Disarmament Diplomacy

News Review

Progress Reported at Second CCW Review Conference

The Second Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), also known as the Inhumane Weapons Convention, was held in Geneva from December 11-21. The Convention, opened for signature in 1980 and in force since 1983, has 88 states parties. 66 delegations attended the Review Conference, in addition to observer states and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The Conference reached two major decisions: to extend the scope of all its existing protocols to cover non-international armed conflict; and to establish a Group of Governmental Experts to discuss, starting in May 2002, ways and means to address the issue of 'explosive remnants of war'.

The first decision means that the CCW's Protocol I, banning weapons designed to injure by means of fragments not detectable by X-rays, Protocol III, restricting the use of incendiary weapons, and Protocol IV, banning the use and transfer of blinding laser weapons, will now join Protocol II, banning certain types of mines, booby-traps and similar devices, in being binding on states parties regardless of the nature of any conflict.

The second decision opens up the possibility of agreement on a fifth Protocol banning certain types of munition likely to compound the problem of explosive remnants of war (ERW), such as cluster bombs.

The Conference also agreed to establish an expert group to explore ways of tightening restrictions under Protocol II on anti-vehicle mines.

Addressing the opening of the Conference on December 11, Jayantha Dhanapala, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, delivered a message from Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in which the main achievements of the following ten days were eagerly anticipated:

"With internal conflicts now claiming many more casualties than wars between states, and with small calibre weapons and explosive remnants of war continuing to cause avoidable deaths, injury and hardship, an expansion of the scope of the Convention to cover these issues is clearly warranted."

Reports: Secretary-General highlights 'eternal' humanitarian principles embodied by Conventional Weapons Convention, in message to Review Conference, UN Press Release SG/SM/8076, December 11; 2nd Review Conference of Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons ends - Convention framework amended, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Briefing, December 21; Countries extend treaty on conventional weapons to cover internal wars, UN News Centre, December 24.

© 2002 The Acronym Institute.