Overview
LEGAL BACKGROUND
Pursuant to Article 12, paragraph 1, of the Mine Ban Convention a “Review Conference shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations five years after the entry into force of this Convention. Further Review Conferences shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations if so requested by one or more States Parties, provided that the interval between Review Conferences shall in no case be less than five years. All States Parties to this Convention shall be invited to each Review Conference”.
Pursuant to the decision of the Seventeenth Meeting of the States Parties, the Fourth Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention will take place in Oslo, Norway, during the week of 25 to 29 November 2019. Two preparatory meetings in Geneva will precede the Fourth Review Conference on 24 May 2019 and 18 September 2019.
In accordance with resolution 73/61 of the General Assembly of the United Nations and the provisions of the Convention , the Secretary-General of the United Nations is undertaking all preparations necessary to convene the Fourth Review Conference. Accordingly, a note verbale by the Secretary-General on convening the Fourth Review Conference was circulated, as follows:
DATE AND VENUE
The Fourth Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction will take place from 25 to 29 November 2019 in Clarion Hotel The Hub, Oslo.
REGISTRATION
All registration letters or notes verbales should reach the UNODA Geneva Branch no later than Monday 18 November 2019, preferably by e-mail (aplc@un.org) or by regular mail.
All participants must be registered. Kindly note that formal credentials are not required for this Meeting.
The registration process for the Fourth Review Conference consists of two steps. Only when these two steps have been completed will individual delegates receive confirmation of their participation to the Fourth Review Conference.
Step 1: On-line registration on the website of the Fourth Review Conference
Step 2: Official notification of the delegations of States Parties and Observers to the Executive Secretary of the Fourth Review Conference
States parties wishing to participate should send a note verbale to the attention of the Executive Secretary of the Fourth Review Conference informing on their intention to participate in the Conference and listing all participants, with indication of full name and title of the members of the delegation. The head of delegation should be clearly indicated.
States not party wishing to participate as observers should send a note verbale to the attention of the Executive Secretary of the Fourth Review Conference informing on their intention to participate in the Conference and listing all participants, with indication of full name and title of the members of the delegation. The head of delegation should be clearly indicated.
Organizations, such as the United Nations Secretariat, UNHCR, UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, WFP, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Sovereign Order of Malta, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining wishing to participate as observers should send an official letter to the attention of the Executive Secretary of the Fourth Review Conference stating their interest to participate in the Conference and listing all participants, with indication of full name and title of the members of the delegation. The head of delegation should be clearly indicated.
Other non-profit international organizations or institutions, regional organizations and non-governmental organizations, the purpose and activities of which are consistent with the object and purpose of the Convention, wishing to participate as observers may attend the Fourth Review Conference as observers upon receipt of an invitation to do so provided by the Coordinating Committee and subject to approval of the Fourth Review Conference. These interested organisations that wish to request Official Observer Status should write to the Executive Secretary of the Review Conference who will forward requests to the Coordinating Committee.
All note verbales or official letters (for organisations) should be addressed to the following address:
Executive Secretary of the Fourth Review Conference
UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (Geneva Branch)
Palais des Nations, Office C-113.1
Avenue de la Paix 8 – 14
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
E-mail : aplc@un.org
Member organisations of the ICBLthat wish to take part in the Fourth Review Conference should contact the ICBL office in Geneva, which will collect necessary information from prospective ICBL delegates and forward it to the Executive Secretary. For more information, please contact the ICBL at elea@icblcmc.org .
