Statement by Mexico
Statement by Ethiopia
Statement by Peru
Statement by Palau
Statement by Lebanon
Statement by ICRC
Statement by DRC
Statement by Chile
Statement by Suriname

Statement by Ambassador Filloreta Kodra, Co-Coordinator on Stockpile Destruction and Retention (Albania)

Statement by Ambassador Yves Marek, Co-Coordinator on Stockpile Destruction and Retention (France)

Statement by Germany
Statement by Sudan
Statement by Ecuador
Statement by Australia
Statement by Japan
Statement by France
Statement by Croatia
Statement by Netherlands
Statement by Sri Lanka
Statement by UNMAS
Statement by CMC

Opening remarks by the Coordinators on Clearance and Risk Reduction Education

Presentations:
Presentation by M. Phoukhieo Chanthasomboune, Director General of the NRA of Lao PDR
Presentation by M. Guy Rhodes, Director of Operations of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)
Presentation by M. Atle Karlsen, Deputy Director Mines and Arms Department of Norwegian’s People Aid (NPA)

Statement by Norway
Statement by Afghanistan
Statement by DRC
Statement by Mauritania
Statement by Zambia
Statement by Ireland
Statement by Lebanon
Statement by IACG-MA

Closing remarks by the Coordinators on clearance and risk reduction

What does the Convention say?

Article 2 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions defines the term “cluster munition victim” as “all persons who have been killed or suffered physical or psychological injury, economic loss, social marginalisation or substantial impairment of the realisation of their rights caused by the use of cluster munitions. They include those persons directly impacted by cluster munitions as well as their affected families and communities”.

As is highlighted in the preamble to the Convention, its victim assistance provisions build on principles reflected in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), as well as experience from working with the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

Article 5 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions identifies the obligations of States Parties with regard to victims of cluster munitions. The article also outlines how States Parties are to fulfill these obligations in insisting on the principle of non-discrimination and inclusion of victims in the decision-making process.

11 States Parties reported to have obligations under Article 5: Afghanistan, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chad, Croatia, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Montenegro, and Sierra Leone.

In November 2016, the Guidance on an Integrated Approach to Victim Assistance was published. It was developed by the 2016 and 2017 CCM Coordinators on Victim Assistance (Australia, Chile and Italy) and on Cooperation and Assistance (Australia, Austria and Iraq), with technical support from Handicap International. The Guidance aims to assist states to improve the quality of life and uphold the rights of victims.

In November 2020, the CCM Coordinators on Victim Assistance, Mexico and Spain, established a National Focal Point Database as a platform for States Parties with cluster munition victims to exchange lessons learnt and good practices in the implementation of their Article 5 obligations.

What next?

In terms of victim assistance, the Lausanne Action Plan encourages States Parties with cluster munition victims to:

  • collect and analyse data disaggregated by gender, age and disability;
  • address the needs of victims in national policies and legal frameworks, aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals and the CRPD;
  • develop a measurable national action plan and designate a national focal point responsible for coordinating victim assistance;
  • provide emergency and continuing medical care to victims, and have in place well-functioning rehabilitation, psychological and psychosocial services, which are accessible, age, disability and gender-sensitive;
  • improve the socio-economic inclusion of victims;
  • strengthen the inclusion and meaningful participation of victims in the development of national laws and policies, as well as in the work under the Convention; and
  • support the training of victim assistance professionals, and have victims cared for by qualified personnel.

Statement by IACG-MA
Statement by Switzerland
Statement by CMC

Statement by Ambassador Dell Higgie, Coordinator on National Implementation Measures (New Zealand)

Statement by ICRC
Statement by Ireland
Statement by Lao PDR
Statement by Spain
Statement by UNMAS
Statement by Croatia
Statement by Costa Rica
Statement by CMC
Statement by Gabon

Statement on the 2016 – 2020 Work Plan and Budget Presentation by Ms. Sheila Mweemba, Director of the ISU-CCM

Statement by Ms. Sara Sekkenes, Executive Coordinator for the President of the CCM

Statement by Norway
Statement by Mexico
Statement by Zambia
Statement by Switzerland
Statement by Nigeria
Statement by Ghana
Statement by Germany
Statement by Netherlands
Statement by Austria
Statement by France
Statement by Mozambique
Statement by Costa rica
Statement by Netherlands
Statement by Norway
Statement by United Kingdom
Statement by Japan
Statement by Portugal
Statement by Zambia
Statement by Austria
Statement by Ghana
Statement by Iraq
Statement by Lebanon
Statement by Spain
Statement by France
Statement by Canada
Statement by Italy
Statement by Nigeria
Statement by Australia
Statement by Belgium
Statement by Turkey
Statement by Bulgaria
Statement by Switzerland
Statement by Ecuador
Statement by Netherlands
Statement by Mexico

Draft adopted by Consensus

Statement by Portugal
Statement by Italy
Statement by Japan
Statement by France
Staement by Spain
Statement by Canada
Statement by Mexico
Statement by United Kingdom
Statement by New Zeland
Statement by Austria
Statement by Bulgaria
Statement by Zambia

Program and side-events
A number of on-site side events sponsored by States Parties, UN entities, CMC and other non-governmental organisations (NGO) were organized during the 1RC.

 

Conference documents:
Kindly refer to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs’ website for all the official 1RC documents.

 

The First Preparatory Meeting was held in Geneva, on 5 February 2015
Sessions and statements of the First Preparatory Meeting
The documents of the First Preparatory Meeting is available on the UNODA website.

 

The Second Preparatory Meeting was held in Geneva, on 24 June 2015, 10:00-13:00, Room XIX, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The documents of the Second Preparatory Meeting is available on the UNODA website.