Conventions and considerations for the Pacific

SafeGround has been exploring the barriers, challenges and incentives to Pacific nations joining the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. AS part of this effort we co-hosted a side event at the 2RC of the Convention on Cluster Munitions with the New Zealand Permanent Mission in Geneva in September 2021.

The “Convention on Cluster Munitions – Considerations for the Pacific’ is a webinar session to discuss how Pacific countries can engage in and benefit from the Convention on Cluster Munitions. To date, only a handful of Pacific Island countries have joined the treaty. A multidisciplinary panel, including New Zealand, ICRC, SafeGround, Annie Kwai and Ian Mansfield invite you to consider this issue with us. We address the challenges and misconceptions around becoming a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, how those challenges can be overcome, how becoming a party is beneficial to Pacific nations and what support there is.

Table of Contens

[00:01:44] A Solomon Islander’s perspective by Annie Kwai

[00:08:13] ICRC International Humanitarian Law by Kelisiana Thynne

[00:15:42] Priorities in the Pacific and mine-action challenges by Ian Mansfield

[00:22:33] Convention implementation and available resources by Charlotte Skerten

[00:33:16] Barriers to treaty engagement in the Pacific by Jeanne Wills

[00:38:55] Concluding remarks