Statement by Geneva Call

Your Highness, Excellencies, Dear Delegates,

May I first congratulate you for the excellent organization of this event. We have all been made to feel welcome. Thank you for your generous Jordanian hospitality.

For the past 4 days, we have been discussing the progress made and the challenges that remain. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the governments that have succeeded in meeting their Treaty deadlines, some of them despite very challenging circumstances.

The need to engage armed non-State actors in a landmine ban is increasingly recognised as a successful and innovative way of working with these actors, from which many lessons can be learned. Geneva Call, as one of the humanitarian actors engaging with armed non-State actors, has been reflecting on its work over the last seven years since its launch in 2000. This process has focussed on identifying the progress made, the difficulties that have been overcome, and the challenges that remain. Based on this self-assessment, we have just published a Progress Report.

As of now, 34 armed non-State actors in nine countries have signed the Deed of Commitment. This is particularly significant because many of these non-State actors were previously involved in the use and production of anti-personnel mines.  The signatories have by and large complied with their obligations, refraining from using anti-personnel mines and cooperating in mine action with specialized organisations. Only this year, signatory groups have destroyed more than 6’000 stockpiled anti-personnel mines and UXOs pursuant to the Deed of Commitment.

Geneva Call has put particular efforts on monitoring the implementation of the Deed of Commitment. So far, Geneva Call and its partners have conduced follow up visits to 20 signatory groups and two verification missions to investigate allegations of non-compliance. The last verification mission took place this summer in Puntland, northeast Somalia, where the local authorities granted us unprecedented access to their military stockpiles and reaffirmed their commitment to destroy anti-personnel mines in their possession. No conclusive evidence was found to support the allegations of acquisition by forces in Puntland.

Geneva Call’s work is not only focussed on promoting the Deed of Commitment. Sometimes circumstances have necessitated a different approach. For example, in Somaliland, with the assistance of Geneva Call and member of ICBL, legislation banning antipersonnel mines should soon be adopted.

The benefits of non-State actors engagement may go beyond meeting immediate humanitarian needs. Research has indicated that engaging non-State actors on a mine ban and in mine action can also build confidence among the parties to a conflict. A recent example of this is in the Philippines. Geneva Call didn’t spare its efforts to initiate an agreement which was reached last week between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a signatory to Geneva Call’s Deed of Commitment. Former combatants from both sides will be trained on demining and UXO clearance and it is expected that they will conduct joint operations in some areas of Southern Philippines. As well as ridding affected communities of the dangerous debris of war, it is expected that this project will serve as a confidence building measure between the parties. I take this opportunity to thank the Philippine government for its efforts to make sure this agreement was reached and wish this endeavour, which will be carried out in collaboration with the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action and the Philippines Campaign, every success.

This gives a brief indication of how the scope of Geneva Call’s work has developed over the course of its existence.

As already said on numerous occasions, Geneva Call recognizes the sensitivity of its work. This is why, amongst other principles, we always work in a transparent manner. At this point, considering what the delegate of India has just mentioned, I would like to say that Geneva Call is not involved in Kashmir, but only in North-East India and that we have regular meetings with the Indian Mission in Geneva on our work.
If the engagement of non-State actors is politically sensitive, however humanitarian needs and humanitarian agreements have also to be considered. It is important to recall here that humanitarian engagement does not change the legal status of the concerned actor, as is clear from the Geneva Conventions.

Every time mines cease to be used, every time mines are destroyed, every times areas are cleared and given back to the population, there is a small victory for humanity, irrespective of the identity of the mine user.

For a child who has lost his leg or his eyes, it doesn’t matter who laid the mine. The most important issue is that his sister, his father or friends will never face the same threat.

Your Highness,

It is an opportune time to consider the way forward. As is well known, some of the most reluctant States still outside of the Convention are not ready to sign due to the presence of armed non-State actors active on their territories. Therefore the engagement of non-State actors by NGOs continues to be imperative.

The collaboration between these NGOs, international organizations and governments is essential; we must realize that we work in two different but complementary processes, with one worthy objective: a world without mines.