1st Meeting, 2025 Protocol V Meeting of Experts (CCW)

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, On behalf of the President-designate of the 19th Annual Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, the CCW, Ambassador Thomas Goebel, I am pleased to declare open the 2025 meeting of experts of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V. First of all, I have to convey to you the best wishes of the President-designate of the 19th Annual Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V. He very much regrets not being able to open and follow the meeting of the experts personally, as it unfortunately coincides with this year's Annual Conference of Ambassadors in Berlin, which he has to attend. So Ambassador Goebel has tasked me to do the introduction of today's experts meeting in his name and to guide us through the agenda of the meeting. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, in November 2003, the high contracting parties of the CCW adopted Protocol V. The first multilateral agreement that recognizes the serious post-conflict humanitarian problems caused by explosive remnants of war and addresses post-conflict remedial measures in order to minimize the occurrence, effects, and risks posed by ERW. Since its adoption, the high contracting parties have made significant progress in operationalizing the protocol through initiatives focused on universalization, technical cooperation, victim assistance, and preventive strategies. Collectively, these efforts have contributed to mitigating the humanitarian consequences and dangers posed by ERW. However, despite these advancements, much work remains. Civilian casualties linked to explosive remnants of war have surged alarmingly in recent years. It is an unfortunate reality that every armed conflict generates explosive remnants, which continue to cause death and injury to civilians long after active hostilities have ceased. ERW inflict enduring trauma on victims and their families, creating ongoing psychological and physical rehabilitation needs. They also have profound socioeconomic repercussions, delaying the restoration of essential services and hindering post-conflict reconstruction. In many fragile post-conflict settings worldwide, ERW present a major barrier to eliminating extreme poverty, reducing inequality and social exclusion, and advancing sustainable development. Furthermore, unexploded ordinances endanger peacekeepers and humanitarian workers, complicating efforts to deliver critical aid to affected communities. This trend is compounded by several evolving factors, including the prolonged duration of humanitarian crises, the increasing urbanization of warfare, mass displacement of populations, and the widespread use of hard-to-detect improvised explosive devices, which pose additional challenges to clearance and risk reduction. With that in mind, in December 2021, at the sixth review conference of the high contracting parties to the CCW, high contracting parties reaffirmed their deep concern at the humanitarian and development problems caused by the presence of explosive remnants of war, which constitute a danger to the civilian population as well as an obstacle to reconstruction, restoration of normal social conditions, and economic development." They also reaffirmed need to further develop international cooperation and assistance with this respect. Protocol V provides a dynamic and responsive legal framework to address these humanitarian and developmental consequences of ERW. This meeting of experts is meant to facilitate exchanges of information so we can progress on this persistent challenge. I hope our discussions today will help us in identifying avenues for achieving further progress in effective implementation of the protocol. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Mr. Abdul Karim Hashim Mustafa from Iraq, His Excellency, for dedicated work and engagement as last year's President. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome to our meeting the sponsored delegate who is joining us today through the CCW sponsorship program. With these brief introductory remarks, let me now turn to some procedural aspects. Before we begin today's discussion, I would like to remind delegations that there will be no official summary records. In line with past practice, the coordinators will submit a report on the 2025 meeting of experts to the 19th annual conference of the High Contracting Parties to Protocol V. The work conducted today will also be reflected in the final report of the annual conference scheduled for 10th of November 2025. Considering the limited time for this meeting, I would like to encourage all delegations and participating experts to stay focused on the topics at hand and contribute as concisely as possible to the discussions. And please do contribute. Furthermore, I would like to inform you that I intend to limit any rights of reply to a total of three per delegation at two minutes each. All rights of reply will be heard at the end of each agenda item. All relevant information on the meeting and relevant documents will also be shared on UNODA Meeting Place webpage of the meeting. Please note that statements will be posted on the meeting webpage only if they have been submitted to the CCW ISU. Therefore, kindly be asked to send your statements to ccw@un.org. I would also like to remind delegations to send their statements to speeches@un.org prior to the delivery, as this will be important to facilitate the crucial work of the interpretation services. May I also remind delegations to speak slowly, but I would also wish to encourage delegations to engage with the panels in an interactive manner, as that exchange on experts level is a core purpose and added.

Value of this meeting.

I wish to remind delegations that the meeting is being broadcasted live on UN Web TV, which allows viewers to follow the proceedings remotely in all six UN official languages. The link to the live broadcast has been made available on the webpage of the meeting on UNODA Meeting Place. The video recording will also be made available on the website of UN Web TV shortly after the meeting ends. I will now outline our topics of focus and how I intend to proceed with the organization of work. As outlined in the final report of the 18th Annual Conference of High Contracting Parties to Protocol V, ccw/p-roman-v/conf/2024/5, the meeting of experts will focus on the following issues, and I quote, "A. Article 4 of the protocol under the overall responsibility of the President-designate of the 19th Conference; b) national reporting under the overall responsibility of the President-designate of the 19 Conference; c) victim assistance under the overall responsibility of the Coordinator on Victim Assistance; clearance of explosive remnants of war under the overall responsibility of the Coordinator on Clearance and Technical Assistance. To follow past practice, I would like to briefly discuss universalization of the Protocol and give the floor to High Contracting Parties or interested organizations which may wish to brief the meeting on their efforts to promote the universalization of the Protocol. Based on this guiding structure, we will proceed as outlined in the program of work for the meeting of experts, which is available on UNODA meeting place and has also been circulated by the CCW Implementation Support Unit prior to this meeting. Following this opening statement segment, we will start by addressing the items on universalization, national reporting and Article 4, on recording, retaining, and transmission of information and generic preventive measures. Then we will turn to the thematic discussions on victim assistance and clearance of explosive remnants of war and technical assistance. As in the previous years, the coordinators, Mr. Andreas Bilgeri of Austria and Mrs. Hanna Suleika Abubakar of the Philippines will guide us through these discussions. And I wish to thank them in advance. With this overview of the proceedings, I would now like to turn to the topic of universalization. First, I would like to welcome the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago, which officially became high contracting parties to Protocol 5 respectively on 13th November 2024 and on 29th January 2025. We are delighted to welcome you and I am very pleased to begin our meeting on such a positive note. The membership of Protocol 5 currently stands at 99. which means that there are still 28 CCW high contracting parties that have not yet consented to be bound by the Protocol V. Recognizing that Protocol V is the first multilateral agreement to deal with the problem of unexploded and abandoned ordnance, a wide adherence and full implementation of Protocol V by states remain imperative. to significantly reduce the number of civilians killed and injured by ERW during and after conflicts, as well as to mitigate their long-term socioeconomic consequences. Universalization is essential to the success of Protocol V. High Contracting Parties have reiterated the need for further vigorous efforts from High Contracting Parties, the United Nations, international and regional organizations, and non-governmental organizations to promote universalization to the Protocol. Ambassador Goebel, as the President-designate to the 19th Annual Conference of Protocol V on 26th of May 2025, sent a letter to the 28 CCW High Contracting Parties which are not bound by the Protocol yet. In this letter, he underlined that ratifying Protocol 5 would bring tangible benefits to affected communities. Additional universalization efforts will be reported at our annual conference scheduled to take place on 10th November 2025. I would now like to open the floor to high contracting parties or interested organizations which may wish to brief the meeting on their efforts to promote the universalization of Protocol 5 at the regional, sub-regional, and national levels.

I recognize the distinguished delegate of the Russian Federation.

You have the floor.

Mr. Chairman, Distinguished colleagues.

President and colleagues, we'd like to congratulate you upon the opening of this very important meeting on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Protocol V on ERW, and we can assure you of Russia's readiness for constructive assistance. We see the Protocol V on ERW as one of the most successful documents executed as a part of the Convention aimed at effectively resolving the problems of turning munitions and explosive remnants of war. We consider that the greatest effect in eradicating risks and threats from explosive remnants of war can be obtained by implementing the Protocol in combination with resolutions SB 1, 2365 of June 2017. We believe that steps to universalize Protocol V are very important to protect the civilian population, normalize life, and ensure that post-conflict development continues in regions where hostilities have taken place. At specialist regional and international fora and working with our partners, we underline the importance of this document and we draw attention to the importance of acceding to the Protocol for the largest number of States to join it as possible. Thank you.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation for her remarks of support to the Chair and for her statement. I recognize the distinguished delegate of the United Kingdom. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President-designate, distinguished delegates. As this is the first time my country has taken the floor since our ratification, may we first extend our sincere gratitude to all members and experts whose dedication has shaped Protocol V since its inception. The protocol's focus on mitigating the impact of explosive remnants of war has saved countless lives and continues to be a cornerstone of humanitarian action. The United Kingdom is honoured to address this meeting of experts as the most recent high contracting party to Protocol V of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, having operated in line with the protocol for many years. With this milestone, the UK has now ratified all CCW protocols, reaffirming our steadfast commitment to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians from the devastating effects of armed conflict. The UK is proud to celebrate the achievements of Protocol V and to highlight our own Global Mine Action Programme, focused on addressing ERW and currently in its third iteration. Through our support and partnerships, we have helped clear land, educate communities, and restore safety and opportunity to those affected by conflict. We are proud to share that this financial year, GMAP 3, will continue to provide over 23 million pounds on mine action and clearance interventions. now occurring in 11 countries. The UK remains dedicated to the mission of Protocol V, reducing the threat of ERW, strengthening cooperation, and advancing the protection of vulnerable populations. We will continue to encourage both States outside the CCW and High Contracting Parties to ratify the Protocol, and we would be open to sharing our experiences where this would be helpful. I thank you.

I welcome again the United Kingdom to Protocol 5 and thank the representative for her statement. Thank you. I recognize the distinguished delegate of the State of Palestine. You have the floor.

Thank you, President Zekni. and the prevention of harm caused by explosive remnants of war. 45 years after the adoption of the CCW and its protocols, the reality of the Palestinian people tragically reflects how far we remain from these goals. For 700 days, the Israeli occupying power has unleashed an intense, brutal bombing campaign on the illegally besieged and occupied Gaza, dropping over 100,000 tons of explosives, the equivalent of more than three nuclear bombs. on one of the most densely populated areas in the world. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority women and children, and over 20,000 children alone have lost their lives. Entire families have been obliterated, and thousands remain buried under rubble. Explosive weapons have left significant explosive remnants of war, preventing displaced Palestinians from returning home and posing ongoing humanitarian and environmental risks. UNCTAD reports that as of April 2024, Gaza has accumulated 37 million tons of debris, a substantial amount that may require decades to remove and poses a considerable risk of ERW. Excellencies, this is not only a humanitarian catastrophe, but also a legal and moral failure. The UN Secretary-General recently stressed that the destruction in Gaza is without parallel in recent times, with famine now a present reality. and reminded the occupying power of its clear obligations under international law, including compliance with binding provisional measures of the International Court of Justice. These weapons and their aftermath directly undermine the objectives of Protocol 5 and erode the foundations of international disarmament, peace, and security. The Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, have been forced to live for decades amid unexploded ordnance, turning schools, hospitals, homes, and public spaces into daily life-threatening zones. The State of Palestine therefore calls upon all State Parties to: Ensure accountability by holding the occupying power responsible for its violations of international law, including through the imposition of an arms embargo and targeted economic sanctions until the illegal occupation ends. To generate civilian protection by accelerating ERW clearance in Palestine and enabling safe conditions for the return of displaced persons. and 3) reaffirm Protocol V by strengthening international cooperation, ensuring sustainable recovery, and providing psychological and mental health support, particularly for children who carry lifelong scars of this aggression. Excellencies, the State of Palestine strongly believes that universal adherence to and strengthening of the Convention and its Protocols will contribute to the progressive development of international law and advance the cause of disarmament on the basis of multilateral, transparent, and non-discriminatory negotiations. We condemn in the strongest terms the act of genocide and collective punishment by Israel, the occupying power, which have resulted in mass killings, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and systematic violations of humanitarian and human rights law. We call once again for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire as a first step toward permanent cessation of hostilities, the lifting of the siege, and the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance. The State of Palestine affirms its determination to uphold multilateralism as the only sustainable path to address the grave challenges posed by ERW and other conventional weapons. All States Parties must ensure human responsibility, accountability, and meaningful control over the development and use of weapons to prevent further humanitarian catastrophes. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the State of Palestine for her statement, and I recognize the distinguished delegate of the United States.

Chair, thank you for giving us the floor. The United States would like to congratulate and welcome the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago for joining Protocol 5. The United States greatly values Protocol V as an international legal instrument that brings together states with the common goal of minimizing the risk and effects of explosive remnants of war. Full implementation of Protocol V assists in our collective efforts to reduce the post-conflict humanitarian problems caused by ERW. Implementation of Protocol V involves the marking, clearance, removal, and destruction of explosive remnants of wars, which is critical in reopening land for post-conflict economic development, restoring critical infrastructure, and allowing displaced communities to return to their own homes. These measures underpin state safety, security, and economic prosperity, leading to regional stability. This is one of the most important reasons why the United States works with countries around the world that need to clear explosive remnants of war to help them achieve long-term independence and well-being of their populations without continued reliance on foreign aid. U.S. assistance to partners to reduce the threat posed by explosive hazards is part of the broader U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Program. Not only does the program encompass demining and clearance of ERWs, but it also works to reduce the threats associated with at-risk stockpiles of small arms, light weapons, and conventional ammunition. The U.S. CWD program helps countries around the world to combat these threats, regardless of whether the affected countries are party to the CCW and its protocols. The United States is also pleased to have submitted an annual report every year since it became a high contracting party to Protocol 5 in 2009, and encourages all other high contracting parties to do the same. In that regard, we appreciate the efforts of the CCW ISU to encourage all high contracting parties to submit their reports. Chair, I thank you.

I thank the representative of the United States for her statement. If there are no further requests for the floor, I would now like to proceed to national reporting.

Pursuant.

To Article 10 of the Protocol, the decision was taken to establish a database on Protocol 5 consisting of national reports, annual or immediate updates of the national reports, and/or summary cover pages.

On matters pertaining to the implementation of Protocol 5.

We will now hear from the Secretariat, who will provide an update on national annual reporting by high contracting parties received in 2025. Secretary, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Foltz, for giving me the floor. Distinguished delegates, it's my pleasure to provide you with a short briefing on the status of national annual reporting by high contracting parties to Protocol 5. For the 2024 reporting cycle, out of the 99 high contracting parties to Protocol 5, 59 have submitted national annual reports to date. I would like to take the opportunity to thank those high contracting parties and invite those that have not yet done so to submit them at the earliest convenience. We will now share with you a short quantitative analysis of the information that has been submitted and that is made publicly available. And this data is utilized from our online database, which comprises reports from the period of 2008 to the 22nd of August, 2025. Next slide, please. The number of submissions of national annual reports has remained relatively stable since 2017, when the submission number reached its peak. For the reporting year 2024, the submission rate has increased to 60% of the total number of high contracting parties to Protocol 5, and this represents an increase of 4% compared to the previous year, which reflects strengthened reporting compliance among high contracting parties. This means as well that 40 high contracting parties are yet to submit their 2025 national annual reports. But on average, we see that around 60% of high contracting parties are submitting their annual reports at each year. Next slide. Among the High Contracting Parties to Protocol 5, we can visualize four groups of States based on their annual national reporting submissions: States with 100% submission rate, those States that have a submission rate of 50% and above, States with less than 50% of submission rate, and those States that have yet to submit their first report. 24 High Contracting Parties belong to this last group. In the group of states with a submission rate of below 50%, there are six high contracting parties that have submitted their report only once since they have joined the protocol. 41 have, um, a submission rate of 50% and higher, and finally, we have 17 high contracting parties that have a submission rate of 100%. Next slide. If we are looking at the regional distribution of the 59 reports that we have received for the reporting cycle of 2024, we can observe that 35 reports are from high contracting parties in Europe, eight from high contracting parties in Asia, 11 from high contracting parties in the Americas, three from Africa, and two from Oceania. Next slide, please. Distinguished delegates, allow me to provide a brief overview of information submitted by High Contracting Parties in their 2025 National Reports under Protocol V, which is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully gives an introduction to the exchanges today. Reports show that States continue to make tangible progress in clearance, removal, and destruction of explosive remnants of war, with thousands of items destroyed and large areas released. Many activities addressed urban contamination from past conflict, underscoring the long-term humanitarian impact of explosive remnants of war. With regards to steps taken to implement Article 4, the reports show that information management has become more systematic with electronic databases, mapping systems, and standardized reporting increasingly used to track ordnance and clearance efforts. A strong focus was also placed on the protection of civilians through risk education and public awareness campaigns with the use of digital tools, apps, radio, TV, print, and social media. Several higher contracting parties reported that they share information on ERW and clearance priorities with humanitarian actors, often through their main action authorities or defense forces. Updated maps of contaminated areas are provided to help coordination and ensure safety. High contracting parties also reaffirmed their commitment to international cooperation and assistance. Emphasis was placed on the value of knowledge sharing platforms, collaborative initiatives, bilateral partnerships to design to enhance operational effectiveness in this field. They reported financial and technical support, capacity building programs, and victims assistance measures, including rehabilitation and socioeconomic reintegration. Nevertheless, several reports underlined that available funding remains inadequate when compared to the scale of contamination and the complex environments that they are in. Preventative measures were also reported with many states adopting and implementing national regulations and procedures, uh, for procurement, storage, and safe handling of ammunition in line with international standards, su- such as the IMAS and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines. On compliance, states highlighted the integration of Protocol 5 into military training, operational procedures, which is supported by legal advisors, oversight authorities, and inter-ministerial cooperation. Finally, on other matters, several States reported on related disarmament and humanitarian initiatives, including bans and stockpile destruction of cluster munition, the adoption of the Global Framework on Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management, and the participation in multinational clearance operations. In conclusion, the 2025 reports reflect ongoing efforts to address existing ERW contamination, strengthen preventative and protective measures, and enhanced cooperation and assisting, assisting, while also pointing to the enduring challenges posed by existing contamination and resource limitations. Next slide, please. Detailed information on the reports and the states that have submitted them is available on the dedicated webpage containing the database of national annual reports. Now, our whole UNODA website has been migrated to a new platform on Friday. So there are still some pages that are being transferred, which is not great timing for our meeting, but we apologize. But you can access the Protocol 5 database under the link that you see on the screen. And it will be soon also be made available on the dedicated CCW website. Let me close by reiterating that the ISU remains available to support high contracting parties in completing reports or providing any other assistance or information that you may deem helpful in completing those national reports. And we would also like to encourage you to share any good practices or difficulties that you face in drafting the national reports during our exchanges today. The Secretariat will provide a more detailed presentation on the annual reports at the annual conference of Protocol 5 to take place in November. Thank you very much for your attention, and I hand back to you the floor, Mr. Pohlz.

I thank the Secretariat for this briefing, particularly for the positive spin that we had on the first slide. This is the second. rather positive notion after universalization, now also on reporting a positive trend. Gratitude obviously belongs to the high contracting parties, so I would like to thank those high contracting parties that have already submitted their national reports covering 2024 under Protocol 5, and I would like to encourage other states to submit theirs as soon as possible. I wish now to open the floor to high contracting parties.

Wishing to speak on the issue. I also invite high contracting parties to discuss measures to increase the rate of national reporting and consistency.

Of the current reporting methodology in the framework of Protocol 5. The floor is open. I recognize the distinguished delegate of the Russian Federation. Madam, you have the floor.

President, the Russian Federation is in favor of expanding the practice of submitting national reports under Protocol 5. The annually published reports clearly demonstrate that the number of States who have joined it and joined the Protocol are not enough and are not provided regularly enough. We are also seeing a gradual reduction in the level of transparency. if insignificant, and we believe that reporting is important for building trust and also tracking the dynamic of how effectively the Convention and the Protocol are being implemented. Deviation from submissions of report is a violation of, for example, 2B, Article 10 of the Protocol and other obligations under the Convention. We welcome regular seminars on submitting such information under the CCW, and we believe that such events will help delegations who are encountering difficulties in meeting their obligations to continue to submit reports. This could be due to the absence of specialist agencies or the absence of the appropriate procedures within the country. Our country fully implements the provisions of Protocol 5 and timely provides information in our annual reports. We consider this practice to be a major measure supporting transparency and trust, and we are also in favour of expanding it. We intend to continue annually submitting information on our country's compliance with Protocol 5. In the Russian Federation, efforts to eradicate ERW involves a whole series of different organizations, agencies, and ministries. Above all, it's the engineering troops of the armed forces, the Russian Federation, and the Ministry for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations, and the Eradication of Consequences of Natural Disasters. Recently, The private sector has also been very heavily involved in these efforts. Given the provisions of Protocol V, there is demining regularly conducted and eradication of explosive remnants of war. In 2024, on the territory of the Russian Federation, we demined over 3,000 hectares of land 171,500 different ERW units were identified and disposed of. In line with the decision of the President of the Russian Federation, an international anti-mining center also executed tasks in Laos to de-mine territory there. demined around 23,000 hectares, and almost 2,000 ERW units were identified and disposed of. We continued training of Russian and foreign specialists in demining and clearing territory. We are executing comprehensive measures aimed at protecting the civilian population, individual civilians and civilian infrastructure from risks and threats from ERW. The Russian Federation has organized a special division in military districts responsible for ERW in response to emergency hotline calls from the local population. In 2024, the engineering troops participated in supporting security for state events, including on an international level, military parades, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the victory in Second World War in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other cities, as well as the Army 2024 International Forum. In parallel, we do work in awareness raising on mining issues, particularly amongst the children of our country. We place great importance on preventive measures to reduce the possibility of ERW even appearing. We here use the recommendations in the technical appendix to the protocol. Given the national peculiarities of such measures and their importance, we are in favor of keeping this document voluntary. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation for her statement, underscoring the importance of reporting and also for pointing out effective practical measures. I recognize the distinguished delegate of Cuba. You have the floor.

Thank you, President. Delegation, Cuba adhered to the protocol in 2012. It reaffirmed our commitment to multilateralism and disarmament and nonproliferation treaties negotiated within the UN system, especially under the CCW. Our country complies rigorously with its obligations and has been longstanding practice. We've submitted annual reports on compliance. In line with the provisions of Article 3 of the Protocol, both countries affected by ERWs and those who have left them in other territories after the end of a conflict must dedicate efforts to subsequent cleaning work. Our country has not participated in armed conflicts where it's left ERWs that could be converted into UXO. Cuba has no UXOs, ERWs, but we do have the means, systems and highly qualified personnel skilled in those adequate procedures and methods. to ensure that existing munitions should not be converted into ERWs. Therefore, we fully comply with the technical measures that are established by the regulations of the Revolutionary Armed Forces Ministry and the Interior Ministry for handling arsenals and deposits of existing munitions in the country. Additionally, officials receive, periodically and through different means, updated information and courses in that field. Similarly, those affairs are included in education programmes in higher education institutions of the armed forces and their centre of studies on disarmament and security. At national level, we have an appropriate register and storage of munitions, pursuant to existing regulations, which allow us to comply adequately with the provisions of article 5. Protocol 5, rather. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Cuba for his statement. I do not see any other requests to speak. I recognize the distinguished delegate of China. You have the floor.

Mr. Chair. This is the first time that China takes the floor. I also take this opportunity to congratulate you in assuming this position and being designated as the chair of the meeting of Protocol 5. We pledge full support to your work. China attaches high importance to the important role of Protocol V in addressing the humanitarian concerns caused by ERW. Since our accession, since our ratification, China has attached importance to implementing the obligations under the Protocol by strengthening institutional building and timely submitting annual implementation report. China has also made the support to global conventional arms control process a key direction of cooperation in China's global security initiative. In our view, Protocol 5 valiantly addressed the defense needs of all countries and humanitarian concerns, and it has raised the effectiveness of addressing humanitarian issues under the framework of CCW. In addressing the humanitarian concerns caused by ERW, Protocol 5 has played an active role. In the current international security context with prolonged regional conflict and intertwined conflicts and turmoil, it is important to stay committed to international rule of law and also to maintain the authority of CCW and its protocols, and to ensure that the rule of law be applied equally and uniformly and implemented effectively without any double standards or imposition. This is crucial and has an important significance. in guaranteeing countries that are affected, in particular developing countries, can equally benefit from global security governance, and in order to maintain common security and people's well-being, and in order to build a community of shared future for mankind. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the representative of China for his statement. And I recognize the distinguished delegate of Israel. You have the floor.

Thank you so much, Mr. Chairperson. As this is the first time my delegation takes the floor, allow me to congratulate you and wish you all success in your lead of these important discussions, and allow me to wish all the colleagues present a professional and fruitful discussion. We were not intending, actually, to take the floor at this stage, but we were compelled to do so in response to a statement made earlier today by the Palestinian delegation. The situation in the Middle East is complex and developments are ongoing as we speak. Israel recognized the tragedy of any loss of civilian life during the last 22 months since October 7, 2023. This war can end today if the terrorist organization of Hamas decides to release the hostages and lay down its arms. Israel places great importance to the CCW and acknowledge its distinctive nature as a forum that encompasses the pertinent stakeholders with relevant military, legal, and technical expertise. We have convened here to have professional discussions on an important issue. Any use of the discussions to foster specific political agendas will only weaken the credibility of this forum and the universalization efforts. In addition, as people who have experienced the genocide, we call for caution on the excessive use of that word. Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.

I thank the distinguished representative of Israel for his statement. And I do not see any others who request the floor. If there are no further requests for the floor, we will move on to our discussion on article 4. I would like now to invite you to consider agenda item 4 of our provisional program of work. As you may recall, in paragraph 33 of its final document, CCW/P.5/CONF.2023/5, the 17th Annual Conference of High Contracting Parties to Protocol V decided that under the overall responsibility of the President-designate, High Contracting Parties should, on a voluntary basis and subject to national policies, on the protection of sensitive information, continue to share national best practices on the implementation of Article 4 on recording, retaining, and transmission of information, as well as on generic preventive measures. Before opening the floor to the High Contracting Parties, I would now like to give the floor to Mrs. Anna Schon, who is advisor at the Ammunition Management Advisory Team, AMAT, of the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining, also known as GICHD. In this role, she supports Ahmad's engagement in multilateral.

Processes on ammunition management, most notably the global framework for through-life conventional ammunition management, and examines interconnections between through-life.

Ammunition management, explosive ordnance risk reduction, arms control, and international humanitarian law.

She also contributes to the UN Safer Guard program and works with GICHD colleagues to deliver strategic advice and technical.

Assistance to states on strengthening national ammunition management systems with a primary focus on Eastern Europe. Just welcome you on the panel. In her presentation, Ms. Sham will focus on the following topic: Enhancing Protocol V implementation through safe, secure and sustainable ammunition management. She will notably address Article IV measures and generic preventative measures, including aspects related to Article IX.

And Part III of the Technical Annex, with a specific focus on ammunition management.

You can tell this is now directed to all, but particularly to experts, Mrs. Sham, you have the floor.

Good morning, and thank you for the introduction, uh, today I will be speaking about enhancing protocol five implementation through safe, secure, and sustainable ammunition management with a particular focus on article 4 and 9. Ammunition is a costly commodity, but unfortunately, it is often seen as an asset rather than responsibility. However, there are two primary risks associated with ammunition. Safety risks, which is basically accidental explosions of ammunition, and security risks, namely the diversion of ammunition. I will briefly address each of these in turn, but before doing so, it is also important to highlight that both safety and security risks can arise throughout the whole life cycle of ammunition. Next slide, please. And next slide. Accidental explosions of ammunition have severe immediate consequences. Large numbers of people may be killed, injured, or displaced. Destruction of the surrounding infrastructure can disrupt essential services, and the impact is even more severe when storage facilities are located in densely populated areas. The longer term effects of the accidental explosions can be just as serious, including environmental impact and heavy socioeconomic burdens, with repair and recovery costs often far exceeding the cost of preventive management. A single major incident can impose direct and indirect costs on governments exceeding $600 million, and in some cases, even several billion. Next slide, please. According to the recent statistics from the Small Arms Survey, between January 1979 and December 2024, around 674 incidents of accidental explosions were recorded, resulting in more than 31,000 casualties. So this demonstrates that not only the frequency of such incidents, but heavy humanitarian impact. Next slide, please. Security risks arise primarily from the diversion of ammunition, which is unauthorized transfer from the state of civilian holdings to end users or its misuse by authorized actors. Ammunition is vulnerable to diversion across each stage of the life cycle and supply chain. In conflict settings, diversion can sustain insurgencies, fuel terrorism, and prolong armed conflicts, undermining peace processes, while in non-conflict settings, it equips criminal groups, facilitates violent crime, and erodes public security, often spreading across borders and driving regional instability. A further concern associated with diversion of ammunition is its use in improvised explosive devices where conventional ammunition provides more reliable explosive material than homemade alternatives, making it highly attractive to terrorists and insurgent groups. Next slide, please. So what is the solution to this risks? The answer lies in through-life ammunition management or managing ammunition comprehensively across its entire life cycle. Successful through-life management depends on the strong national ownership and solid organizational capabilities, including clear normative framework, reliable resource allocation, sustained high-level political commitment, and a sufficient number of qualified personnel. Next slide, please. There are different international and regional guidelines and standards which guide and support states in developing safe and secure ammunition management systems. Among these, the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines, or IATG, are particularly significant. While not legally binding and not intended as a blueprint for direct implementation, the IATG provide a reference framework for designing tailored national programs and systems. And this is also possible for states in a wide range of contexts, including low capacity environments and conflict affected states. The guidelines are now in their third version with work already underway on the fourth. At present, next slide, please. At present, the ATG primarily focuses on stockpiled conventional ammunition, covering most safety concerns and certain security aspects, but the scope is evolving. And in 2023, the UN General Assembly mandated the UN SAI program to develop voluntary operational guidelines focusing on the security dimension of ammunition management. In a nutshell, as you can see on the screen, the ITG are structured around six key areas. These include storage, processing, maintenance and repair, accounting, demilitarization or destruction, security and transport. Each of these areas represent a critical stage in the physical security and stockpile management of ammunition. Next slide, please. For decades, ammunition management was treated as an orphan in arms control, with no comprehensive global action since the issue has been first raised at the UN level more than 30 years ago. But after years of expert discussions, in December 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted the Global Framework for Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management. The framework represents a set of political commitments to address long-standing gaps in through-life conventional ammunition management to promote safe, secure and sustainable practices. And this adoption marked truly a milestone by filling the absence of a dedicated instrument on conventional ammunition. Through this framework, states committed to 15 objectives promoting safety, sustainability and security of ammunition. And each objective includes common enabling measures along with additional measures that states can adopt and tailor to national, subregional, and regional contexts. The framework also contains two cross-cutting issues, um, the section on international cooperation and assistance, and another section on the follow-up and review process to support implementation of the document. To facilitate the practical application of the Global Framework, a voluntary implementation guide was developed jointly by UNODA, UNIDIR, CAR and AMAD. The guide seeks to strengthen understanding of the Global Framework by clarifying key commitments and translating its enabling measures into concrete steps. Next slide, please. Ammunition, like any other type of explosive ordnance, can become explosive remnants of war in two ways defined by Protocol V. The first is when it fails to function as intended during conflict and remains unexploded. This often occurs when ammunition has deteriorated due to poor storage, transport, or handling. For example, prolonged exposure to high temperatures or humidity can degrade propellants and explosives, while improper transport can damage or other sensitive components. When such ammunition is later used, it may detonate, not as designed, turning into UXO that endanger civilian population and complicates clearance operations. In this respect, regular surveillance of ammunition is essential to detect degradation early, assess reliability, and ensure that defective, unsafe stocks are removed before they become a risk. The second pathway towards becoming explosive remnant of war is when ammunition is abandoned and no longer under the control of the party that left it behind. This might happen when ammunition is not properly recorded, secured, or disposed of. Without effective inventory management of ammunition and record keeping, it can be overlooked, left unsecured, or deliberately abandoned during redeployment or retreat. These examples show that ammunition becomes UXO and AXO for reasons often linked to the shortcomings in how it is managed, whether in storage, transport, accounting, or disposal. Effective ammunition management directly helps to prevent these outcomes. Proper storage and handling preserve reliability, surveillance detects instability before use, accurate record keeping reduces the risk of stocks being lost or abandoned, and timely disposal ensures that obsolete ammunition doesn't linger until it becomes a hazard. And this is exactly where the connection to Article 9 of Protocol 5 becomes evident. Next slide, please. Article 9, paragraph 1 of Protocol 5 encourages states to take preventive measures to minimize the occurrence of explosive remnants of war. Unlike other provisions, it doesn't prescribe detailed obligations. Instead, it provides broad encouragement to states, hereby recognizing that measures must be adapted to the national contexts. Safe, secure and sustainable ammunition management falls squarely within the scope. The very processes that define effective ammunition management, meaning reliable storage and transport, systematic surveillance, comprehensive inventory management and timely disposal, all of them directly reduce the likelihood of ammunition becoming explosive and out of work. These measures do not only preserve the operational reliability of ammunition, but they also prevent unsafe ammunition from being deployed, thereby reducing the risk materialize. In this sense, ammunition management is more than just a technical function. It is a preventive system that gives practical effect to the objectives of Article 9. Next slide, please. The link between effective ammunition management and prevention of explosive remnants of war is further reinforced by Article 9's reference to part three of the technical asset annex, which sets out a non-exhaustive list of preventive measures. These include munitions manufacturing management, stockpile management, training of personnel, procedures for transfer, and planning for future production, all of which connect directly to safe, secure, and sustainable ammunition management. While the annex sets out these measures rather in broad terms, the IATG can be used by states to put these measures into practice. Let me also recall the global framework for through life conventional ammunition management that I mentioned earlier. Although it is not framed in the terms of explosive remnants of war as such, it addresses many of the same or closely related areas as those in part three of the technical annex. Several of its objectives correspond directly to the preventive measures listed in the technical annex, and I will now turn to some of those examples. Next slide, please. 3, paragraph B, sub-paragraph 4 of the technical annex states that the risk of explosions in stockpiles should be minimised through the use of appropriate stockpile arrangements. The deliberately broad wording reflects that safety depends on a series of management choices rather than one single measure. In this context, appropriate measures can be understood as management of a national stockpile in a way that keeps the risk of accidental explosion as low as reasonably practicable. In practice, that means applying risk reduction measures that keep ammunition stable, serviceable, and securely stored, thereby lowering the likelihood that degraded unsafe stocks will later contribute to the appearance of explosive remnants of war. Here, we can see a clear link to objective six of the global framework, which calls for adequate risk analysis and application of risk reduction measures, such as quantity limits, separation distances, compatibility group management, and explosive limit licenses. It also emphasizes the importance of safeguarding ammunition sites in relation to civilian habitation and where residual risks remain, engaging nearby communities through risk education. In this way, objective six frames stockpile safety as a matter of systematic risk management and illustrates in concrete terms what appropriate arrangements as worded in the technical annex can mean in practice. The connection is not that one instrument fills the gaps of another, but both of them emphasize the importance of systematic risk reduction approaches to stop pile safety. They both converge on the same preventive approaches as Article 9 and its aim of minimizing the occurrence of explosive remnants of war. Next slide, please, and next slide for the sake of the time. Part 3, paragraph B, sub-paragraph 5 of the technical annex calls on States to apply logging, tracking and testing procedures for explosive ordnance. These procedures should capture information such as date of manufacture, batch or lot numbers, storage conditions and environmental exposure. While the wording is broad, the purpose is clear. Systematic accounting, record-keeping and surveillance of ammunition are preventive measures against explosive ordnance of war. They help ensure that ammunition remains reliable and that its history can be traced. The global framework itself addresses closely related areas through a couple of its objectives. Objective 5, for example, calls for systematic and sustainable surveillance of ammunition in national stockpile and use of information management systems to record both surveillance results and stockpile data. These systems allow states to detect instability at an early stage, adjust shelf life expectations, and remove unsafe stocks before they are deployed or abandoned. The Global Framework's Objective 7 calls for robust inventory management and record-keeping systems. This means going beyond simple registers to establish comprehensive inventory procedures that follow ammunition across its entire life cycle. With accurate records, states know exactly what they hold, where it's located, and under what conditions has been stored, and this directly corresponds to the logging and tracking requirements in the technical annex. Next slide, please. Effective record-keeping and accounting systems are also directly relevant to implementation of Article IV. When States maintain inventory management systems and accurate data records on their ammunition holdings, this can assist with identifying what has been used and what may have been abandoned, thereby supporting clearance operations and risk education. In practical terms, how it works, usually the PAWs issue ammunition to units and record these transactions in the inventory management system. The units are supposed to report back on quantities of ammunition they used and/or returned, which is also entered into the system. Although operational realities in the war theatre might limit the level of detail on how and where ammunition has been used, the structured reconciliation of data yields multiple practical benefits for implementation of Article First, by reconciling issues and returns of ammunition by unit, date, lot, and quantity, inventory records help identify ammunition issued but not returned following redeployment or retreat. Second, by aligning those records with the unit's areas of operation and timelines, they indicate where abandonment is plausible and which specific types and lots may be involved. Third, because the inventory system, and this of course depends on the detail of the system, may contain surveillance notes, the data which if shared and transmitted can provide clearance teams with the particulars needed to plan their operations safely. And finally, the same data set can inform risk education as knowledge of the likely types and quantities of ammunition present enables authorities to deliver targeted safety messages to affected communities. Now, following requests from national authorities for support in strengthening organizational capabilities for inventory management of ammunition, the JACHD through its Ammunition Management Advisory Team is developing Ammunition Inventory Management System or AIMS. AIMS is a digital, scalable, and IETG-aligned software tool, which is supposed to enable states to record and track technical specification of ammunition, storage data, including compatibility groups and hazard classification, its movement history, and disposal actions. Based on the inventory management system used by the UK Ministry of Defense, AIMS is currently in the development phase and will be piloted in Bosnia and Herzegovina. While AIMS will operate independently, it is designed to work in synergy with the Surveillance Information Management System, or SIMS. SIMS is also ITG-aligned software tool that will enable states to systematically collect, store, and analyze data related to the surveillance of ammunition, including physical inspections, chemical tests, environmental exposure, and condition coding. Lastly, please. So in conclusion, throughout this presentation, I have sought to show that effective ammunition management is not a parallel issue, but a practical means of strengthening the implementation of Protocol V. By strengthening surveillance, accounting, physical security, and stockpile management, States can address the very shortcomings that cause ammunition to become unexploded or abandoned. I thank you for your attention.

Well, thank you very much for this very interesting presentation. And I would now open the floor for delegations wishing to take the floor and make remarks on the topic of recording, retaining, and transmission of information. I encourage delegations to address in their interventions best practices and measures with regard to the recording, retaining, and transmission of information on remaining explosive ordnances after the cessation of active hostilities that have proven to be most effective. I would also encourage delegations to take direct reference to the points that you have so brilliantly made, underscoring that this is not a parallel issue, but it directly supports the Protocol V. The floor is open. I recognize the distinguished delegate of the Russian Federation. Madam, you have the floor.

Including article 4 of the technical annex. Annually, we reflect relevant information in national reporting on protocol 5. In line with the requirements of article 4 of protocol 5, the Russian armed forces conduct registration and keep information on use of munitions on the basis of documents developed by the headquarters of the various military districts and provide annual reports on them. Information on implementation of tasks on demining by the Russian army engineers on a regular basis are posted on the official site of the Russian Defense Ministry and also is broadcast in the media. including to raise awareness of the civilians regarding the risks posed by explosive remnants of war. In line with the decision of the President of the Russian Federation of the International Demining Center, on the basis of existing information on the use of exploding remnants of war, in 2024 carried out tasks on humanitarian demining or in the territory of Laos. Among the specificities of this mission were the complex climate conditions and the high density of forest area in the area concerned. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation for her statement. And I recognize the distinguished delegate from Brazil. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And congratulations to the panelists for their insightful contributions on ammunition management in view of Article 9 of Protocol V. Brazil agrees that the effective implementation of Protocol V can benefit from the recent breakthrough achieved in the context of the United Nations with the adoption of a global framework on through-life ammunition management. Together with the report of the 2021 Group of Governmental Experts on Conventional Ammunition, This global framework comprises important guidelines for the efforts of states to ensure the safety and security of ammunition and to prevent their diversion. In this regard, Brazil attaches particular relevance to the adoption of minimal standards for ammunition marking and tracing. Tracing is fundamental. And for that, marking is often indispensable. Typically, ammunition's journeys start within legal frameworks, only to be maliciously diverted. Through detailed analysis and tracing, utilizing the ammunition identification data, we can unveil its entire life cycle. Tracing holds the key to uncovering a spectrum of illegal activities, from theft and robbery to complex international trafficking operations. In this context, I would like to ask Mr. Schom, how might the global framework encourage meaningful cooperation in tracing, even where robust marking systems are absent or inconsistent? Thank you.

Thank you for the question. Well, first of all, it is worth noting that, like I said in the presentation, the UN safer guard was mandated to lead the development process of the voluntary guidelines like ITG on the security dimension of ammunition management. So, and this process is underway with the dedicated technical review board. I believe that the group of group of governments and a group of experts that are leading on that process will be able in a short time to address the issue on international cooperation and assistance, specifically pertaining to the question of the security of ammunition.

Any other requests for the floor or questions to the presenter? I recognize the distinguished delegate of the United Kingdom. You have the floor.

Question posed by our colleague from Brazil. How do we, as a collection of nations supportive of Protocol 5?

Ensure assurance in ammunition transfer and transport where secondary and tertiary parties may be involved in the chain, and therefore dilutes that transparency of assurance and accountability.

Thank you for the question, and I'm afraid that, as the previous answer, we will need to relay this question to the Technical Review Board, which is now developing the security guidelines on the through-life conventional ammunition management. Having attended some of the TRB meetings, I believe that this issue is explicitly raised there. Thank you.

I recognize the distinguished delegate of the Russian Federation. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, President. We'd like to offer our apologies for taking the floor a second time, but the questions from our colleague representing Brazil, but also United Kingdom, triggered some thoughts, and we wanted to ask a question also.

This question of ours concerns how could, and this is from a.

Technical viewpoint, how could the implementation take place of marking munitions and also tracing such munitions throughout their life cycle. That is from production all the way through to their disposal. We're talking specifically about how this could be done, the tracing and tracking, if that's what we're talking about, at an international level. Thank you.

I believe that with the questions related to the security aspects of through life conventional ammunition management, I can invite you to check out the global frameworks text as such and the implementation guide where the experts on the security through life conventional ammunition management addressed many of the aspects related to the marking and tracing of it. I have primarily focused on the safety dimension of ammunition management, and I apologize on the security aspects. I will need to refer to technical experts. Thank you.

Any other requests for the floor? I don't recognize any. And I thank the Russian Federation for that question, and there's no need to apologize for the second time, as we intend these panels to be interactive, so this is very welcome. If there's no other requests for the floor, I would like to conclude this agenda item. Mr. Shum will most likely be available for a little longer, so if you ask the questions, if you find any other questions, ask them over lunchtime. You also know GICHD is always available and a great resource here in Geneva to advise and consult on all these questions. So they are always available. Thank you very much, Mr. Schaan. to agenda item 5 and 6. Under these agenda items, we are going to discuss two topics of great importance to our protocol, victim assistance and clearance of explosive remnants of war and technical assistance. I will now hand over the floor and the podium to the coordinator on victim assistance, Mr. Andreas Bilgeri from Austria. And the coordinator on clearance of explosive remnants of war and technical assistance, Mrs. Hannah Zulaika Abubakar of the Philippines, who will co-chair this part of the meeting. Coordinators, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr. President-designate. We will now begin the thematic discussion on victim assistance. I will briefly introduce the topic and underlying trends identified in national annual reports submitted this year by high contracting parties to Protocol 5. Then we will listen to several experts and open the floor to delegations to exchange on the issue. Explosive remnants of war continue to threaten, maim, and kill indiscriminately long after hostilities have ended, causing deaths, a wide range of severe injuries, and socioeconomic consequences. Assistance to survivors is primarily an obligation of each individual state with respect to ERW victims. It requires a holistic and integrated multi-sector approach. to fully meet the need of victims who suffered from physical, mental, and/or sensory trauma due to an ERW. Thus, victim assistance goes beyond the immediate and intensive medical care provided to victims. It implies a long-term commitment to reach the economic and social reintegration of victims of ERW into society. In the framework of Protocol V, victim assistance is addressed under Article 8. In the national annual reports submitted each year by High Contracting Parties to this Protocol, Form FA relates to the implementation of this article. In terms of victim assistance in the national annual reports, some High Contracting Parties have reported on the implementation of measures involving the provisions of prosthetics, rehabilitation services, socioeconomic reintegration, and financial assistance to victims and their families. Several reports also highlighted the role of international development and humanitarian aid programs in delivering sustained victim assistance across affected regions. Beyond Article 8, I would like to take this opportunity to recall the plan of action on victim assistance, which was adopted by the second conference of Protocol 5. I quote, "as a political tool for addressing in an effective way and on a voluntary basis the problems of ERW victims," end of quote. In this plan of action, high contracting parties decided to exchange regularly information on the operationalization and national implementation of this plan of action within existing mechanisms established by the CCW and Protocol V. I therefore encourage delegations to refer to this plan of action when presenting their national victim assistance programs. This was already the end of my report. We will now proceed to the panel discussion, which will address, among other issues, victim assistance strategies, including at the national level and regional approaches on this matter. First, let me introduce our panelists, and they will join us here at the podium. It's Dr. Angela De Santis, Deputy Head of Operations at Fondation Suisse de Deminage. Ms. Lisa Anouk Muller-Dohrmann, Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding Coordinator at the Danish Refugee Council. And Mr. Pambrice Cyril Pascal Bonzi, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso in Geneva. And I will give a little bit more information on their background when we come to the specific presentations. Thank you for being with To start our discussion, we will first hear from Dr. Angela De Santis. I think we had you already on our panel in previous years. who brings over 22 years of international experience in humanitarian action, holds a PhD in cartography, GIS and remote sensing, and a PMP certification. Angela has led operations in Latin America and Asia, with a particular focus on victim assistance, capacity building and innovation in mine action. Prior to her current role, she held senior positions with international organizations such as the GICHD, where she oversaw operations and technical programs in conflict-affected and post-crisis contexts. In her intervention, Dr. Zisantis will focus on the following topic: Empowering Survivors: FSD's Long-Term Reintegration Strategies. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you very much. Thank you for the invitation. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleague, as mentioned, I would like to introduce and present our long-term reintegration strategies for survivor of landmines and ERW. Next one, please. For more than 26 years, FSD has dedicated to humanitarian mine action. So far, our more than 700 staff, 90% of whom are recruited locally, have cleared more than 1.5 million explosive devices across 30 countries on four continents. But our work does not stop at clearance. A landmine accident is not over when the ground is declared safe. For a survivor, it's the beginning of a lifelong journey. Next one, please. As we can see, victim assistance is a holistic approach. It begins with emergency and ongoing medical care. It continues with physical rehabilitation, but it must also provide psychological and psychosocial support. And crucially, it extends into socioeconomic inclusion. This last element is where long-term reintegration truly happens. Survivors should not only recover, but also regain autonomy, dignity, and a meaningful role in their communities. Why is socio-economic inclusion so essential? Because without it, survivors often remain marginalized, depend on aid, isolated, and stigmatized. Our approach addresses basic needs, supports rehabilitation, and promotes social inclusion. It reduces poverty and, importantly, restores a sense of belonging. Survivors engage in income-generating activities, report improved quality of life, greater autonomy, reconnection with their roots, and active participation in their communities. They also contribute to reducing stigma and discrimination by demonstrating resilience and productivity. Next one, please. So how we do it? Productive projects are the heart of this reintegration process. They provide opportunities for income generation, provide quality of life, a greater autonomy of those affected by these situations. Victims of landmines and conflict often face barriers to access formal employment and other economic opportunity due to their disabilities, displacement, or lack of resources and training. Productive projects such as agriculture, livestock farming, handicraft production, and other small business offer viable alternatives for income generation and improved living condition. Furthermore, productive projects contribute to social inclusion and enable survivors to actively participate into their communities and economic social life. This reduces the stigma and discrimination, fosters solidarity, and promotes cooperation in the communities affected by conflict and landmines. Given these challenges and the often limited scope of existing government program, external support is essential. It allows for implementation of innovative and targeted solution and such as productive projects that address the long-term needs of landmine survivors and conflict victims. By supporting survivor in launching small businesses, community initiative, or agricultural project, we empower them to rebuild their lives on their own terms. Today I will share two cases, Colombia and Tajikistan. Next one, please. Next one. In Colombia, while decades of conflict have left thousands of survivors, FSD has promoted urban gardening through hydroponic crops. This technique uses water-based nutrient solution instead of soil, allowing highly efficient production. Hydroponics can increase food output up to 70%, but more than technology, it brings dignity while the survivors and their family become producer, not dependent. The important step of the projects are the following. Coordination with relevant authorities to ensure the integration with other official support. Selection of beneficiaries from official registry need assessment to tailor the solution. evaluation of commitment to ensure active participation of beneficiary, design of the structure according to the available space disability level, installation, monitoring, mentoring from six to 12 months, production, harvesting, packaging, marketing, replanting for next cycle, and finally, the handover to ensure the long-term commitment. Next one, please. We combine this with packaging, branding, and marketing skill, ensuring that products are not only grown, but also sold. In a joint effort with the beneficiary, FSDA created a brand. The name is Fresca in Spanish, because it was done in Colombia, which means fresh. And the acronym means family resilience to the armed conflict. and create a connection between beneficiaries and markets and restaurants. In our YouTube channel, you can find testimony from the beneficiaries. Next one, please. And through watch and replicate strategy, we spread the knowledge beyond the first families. So community agreement and peer-to-peer training have expanded the program from few dozen households in Bogota to more than 1,200 beneficiary across regions. Next one, please. This demonstrate, next, if you can click one more, please. This demonstrate the long-term sustainability. Survivor are not passive recipients. They are active partners, giving feedback, shaping project, and eventually taking full ownership of the coordination with local authorities. Next one. Let's talk about Tajikistan. In Tajikistan, the challenges are different, limited irrigation, harsh winters and seasonal unemployment. Here, we focus on food securities and incoming generation through farming. The process begins with a socioeconomic baseline assessment, followed by training, production, monitoring and handover. What makes this initiative unique is the women-led association. They transform previously contaminated underused land into productive climate-smart farming spaces. These farms serve not only as income source, but also living classroom where the best practices are shared and replicated. Next one, please. Uh, this model addresses gender equality, strengthens community resilience, and foster climate smart solution, an urgent necessity in a region already vulnerable to environmental stress. Next one, please. Allow me to address an important principle behind this program's inclusions. If victim assistance is limited only to mine or IED survivor, we risk unintentionally excluding individuals or households who face equal or greater needs, especially in contexts where conflict-affected populations far outnumber mine victims. This is why the FSD adopts a broader, rights-based and non-discriminatory approach. Equity and cohesion, it's important implemented by targeting all vulnerable conflict victims, program foster unity instead of division. Inclusive strategies streamline targeting, simplify community engagement, and broaden the impact. By supporting all conflict victims, we ensure that no one is left behind, including those whose suffering might be less visible and just as devastating. Ladies and gentlemen, empowering survivors is not a short-term project. It's about shaping long-term resilience for individuals, for family, and for community. FSD experience in Colombia and Tajikistan shows that victim assistance can be sustainable when rooted in productive projects, inclusive when embraces all those affected by conflict, transformative when it restore dignity, autonomy, and hope. And in closing, I want to emphasize that clearing a minefield removes an immediate danger, but empowering survivors remove the barriers for their future. Next one, please. I thank you for your attention. I invite you to engage with FSD as we continue this vital mission. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Dr. DeSantis, for this presentation. would like now to give the floor to Ms. Milla Dorman, who is the Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding Global Technical Advisor at the Danish Refugee Council in Geneva. She leads DRC's advocacy on mine action and peacebuilding, provides technical support to country programs, and co-coordinates the Global Mine Action Area of Responsibility within the Global Protection Cluster. Prior to her role in Geneva, she oversaw the implementation of HDP projects in South Sudan for over two years and also worked with the German Foreign Office on conventional arms control. In her intervention, Ms. Mueller-Dohrmann will focus on the following topic: A Shared Responsibility to Address the Consequences of Explosive Contamination and Save Lives: Lessons Learned from DRC's Victim Assistance Efforts on Coordination, Integration, Analysis, and Partnerships. Ms. Mueller-Dohrmann, you have the floor.

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair, and excellencies, distinguished representatives. Thank you very much for the opportunity for DRC to be presenting on some lessons learned when it comes to victim assistance. As the Chair said, I will be focusing on analysis, coordination, and partnership in my intervention, and I hope it will complement quite well what the colleague from SFD has already talked about. So next slide, I think we can go two ahead. Yeah, thank you so much. So I will focus on some of our best practices around the globe based on the guiding questions that have been provided. And yeah, really hone in what matters when it comes to victim assistance, mainly localization, integration, and outcome measurement. So starting off with a little bit of an overview of how DRC does victim assistance, can you go to the next slide, and giving you an overview of the sector that I represent here. So DRC covers four sectors. We're a broad-based mandate organization. Humanitarian disarmament and peacebuilding is just one of the four sectors. The other three are protection, shelter, as well as economic recovery. And this broad-based mandate, of course, helps us very much in victim assistance, because victim assistance requires, as Angela already said, a comprehensive understanding and a comprehensive approach covering multiple sectors. We are active with our HDP program in over 20 countries, and we ground our work in conflict analysis as one of the operating principles, as well as a strong commitment to localization. And DRC is also active in many humanitarian coordination structures around the globe. The Chair has already mentioned the global protection cluster in the mine action area of responsibility, which DRC co-coordinates together with UNMAS. And we try to leverage these coordination forums for advocacy as well as to strengthen victim assistance, among others. Next slide. To delve in what-- next slide, again. Thank you. To delve in how DRC works on victim assistance, Um, let me say that we have victim assistance programs in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, OBT, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Yemen, um, and we mainly implement victim assistance programs through emergency cash assistance and referrals. So how does that look like in practice? So when it comes to emergency cash assistance, this is usually multi-purpose cash for victims, and it ensures that costs are covered when it comes to the travel to the medical facilities, physical rehabilitation, but also support to indirect victims of the accident. We then refer the victims either internally within our own programs or we refer them to external partners, always, of course, with the consent of the survivor. And as I said there, our protection expertise really is quite useful because we can provide elements like mental and psychosocial support or case management. And that's quite critical in the aftermath of an accident. We also, of course, collect data on explosive ordnance victims and report them to the relevant databases. IMAS 1310 was a very important milestone for the sector, and it's now part of our standard operating procedures. It has clarified the role of mine action operators. It has clarified some roles and responsibilities with regards to national authorities, and it shows how we can explore the synergies better with the various other sectors. As you may know from this presentation, DRC's work on victim assistance focuses very much on the immediate aftermath of an accident, but because this is really where the highest needs are and where often the resources are not enough to cover sort of the further on processes. But as Angela said, victim assistance is ultimately a long-term commitment, and we do the utmost we can when it comes to advocacy to ensure that the right rules and regulations are in place in order to support victims in the long term. And this brings me to my next point. Next slide, please. DRC is active in various coordination settings, as I said in the beginning. Coordination is, is very much key in order to support victim assistance actively in Ukraine. Um, we are chairing the Victims Assistance Technical Working Group, um, together with, um, HI. And we support various authorities when it comes to the establishing victim assistance as part of the national mine action response. We also foster collaboration among different ministries. And we have held numerous multi-stakeholder for us, including with local and national authorities, in order to support and provide training for different local partners, for example, on psychological first aid. We try to team up with various clusters, including the health cluster, and thereby ensure that assistance is streamlined effectively. At the moment, there are 15 organizations that are part of this victims assistance technical working group, and we also aim to analyze different regulatory frameworks to ensure that we really facilitate that compensation to victims is, is, is, um, is enabled and that they receive the, the social benefits that they deserve. Um, so advocacy here within these coordination forums is, is quite important. Next slide, taking you to the second part or second place where we are active in when it comes to the Victims Assistance Technical Working Group, which is an OPT, where we also lead the technical working group together with HI, and where, of course, we face a number of different types of challenges. I want to emphasize very much the importance of casualty data. as a means to make victim assistance effective. In OPT, very often, there's very-- we have challenges with the data of the victims in terms of which type of weapon was used, in terms of the disaggregation of the data. And this is very key to design an effective response. And so what we've done is we've trained various local partners on how to fill out the various explosive ordinance forms to ensure that we have that data, and we work with local partners to also establish a more clear information on mapping of various services so that victims can be referred and they don't just exist within a database. Because, of course, once you collect data, it bears a responsibility to the victim, and that's quite key to follow up effectively. And so technical capacity on case management is key. The professional capacities in this regard are key. Protection capacities are key, just in order to ensure that the victims are not retraumatized. And it is very important to work with the national authorities on this, of course, but within emergency settings, it is also very important to work with as many stakeholders as possible, including survivor groups, including various local organizations. So I just wanted to recognize in this regard our two partners in OPT, PARC and Reform, that have been very instrumental in order to facilitate enhanced access so that risk education messages have a broader reach and that we can ensure that, yeah, that the accidents are effectively prevented. This local commitment to localization and this commitment to supporting local partners is one that is more and more important, but it's also more and more complex within the current emergencies, which is why our conflict sensitivity approach within DRC is quite important as well. We have a toolkit and we are, localization is not just something that we've committed to within our strategy, it's also something where we commit to an equal partnership and we try to understand how to manage risks differently among international and national partners, um, and it's a, it's a comprehensive, uh, partnership and, um, and, uh, support that we, that we start once we engage with, with our partners. Um, next slide, please. So let me now take you to Yemen and Afghanistan as two more examples where we are implementing victim assistance projects, where I want to focus particularly on integration and then outcome measurement. So in Afghanistan, we have what is called the so-called quick response teams, which are quite useful in these emergency settings, as I talked about. These quick response teams have introduced the emergency victims assistance component recently, and they are looking at the various threats through the lens of where we have the most casualties. And in Afghanistan, that is abandoned improvised mines. And so to ensure that we address that properly, we equipped those quick response teams with the right tools. They have the ability to do non-technical survey, risk education, but also, of course, the recording of accidents and the response to accidents. And they have integrated, according to IMA 1310, provisions on how to respond to these accidents, including having a clear selection criteria for the victims and conducting initial assessments and then the disbursement of funds through cash. And that usually covers, as I said, transport to medical facilities, food and accommodation to some of the indirect victims, et cetera, and of course, physical rehabilitation. Next slide. So in the next slide, you see a flow chart that sort of shows you how we approach an accident, how it's responded to through the mechanism, and how we then follow up via referrals and cash assistance. The mobile response teams really has been key for the volatility of some of these emergency settings. They have also been engaged in the most recent earthquake that has happened in Afghanistan. and have been deployed across the various parts of the country. They are also deployed at border points because, of course, part of prevention work is to identify the groups most at risk, and those are often people that are moving through territories that are unknown to them. In this regard, I would like to highlight the important cooperation at the global level between the Mine Action Area of Responsibility and the IOM, their displacement tracking matrix, where we have identified specific questions that can be used within displacement tracking to assess the risk of and presence of explosive ordnance. And they are key for, for sort of determining how we prioritize risk education. Um, and so this, this, um, yeah, this partnership is quite, quite useful, but as I said, with the collection of data comes the responsibility to, to follow up. Um, next slide, please. In the last example that I want to highlight today, I will focus on Yemen, where we have various corporations and MOUs with health centers, and where we work in the areas which are the most heavily contaminated, which is mainly in Hodeidah and Tazid governorates along the west coast. And they've also had the most explosive ordinance related accidents recently. And so we've provided 596 individuals with lifesaving medical assistance through these health facilities in 2024. and through this victims assistance work. We also use prioritization matrixes in many of our programs, including South Sudan and Ethiopia, to determine where we do clearance efforts, and accident data is an important part for that. And this brings me to the importance of assessment and pre and post data in order to effectively measure how well we're doing and how to measure our outcomes. Um, DRC is very much committed to integration due to our broad-based mandate, as I said, uh, but we've also conducted research, um, on how to better, um, document the outcomes that Mine Action, uh, achieves across the nexus. with the support of FCDO last year, where we focused particularly on South Sudan, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and looked at the dynamics when it comes to mine action within the nexus, and tried to understand how we can best measure those outcomes. And it is through effective assessments in the beginning and after, through the use of satellite images, through Yeah, effective engagement at community level, the use of qualitative data. And of course, mine action is just one of the elements that can contribute to somebody's safety and economic recovery. And we do need a standard within our sector to measure this better and to document this better. Next slide, please. So to conclude and to finish off this presentation, last slide, please. I would like to just once more emphasize the importance of data, the importance of coordination, of localization, and the importance of flexibility and of funding in all of these regards because, of course, mine action and many aspects of the humanitarian aid spectrum rely on economies of scale. Once we downscale, it is very hard, it's very expensive to upscale again. In order to ensure that our relationships and our partnerships with local organizations are maintained in the long run, flexibility is key because situations change quite rapidly in an emergency setting. We can't just decide to deploy to an earthquake if we don't have that flexibility, for example. And victims' needs are highly diverse, so advocacy is also key in order to foster inclusion, effective long-term inclusion of victims and survivors group. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to having the conversation with you all about these elements, and I thank you very much for your attention.

Thank you very much, Ms. Mueller-Dohmann, for this presentation. I would like now to give the floor to our last speaker, Mr. Pambari Cyril Pascal Bonzi. Mr. Bonzi is a Burkinab diplomat with over 15 years of progressive experience in international relations, multilateral diplomacy, protocol, and consular affairs. He has held various positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso and at the permanent missions to the United Nations in New York and Geneva. with responsibilities ranging from organizing conferences and official missions for the highest authorities to representing Burkina Faso at the Fifth Committee of the United Nations and monitoring disarmament conventions. Currently based in Geneva, he is in charge of ILO issues, disarmament, peace, and security, while also heading the consular service. He holds a master's degree in religious studies with a specialization in peacebuilding, as well as degrees in diplomacy and international relations. a bachelor's degree in marketing and communication, and several certificates related to the field of mediation, conflict prevention, and management. In his intervention, Mr. Pambary, Cyril Pascal Bonzi, I hope I say it in the right way, will focus on the following topic, the experience of the Ottawa Conventions Victim Assistance Committee, integrated approach and synergies with CCW Protocol 5, and this is, I think, an extremely important topic for many of us here in this room. Thank you. It's the month you have to fly.

Okay, merci.

Thank you, excellencies, President-designate, distinguished colleagues. First of all, I'd like to thank Mr. Andrea, coordinator of the committee. and the organizers, UNODA, and the Support Unit for giving me the chance to participate in this important discussion on victim assistance. Now, I'm not an expert in victim assistance, but my country, Burkina Faso, presides the Victim Assistance Committee under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. My country also is affected by explosive devices, ERWs. I'd also, by the way, just like to invite colleagues on 10th September for protocol two, where Burkina Faso will be hosting, uh, panel five, a discussion on the of IEDs, mitigation action undertaken, and the search for sustainable solutions, you will understand why I'm particularly pleased to participate in this panel to express my full support for stronger commitment and for more intensified efforts to meet the growing needs and protect the rights of all victims, be it the victims of anti-personnel mines, ERWs or other weapons with indiscriminate impact. My presentation will focus on three areas. First, I will give a brief overview of the mandate and working method of the committee that I preside over. Secondly, I will take stock of the CMRE anchor action plan. Finally, I will consider the synergies and co-operation between our instruments. I note that today's discussion covers aspects specific to victim assistance, such as technological innovation, first aid, the impact of assistance provided and follow-up and assessment of activities. Those four themes are complementary and lie at the heart of what should be effective, sustainable assistance. which moreover is very much rooted in the new action plan that I mentioned, the CMR Action Plan. It shows that our two processes share the same goal, ensuring that the victims, be they affected by mines or by ERWs, can have access to care, readaptation, socio-economic reintegration and full enjoyment of their rights. Coming to the mandate and method of my committee, I would like to give a brief overview. The committee's goal is to support States parties in implementing their commitments on victim assistance, to formulate observations and recommendations tailored to their contexts, and to promote the integration of victim assistance in broader contexts, such as health, disability, human rights and development. Our working method is based on three key pillars. First, bilateral dialogue with state parties concerned to pinpoint their specific needs. Secondly, analysis of reports submitted and presentation of constructive observations. And finally, promoting synergies with other treaties and institutions so that the rights of survivors can be captured within global agendas. In 2025, for example, the committee finalized and launched a victim assistance checklist. That practical tool allows us to establish a reference point and to improve follow-up and reporting. Besides those tools, our work is based on the conviction that every victim has a right to assistance tailored to their reality. We have seen notable progress in some countries, where interministerial co-ordination and the designation of focal points have helped to improve the effectiveness of programme. We come to the Siem Reap anchor action plan. That plan covers five years, from 2025 to 2029, and it was adopted last November in Cambodia. It contains robust far-reaching, action-oriented commitments over the next five years. It includes 10 actions regarding victim assistance, going from provision of tangible support to mine victims and victims of ERWs to the establishment of the necessary national mechanisms and structures to provide comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable assistance. It is based on previous action plans and best practice, while encouraging innovation and promoting sustainable assistance. For example, action 35 of the action plan calls on States parties with victims on their territory or under their control to take measures to ensure that All victims of explosions of mines or other explosive devices, including in remote or hard-to-reach areas, should have access to comprehensive readaptation services and assistive technologies, in particular innovative readaptation services at local level. Action 35 contains three indicators to measure progress in terms of availability and accessibility of readaptation services. availability of assistive technologies, and national resources and capacities to facilitate access to affordable assistive technologies. Another key aspect of the action plan is the emphasis placed on sustainability. States parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention have recognised that the best way to ensure that the victims of mines and other explosive devices receive long-term assistance is to adopt an integrated approach. That means including the needs and rights of victims in broader frameworks and to enhance synergies with international humanitarian law and relevant human rights. The action plan addresses first aid, readaptation, psychological support, peer support, socioeconomic aspects, security and protection, as well as inclusion and the participation of victims of mines and of organisations that represent them. It calls on states to bolster capacities and national resources to guarantee provision of high-quality services, including in rural and remote areas. This is a good example of the action plan's approach. which is ambitious but measurable, anchored in local realities and geared towards sustainable solutions. Coming to the final point, an integrated approach, co-operation and synergy among instruments, I would like, through my functions within the victim assistance committee at the Mine Ban Convention and through my exchanges with experts over the past two years, I know that it is paramount to bolster synergies between the humanitarian disarmament instruments to ensure consistent, coordinated and effective support to the affected state parties. The CRPD, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, gives us a global framework and bolsters the human rights-based approach, which constitutes a key principle in victim assistance. We must seek to maintain ongoing dialogue with actors on implementation of the CRPD at national, regional and global levels. As you know, The definition, the principles and the scope of assistance to victims, as well as the approaches that we apply, are identical in the three conventions. Among the states affected, at least 39 States Parties to the mine ban convention have declared that they have implemented victim assistance at the start of 2025. Twenty-six of them signed up to protocol 5. of the CCW, 24 to the Mine Ban Convention and 37 States Parties to the CRPD. These intersections offer a valuable opportunity to harmonise our efforts. Our committee is honoured to organise a retreat every year on victim assistance. This event brings together the coordinators of Protocol 5 of the CCW and of the Mine Ban Convention, as well as other colleagues working on the CRPD and, in a broader sense, the rights of persons with disabilities. The last retreat that took place in February, Andrea was there. We hope to host you next year again. We believe that promoting a coherent approach from actors based in Geneva in the fields of disarmament and the rights of persons with disabilities considerably helps decision makers and practitioners of assistance in the affected communities. As per our mandate, we co-operate with the CRPD, the Human Rights Council the global health assembly and other fora. I trust that the coordinators of protocol five to the CCW and other partners will join us to promote assistance and outreach to victims in these fora and beyond. Before concluding, let me launch a friendly challenge to our colleagues from protocol five of the CCW, Mr. Andrea. I gather that you have an action plan that was adopted in 2008. As you know, that sphere has evolved considerably, so I urge you to envisage an update and harmonisation of that plan to align it with recent progress, including the adoption of the CMRIP Action Plan, we would be pleased to share our experiences from implementing that plan and developments in the framework of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. In conclusion, Excellencies, dear colleagues, Victim assistance is a legal obligation, but above all, a moral and humanitarian responsibility. Survivors expect a consistent, inclusive and sustainable response from us. By joining forces, by sharing our experiences and building bridges between the Ottawa convention and protocol V of the CCW, we can improve the lives of thousands of affected persons. Let me conclude with this conviction. Our instruments differ in terms of scope, but they converge in terms of their goal, giving hope and dignity back to the survivors. Together, we can do it. Thank you.

Thank you for that presentation. for the kind words to the chair and for your interesting words regarding the plan of action. The work on that document is something that I support, but it is always difficult to find the resources and a place for doing something like that. I would like to open floor to delegations if they have any comments to make in response to the presentations or ask questions of the panelists and take advantage of their presence here.

The floor is open.

I recognize the distinguished delegate of PANA.

You have the floor.

Thank you, facilitator. Good afternoon, colleagues, everyone. It's my honor to deliver this statement to offer our perspective in my capacity as thematic coordinator on victim assistance under the Convention on Cluster Munitions. We're grateful for the valuable presentations made by the panelists. A number of the messages that we've heard here.

We have heard over the past two years.

In that respect, victim assistance is a long-term obligation that, for reasons of sustainability, should be integrated into legal frameworks and national policies. That, in turn, requires greater co-ordination with a broad range of interlocutors to ensure appropriate, inclusive and effective assistance. To that end, it is necessary to do as follows: identify obstacles that stop States from developing national action plans on disability or national action plans on victim assistance; We need to improve the collection and analysis of disaggregated data on victim profiles, be they civilians or demining personnel. That should cover gender, age, disability and the activity that they were performing when they were injured or died, to better understand the risk factors. There is a need to promote greater understanding of the different roles and responsibilities of the national authorities in supporting victim assistance. For example, the new International Mine Action Standards, IMAS 13-10, provide guidance for all interlocutors concerned. There is also a need to bolster co-operation and assistance and exchange of best practices to establish sustainable integrated victim assistance frameworks. We need to adopt mechanisms and/or actions for the involvement, inclusion and meaningful participation of victims in processes of developing policy and decision making on issues that concern them, and to redouble efforts to provide psychosocial and mental health support to victims. Similarly, it is vital to continue to create synergies with other relevant disarmament conventions to improve co-ordination in aspects pertaining to victim assistance, especially with the Protocol V of the CCW, the CCM, the Cluster Munitions Convention, as well as the Mine Ban Treaty, as well as in broader frameworks such as the CRPD, the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, the SDGs, health-related policies and programs, rehabilitation, health, development and humanitarian efforts, for example, the recent WHO resolutions on emergency rehabilitation and assistive technologies. Also, victim assistance faces major challenges that need to be overcome, including cuts in financing and the lack of international support, in particular with respect to provision of prosthetic devices, psychological rehabilitation, and the increasing number of victims due to the expansion of contaminated areas, as well as the need to ensure the full, equitable, meaningful, and non-discriminatory participation of victims and survivors. My question to the panel is, from your point of view, how can we tackle all those challenges? What other challenges have you identified that would require a collective response?

It is good to hear the CCM victim assistance coordinator, so we have everyone here. and also hear about other developments and issues such as the WHO resolution. I mean, this is very much appreciated. So I think that the question is directed to everyone. I mean, there's a special focus on the cooperation between the mechanisms. So Mr. Bonzi will be maybe the best one to answer first, and then we can also hear from the other presenters. Thank you.

If I understood well, we're talking about synergies between different actions to meet the challenges. And I think this is something I spoke about a little bit in anti-personnel mines. We have attempted to bring together the coordinator on victims' assistance under the conventions I think that I remember I was present on the Convention on Mines and Submunitions also, cluster munitions. We spare no effort to bring assistance, but also to hear the voice of mines victims. We've made a number of statements. These have been made jointly also. We have heard also WHO's statement. We still seek new fora where we can ensure that the victims of ERW and mines can have their voices heard, and we look forward to broader synergies with all stakeholders to do this more broadly. I hope I've responded to the question. Thank you.

Thank you. So, Ms. Miller-Damman.

Yeah, thanks so much. I think when it comes to the existing challenges, There's a number of existing challenges and you already have highlighted the element of data as one of them and the importance of casualty data as one to be addressing victims assistance through a comprehensive lens. But I think that the victims assistance technical working groups have really been an important convener in the various settings to address these challenges. We're by far not yet there, funding is another challenge that that is out there, of course, victim assistance funding is generally one of the least funded among the five pillars of mine action. So we need to really address that. We need to address that with flexible funding, and we need to address it together with local partners. And finally, there's often very much a siloed approach when it comes to victim assistance. Even within the mine action community, we might approach victim assistance only from the type of weapon that, um, has caused the contamination or see the victim only as a, as an evidence for which area is contaminated, um, and that is way too reduced, we need to look at it from a, from a comprehensive perspective. Protection might look at it only from a case management perspective. So we really need to come together as the various sectors. And so multi-stakeholder forums are quite key to address that and to provide a comprehensive response. And we've established a number of guidance, including IMS 1310, that sort of highlight how to use these synergies effectively. And it's ever more important because the conflicts are getting more and more complex, and we have to see these challenges from the perspective of the victim. It really doesn't matter what type of weapon they've been faced with. whether it was a weapon in a populated area, whether it was a mine they stepped on, whether it was during agricultural activities. All of these elements are extremely important to designate how we do our response, but the response must be there regardless. So, yeah, thank you.

Thank you. Mr. DeSantis.

Thank you very much for, for this analysis for, to the delegate of Panama, actually she mentioned most of the challenges, uh, that, uh, even if sometimes, uh, the type of victims, the, the challenges can be, uh, counter specific, but there are some of them, they are very, um, cross cutting to all countries, and she mentioned most of them, I would like to highlight. One of the points you mentioned on analyzing the data, not just collecting the data to understand the risk factors, which is key to avoid more victims. So of course, we do victim assistance. We provide support to survivors and community. We should avoid to have an increasing number of victims. And unfortunately, this is the situation we have at the moment. And also maybe a better integration if we know the risk factors with the efforts to inform the population how to safely behave in a contaminated area. Another point that I would like to highlight is the inclusion of the survivors in the decision-making process. This is crucial. They should be in charge of the process and understanding and find the solution that best suits their needs. And as I mentioned in my presentation, we not only provide support to victims of mine and near-mine but victims of the conflict in general. So sometimes this fine line is really blurry at some point. So we shouldn't just focus on the victims of mines and forgetting the rest of the community because the idea is just to provide support for the community to thrive after a conflict. Thank you.

Thank you very much. So the floor is still open for questions or remarks. I see Italy, do

you have the floor.

Thank you very much, coordinator, for giving me the floor. And also my gratitude is extended to all the panelists for the very interesting information. I have a question for Mr. Bonzi. Thank you very much for reminding us of all of the pertinent actions ongoing as a part of the framework of your organization. You also mentioned the dimension of local assistance. Innovation and program sustainability, which is extremely important within the framework of this action plan. Italy is a donor, notably on the African continent, to the three components, notably to demining efforts and cleanup. These efforts are focused on all aspects of demining, including assistance to victims. You have experience in the Coordinating Committee of the Ottawa Convention, and in your experience in that forum, have you noted aspects in the work supported by donor countries that could still be further developed? And do you have recommendations for donor countries of where we can develop and enhance more our efforts? Thank you.

Thank you also. We're grateful for Italy's efforts as a supporter and donor. And thank you for helping develop programs in demining and to help victims. As of this meeting, I can say that we are working with States parties. And the way that it works is for them to report their needs. for bringing assistance to victims. I will check up on this, and I can come back to you. But I would say that it would be interesting to take more account of the actual reality in the specific country the actual circumstances in which victims find themselves, because assistance needs to be contextualized. It needs to be adapted to the locality and aligned with national policies in order to be as effective as possible. I think you mentioned another aspect also, but hopefully I've covered the question. noting also the importance of areas where we can make recommendations for improvement. Well, fundamentally, it's a question of aligning programs with national policies and integrating the information about situations in the field, working in concert also in demining with the local stakeholders who inevitably have a better understanding of the locality and can be of great use in achieving more effective results. Thank you.

I hope the question was fully answered, otherwise... Thank you. So we have one more question from the delegation of Peru first. So, Angel, you have the floor.

Thank you, coordinator. Not so much a question, but a comment. I take the opportunity to first to thank the panelists distinguished panelists for the very thoughtful presentations that they've given us. I'd also like to, given the questions, the guide that's been established for this meeting, I'd like to share some elements from Prue's experience. First, stress that we have We have a normative framework, which is law 29, whose ultimate goal is to promote, protect and implement in equal conditions the rights of persons with disabilities, promoting their development and full effective inclusion in social life. That law on disability seeks to mark a change from the previous focus, which places persons with disabilities to see them as persons, as active subjects of societal life in all its spheres and aspects. In the implementation of this norm, the Peruvian state, through specific institutions like the Ministry of Women, of Social Inclusion, through the National Council on the Integration of Persons with Disabilities, has been stepping up its work for the benefit of persons with disabilities, establishing actions, channels of communication and co-ordination at a multisectoral and interinstitutional level to best comply with the goals that have been set. Furthermore, more recently, in May this year, the Peruvian State, through its Mine Action Centre, approved a comprehensive action plan for victim assistance for victims of anti-personnel mines for the period 2025-29, which gears its interventions towards victims of anti-personnel mines within the context of its overall policy of care to citizens who have been disabled as a result of those ERWs. The plan, moreover, evaluates aspects in the sphere of health, medical care, physical and psychological assistance, as well as diagnosis of each of the victims, including aspects that enable their evaluation to gauge future levels of care required via various indicators. And the point is to reduce the gap, overcome obstacles that have been identified in the context of victim support, which in reality includes chiefly victims of anti-personnel mines.

But could also be extended to other explosive devices.

I hope that this can serve as some kind of can be helpful to the contracting parties and to the experts participating in this important meeting. Thank you, coordinator.

Thank you very much. We will have a discussion on the basis of the question after the panel Q&A, but delegates are welcome also to make their remarks already now. I mean, maybe this is also an opportunity so that they could react to some of the elements if they wish so. So, so delegates are free to choose when, when to want to make their statements, but just to, to make them aware of this distinction between those two parts. If there are any reactions on, on, on the Peru intervention, I mean, you're, yeah, Mr. Santis.

Thank you very much for the intervention. I think having a normative framework, it's very important to be effective to ensure this integration of the intervention with the national policies and plan. So I think this facilitates a lot of our work when we can refer to some specific law that can already protect, recognize survivors. as active part and trying to reinstate all the full human rights of the survivors, not just provide ad hoc basis assistance. Thank you.

Thank you. So I see now the, I recognize the distinguished delegate of China. Sir, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Coordinator. China would like to thank the panelists for their presentations, sharing with us the results and experiences. Victim assistance is one of the core provisions of Protocol V, and it is an important right of states parties to seek assistance. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war. This catastrophe inflicted immense sufferings and damage upon the Chinese people and the people of the world. The hangover of ERW continues to this day, threatening the lives and property of people in the affected countries. The ERW in some countries may take decades or even centuries to clear. As an victim country, every year, China discovers large quantities of various ERW abandoned by foreign aggressors, endangering the lives and property of Chinese people. Some countries that have left behind ERW on foreign soil are yet to accede to Protocol V. China calls on these countries to accede to the protocol without delay and to earnestly fulfill their obligations. Guided by the principle of use is clear, they must undertake their historical responsibilities and provide necessary financial and technical support for clearance and destruction. China deeply sympathizes with the difficulties and challenges faced by fellow countries when it comes to victim assistance, clearance, and destruction. We have adopted a people-centered approach and stay committed to real results in firmly supporting and actively participating international cooperation and assistance. In 2024, At the invitation of the Office of Military Affairs of UNDPO, China sent a delegation to Switzerland to attend the UN workshop on the review of the guidance document on EOD and countering IED. China has established 12 specialized training courses on the disposal of ERW at the Army Engineering University of PLA. A total of 350 people have been trained. This year, China completed the translation and publication of the third edition of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines, providing practical guidance on the through-life munitions management. The relevant content has already been incorporated into the munitions-specific training at the Army Engineering University with very good results. International humanitarian mine clearance assistance and cooperation has always been a key focus of our multilateral arms control diplomacy. Since 2010, China has actively provided victim assistance under international humanitarian mine action programs, delivering aid in kind to victims in countries including Peru, Ethiopia, Laos, Cambodia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Jordan. Moving forward, China will continue to participate in international cooperation and assistance within our abilities in our joint bid to eradicate ERW. I would also like to take this opportunity to raise two questions to the panelists. First of all, in international cooperation and victim assistance, according to your experience are there very promising technologies to be employed, new technologies. Secondly, just now I mentioned the historical responsibility of countries that left over ERW on foreign soil. I believe such responsibilities include financial and technical support. as well as comprehensive information on ERW, the location, the types of weapons left behind. Apart from this, according to your view, what kind of assistance can be provided in order to fulfill the historical responsibilities of these countries? Thank you.

Thank you very much. So there are two questions. I think the technical question was also part of your presentation, Ms. Desanti. So the other experts, please feel free to answer to both questions.

Thank you very much for your question. From a technology point of view, of course, in rehabilitation, there are new prostheses, there are new methods also to speed up the process of rehabilitating the victim, the survivors, and also to let them gain more autonomy and to be able to rejoin active life easier. on the side of socio-economic support, since it's a socio-economic activities than any technology in farming, smart solution in production. Also, we use technology to adapt the productive system to the disability of the survivor we are providing support to. So I think it's a critical point that will facilitate our job doing providing victim assistance. Regarding the second question about the support, I think a major challenge for us is long term support. So of course, there is attention when there is an emergency, when there is the crisis. But since this is a very long term process, we see the funds fading out. very quickly after the beginning of the few year during the emergency or post immediately post conflict. So if it's a suggestion for potential donors is to be to keep the level of fundings throughout the long term process. Thank you.

Yeah, and maybe just to, to add to this, and, and thanks so much for the question, um, I think there's an important, um, argument to be made for, uh, better data integration from various, uh, data sources, um, and effective information management, we are collecting, um, data on so many, parts of the humanitarian crisis. Mine action and data on victims is just one of them. And I believe if those various data points are better integrated, we can make a stronger call for victims, a stronger call on advocacy. In terms of outcome measurement, data analysis and data collection is something that is often not as well funded. within the current setup. And this integration also just -- it takes time and it takes resources. So, it's a plea to support innovations in this regard, because I can -- I think we can really move further if that is the case. And then, maybe lastly, effective donor coordination. We've had the colleagues from Italy speak who were leading the Mine Action Support Group last year, and we have the colleagues of FCDO here who are currently in that role, which I think is very key to effectively coordinate assistance from various donors in an effective manner and ensure that it's reaching to those contexts where we have the highest victims. and to ensure that the various funds, the various funding channels, actually complement each other. Through the research that DRC undertook last year on outcome measurement, we were asking a whole range of different questions to donors, including whether they are happy with the amount of information received when it comes to the outcome of mine action. And many of them were not fully happy with the information that is out there. And we do need to connect the development arm better with the humanitarian arm and ensure that priorities actually overlap so that the various funding streams complement each other and in terms of sequencing follow up on each other. So that's how we can ensure that long-term support is reaching the victims. So, yeah, better coordination is absolutely key. Thank you.

So Thank you very much. We have still some questions. I recognize the distinguished delegate of the Russian Federation. Madam, you have the floor.

Thank you, coordinator. We also would like to offer a comment to develop the discussion. For the earliest possible stabilization of the economic situation in regions where mines have been planted, Russia regularly takes measures to prevent the number of victims and injury to civilians in such areas. Demining units on a daily basis survey hospitals, kindergartens, schools, and other such social infrastructure, as well as energy water and other utility facilities, also agricultural land, farms and so forth, also building sites, roads, bridges and other facilities. Work is also done to boost awareness among civilians about the danger of mines, particularly hazards for children. Officers of the Russian Federation sappers and engineering troops, in cooperation with MRCom and other agencies and local agencies, private companies, and specialist agencies, conduct in schools, universities, but also youth clubs and so forth, awareness raising events on what to do if you find ERW. These courses include contact with specialists who work on demining issues, but also psychologists. The main goal is to develop the right reactions when people identify ERW and know what to do. Preventive lectures remind us about correct rules, responding to such situations help children develop the right habits and behaviors and reduce the risk of tragic outcomes.

The Russian Federation is also implementing comprehensive programs for rehabilitation for deminers.

But also for the local population who have suffered from explosions related to ERW. Each such operation starts with a discussion about the most appropriate surgical intervention, taking into account the different types of injury to get the best possible therapy. All kinds of surgeons are involved and new materials are used, such as modern polymers and composites for replacing parts of the body. On a regular basis, we conduct medical conferences and events aimed at discussing the problems around rehabilitation of the victims of mines. We also engage in training for specialists. This can have a positive impact on whether we can save victims, but also improving their future quality of life. In regions that have suffered from mines, we work to help the earliest possible rehabilitation, readaptation, and return to a normal social life for the victims of mines. Thank you.

Thank you. I think there was no question directly directed to any of the panelists, but if there is any reaction. Okay. So we are also a little bit late, but we have 10 more minutes with translation. Thank you to the translators for this extra time. So we can give the floor to the distinguished delegate of Japan. and then we will see if there are more requests for the floor and how we proceed. Thank you.

Well, thank you, Mr. Coordinator. Since this is my first time to take a floor, let me assure you, Mr. Coordinator, and also Chair and your team, of my delegation's full support and cooperation. For the record, Mr. Coordinator, CCW Protocol V has a significant to facilitate the international cooperation regarding humanitarian assistance after conflicts to prevent from suffering civilians by explosive remnants of the war. So, Mr. Coordinator, my government has been conducting international assistance in order to promote and in order to remove ERWs combined with the efforts of cooperation of relevant measures relating to landmines. And Japan will keep and promote our endeavor to deal with the matter of ERWs and landmines proactively through bilateral cooperation as well as multilateral cooperation through international organizations. Thank you very much, Mr. Coordinator.

Thank you very much. So I think we have entered the phase of discussion, but please, delegations, feel free to also post questions if there are still any directed at the present orators, present experts, let's call it like this. I think within the 10 minutes, we can still give the floor to one more delegate, which is the delegation of Ukraine. Sir, you have the floor.

Thank you for giving us the floor, and we would like also to thank the panelists for their substantial presentation and the important activity provided in Ukraine and other regions of the world by the institution they represent. In the context of unprecedented size of mine and ERW contamination in Ukraine and dramatic increase of civil victims impacted by ERW accidents in the result of the aggression against Ukraine, which now equals 897 confirmed cases resulting in 1,277 civilians killed or injured, including 128 children, along with thousands of combatants killed or injured as a result of landmine explosion, Ukraine gives great importance to informing the population and to educate civilians to the risk posed by mines and other explosive devices. National Mine Action Authority continues to play a key role in coordinating efforts, risk education and raising awareness among the population. To make both efforts more effective, Ukraine adopted the relevant amendments to the Mine Action Law, Governmental Operational Mine Action Plan and Year 2025 National Plan on CRPD Implementation. The adoption of those amendments made it possible not only to improve the methods of risk education among population, but also provide help for all mine and ERW accident survivors, as well as families of those killed in mine accidents, and include them into social, financial, and labor programs provided by the Government of Ukraine to persons with disabilities and ex-combatants on the mandatory basis. Different ministries, including Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Digital Transformation, and other relevant bodies interact together in providing the mandatory support for victims and their families of mine accidents, including their evacuation from hazardous areas, their transportation to safe places, as well as in providing emergency, ambulatory, and basic rehab support. According to the government-mind action plan, the Ministry for the Reintegration of the Temporary Occupied Territories of Ukraine, in synergy with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other ministries, continues to support citizens about mine threats and provides information to the population about the risk associated with explosive devices. Since the beginning of the war against Ukraine, 61,017 informational and educational events with the focus to the different gender and age categories have been held in Ukraine with participation for more than 2.2 billion people. Risk education has been incorporated in school and university education programs in Ukraine. The Center for Social and Humanitarian Response, which was established last year, continues to promote implementation of state policy in mind countermeasures, in particular in the context of informing the population about the danger of explosive devices. It also provides assistance to the victims. promotes rehabilitation, labeling, and drawing up specialized maps. In cooperation with the International Center for Humanitarian Demining, the National Mine Action Authority of Ukraine has launched an interactive map of the areas contaminated with mines and ERW, which is also available in the mobile applications. In the framework of educational campaign, relevant authorities of Ukraine have redoubled their outreach efforts among the population of the procedures and rules of behavior in the event of detection of explosive ordnance, in particularly by broadcasting of thematic videos at public places, producing thematic TV and radio programs, providing relevant trainings, et cetera. In order to facilitate the mobility of the educational working groups, Ukraine established 13 mobile groups on risk education in different regions of Ukraine, including Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Kyiv regions. These mobile groups have conducted 4,038 events in different regions of Ukraine and reached out 289,000 people. Ministers which are responsible for mine action undertake efforts to digitize reporting procedures and improve the information management system for mine action, which reflect data on emergency response to the identification of explosive ordnance, mine risk education efforts, incidents involving civilians, casualties from explosive devices, pyrotechnic operations, on clearance of agricultural lands from explosive hazards. I thank you.

Thank you very much. We will run out of translation any moment, so I figure there will be maybe some more delegations who want to take the floor under this agenda item, so we will reopen it in the afternoon. I just look at the Chair. There were these questions circulated with the agenda. I mean, this would have been the basis of the discussion. So if any delegations want to come back, please raise your flag in the afternoon, and otherwise we will go to the next agenda item, which will be on the clearance of ERW and technical assistance under the coordinator of the Philippines. I thank you and the meeting is adjourned.