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| Conference of the States Parties (CSP) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Conference of the States Parties |
| Abbreviation | CSP |
| Formation | 1997 |
| Type | International treaty body |
| Purpose | Implementation and review of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention |
| Headquarters | Geneva |
| Region | Global |
| Languages | English, French, Spanish |
Conference of the States Parties (CSP) is the annual meeting of states party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention convened to review implementation, adopt decisions, and coordinate international action. The CSP brings together representatives from ratifying and acceding states, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to assess compliance, resource mobilization, and technical cooperation. It operates in the wider ecosystem of disarmament forums, humanitarian law processes, and multilateral diplomacy.
The CSP emerged from negotiations that produced the Ottawa Treaty, formally known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, concluded at the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) peripheries and championed by advocacy from Landmine Survivors Network, Mines Advisory Group, Handicap International, and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. The treaty text was opened for signature in 1997 at a diplomatic conference influenced by the Nobel Peace Prize laureates such as the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (awarded 1997) and states including Canada, Norway, Thailand, and South Africa. Early meetings drew delegations from the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the European Union, and regional organizations like the African Union and the Organization of American States.
The CSP’s mandate flows from the provisions of the Ottawa Treaty and encompasses promotion of universalization, monitoring treaty implementation, and facilitating assistance in clearance, victim assistance, and stockpile destruction. Objectives include reviewing action plans submitted by states parties, coordinating with technical bodies such as the Mine Action Coordination Centre of Afghanistan model and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, and linking with financing mechanisms like the Convention implementation support unit and donor conferences led by states such as Switzerland, Japan, and United Kingdom. The CSP aligns objectives with humanitarian norms promoted by actors including the United Nations Mine Action Service, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Membership comprises states that have ratified or acceded to the Ottawa Treaty, with participation also by signatory states, observer states, and entities such as the European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Delegations frequently include representatives from ministries of Foreign Affairs of states like Belgium, Australia, Brazil, and India, as well as military advisers from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and defence attaches. Non-governmental participation features major NGOs such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Landmine Action, and national groups like Vietnam Veterans of America and Association for Aid and Relief. Specialized agencies including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, and the International Organization for Migration contribute technical perspectives.
The CSP is convened annually, often in Geneva, with preparatory intersessional meetings and standing committees modeled after practices in the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Biological Weapons Convention. Standing committees address topics such as universalization, clearance, stockpile destruction, and victim assistance, echoing structures found in meetings of the Conference on Disarmament and the Human Rights Council. Presidency of the CSP rotates regionally among states parties, similar to mechanisms employed by the United Nations General Assembly, with past presidencies held by countries like Cambodia, Mozambique, and Chile. Special sessions include the Nairobi Summit style events and intersessional workshops hosted by institutions such as the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.
Key activities include review of Article-specific obligations, adoption of action plans, endorsement of resource mobilization strategies, and issuance of formal decisions and political statements resembling outcomes from Review Conferences of other treaties. The CSP facilitates technical cooperation through partnerships with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, coordinates financing with multilateral donors such as the World Bank and bilateral partners like CIDA or USAID, and promotes victim assistance initiatives in collaboration with the World Health Organization and Red Cross Red Crescent Societies. It also hosts side events featuring research from academic centers including King's College London, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, St. Andrews University, and policy think tanks like the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The CSP functions as the principal intersessional and decision-making forum established by the Ottawa Treaty to oversee implementation, complementing the formal Meeting of States Parties and periodic Review Conference mechanisms used in other treaties such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Chemical Weapons Convention. It interprets and applies treaty articles in coordination with the Depositary Government and engages with universalization efforts alongside actors like the United Nations General Assembly and the International Court of Justice on matters of customary law. The CSP’s outputs influence national legislation in states including Germany, Spain, Italy, and Philippines and inform regional instruments in bodies such as the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Critics highlight constraints similar to those faced by the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Biological Weapons Convention, including limited enforcement mechanisms, resource shortfalls, and uneven compliance among states such as disputed cases involving Russia, United States, and China on related arms control issues. Operational challenges include clearance backlogs in affected countries like Afghanistan, Cambodia, Angola, and Laos, coordination gaps between donors and implementing organizations such as MAG and Halo Trust, and issues in victim assistance delivery noted by groups like Human Rights Watch and Landmine Survivors Network. Diplomatic tensions over universalization mirror debates in forums like the Conference on Disarmament and the United Nations Security Council, complicating outreach to non-signatory states and efforts to harmonize national military doctrines with treaty obligations.
Category:International conferences Category:Arms control