Date: 4 - 5 September 2007
Host: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica
Location: San José de Costa Rica
The Costa Rica Regional Conference on Cluster Munitions was an initiative of the government of Costa Rica to gather states of Latin America in order to discuss the issue of cluster munitions regionally but also to consider the creation of the first cluster munition free zone in the world.
States have met in San José on 4-5 of September with a regional forum on cluster munitions organized by the CMC on 3 September. During the forum, regional and international speakers presented the Oslo Process and talked about the importance of Latin America in this Process; the region has a real opportunity to take the lead internationally in banning cluster munitions.
States that attended the conference
Participation at the conference was very high, as all but one of the countries invited in the region attended. Campaigners, Human Rights Watch, ICRC and representatives from UN agencies were present as well.
18 regional countries attended the Conference in San José: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, Republica Dominicana, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Key Documents
Agenda CMC por el foro regional (CMC Agenda for the Regional Forum)
Agenda conferencia latinoamericana sobre municiones de racimo
Municiones de racimo en América (Clusters in the Americas)
Principios claves de la CMC (CMC treaty principles)
Resumen final del Presidente (Conclusion of the President)
Media
CMC Comunicado de Prensa (CMC Press Release) 03 Sept. 2007
CMC Comunicado de Prensa (CMC Press Release) 05 Sept. 2007
Summary of events
Amongst the countries participating in the process for the first time, effective lobbying from campaigners sparked positive statements from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Uruguay in favor of the Oslo Process, bringing the number of countries participating in the process worldwide to 79.
At the beginning of the conference, Argentina announced that it does not produce, stockpile or transfer cluster munitions. The announcement was received favorably by the international community, especially after another past producer of cluster munitions, Chile, stated that it no longer produces cluster munitions and does not intend to produce cluster munitions in the future. Nevertheless, CMC awaits a statement from Brazil, the main producer country in South America, which still has not committed to participating in the Oslo Process although it was present in San José.
Countries have reaffirmed their support to the Oslo Process and their intention to work towards the creation of the world’s first cluster munition free zone.
Furthermore countries have called upon the caribbean States to recognize the importance of the Oslo Process and to participate actively in the next international conferences to be held in Austria, New Zealand and Ireland.
CMC interventions and other presentations
Regional Forum Speeches, 3 September 2007:
El Proceso de Oslo y la posición de América Latina, Embajada de México en Costa Rica
La primera zona libre de municiones de racimo en el mundo, Carlos Cordero Madrigal, MRE Costa Rica
El impacto humanitario de las municiones de racimo, Hildegarde Vansintjan, Handicap International, Bélgica
Derechos y necesidades de los sobrevivientes, Jesús Martínez, Landminesurvivors Network, El Salvador
Asistencia a las victimas y los vínculos con la Convención de los derechos de las personas con discapacidad, Wanda Muñoz, Handicap International, México
The development impact of cluster munitions and the role of the UN, Sara Sekkenes, UNDP
CMC Interventions during the conference, 4 - 5 September 2007:
CMC Opening Statement, 4 Sep 2007
Intervención limpieza de zonas contaminadas, Camilo Serna, Campaña Colombiana contra las minas, Colombia
La Cooperación Internacional, Maria Pia Devoto, Asociación para políticas publicas, Argentina
Asistencia a las victimas, Wanda Muñoz, Handicap International, México
Intervención necesidades y derechos de los sobrevivientes, Jesús Martínez, Landminesurvivors Network, El Salvador
CMC intervención final, Thomas Nash, Cluster Munition Coalition
Other presentations, 4 - 5 September 2007:
The development impact of cluster munitions, Sara Sekkenes, UNDP
Las municiones de racimo desde la perspectiva del Derecho Internacional Humanitario, Dominique Loye, ICRC