22 October 2012 — A delegation of civil society representatives from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Human Rights Watch, Mines Action Canada, and IKV Pax Christi met with the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Ms. Angela Kane, to deliver the Communique from the Humanitarian Disarmament Campaigns Summit.
The Humanitarian Disarmament Campaigns Summit was convened on 20-21 October 2012, by Human Rights Watch, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). The ICBL is the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Attending the summit were over ninety representatives from non-governmental organizations and global coalitions who gathered in New York for the occasion. These civil society representatives work in a variety of fields with the shared objective of protecting civilians from the harmful effects of armed violence.
The Summit Communiqué issued by 31 signatories calls for strong disarmament initiatives driven by humanitarian imperatives to strengthen international law and protect civilians.
The Communiqué calls upon all states to:
- Adopt a proactive approach to tackle existing and emerging issues of concern in humanitarian disarmament by reviewing and strengthening policy and practice, undertaking national measures, and intensifying diplomatic engagement and political leadership;
- Acknowledge that successful multilateral diplomatic work in humanitarian disarmament is best achieved when based on the will of the overwhelming majority of participating states;
- Recognize that civil society plays a vital role in tackling humanitarian disarmament concerns and work to accord a substantive role for civil society representatives in multilateral processes.
In addition to presenting the Communiqué to the High Representative, it was also distributed to delegates attending the UN General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security.
See Also:
- Communiqué (PDF)