MR CHAIRMAN,
I HAVE THE HONOUR TO INTRODUCE DRAFT RESOLUTION A/C.53/L. 20 REV. 1 ON THE 1980 CONVENTION ON PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS WHICH MAY BE EXCESSIVELY INJURIOUS OR TO HAVE INDISCRIMINATE EFFECTS.
WITH YOUR INDULGENCE, MR CHAIRMAN, AND WITH THE INDULGENCE OF THE FIFTY COSPONSORS, I SHALL, FOR THE SAKE OF BREVITY, DISPENSE WITH READING OUT THEIR NAMES. I WISH TO STRESS THOUGH THAT WE HIGHLY APPRECIATE THEIR STEADFAST SUPPORT AND COSPONSORSHIP.
THE 1980 CONVENTION CONSISTS OF A FRAMEWORK CONVENTION AND FOUR PROTOCOLS. PROTOCOL I DEALS WITH FRAGMENTATION WEAPONS. PROTOCOL II CONCERNS MINES, BOOBY-TRAPS AND OTHER DEVICES. THE SUBJECT OF PROTOCOL III IS INCENDIARY WEAPONS. THE LAST ADDITION IS PROTOCOL IV, DEALING WITH BLINDING LASER WEAPONS.
THE CONVENTION AND ITS PROTOCOLS CONSTITUTE AN ESSENTIAL AND INTEGRAL PART OF INTERNATIONAL LAW APPLICABLE IN ARMED CONFLICT. THEIR PURPOSE IS TO PLACE CONSTRAINTS ON THE CONDUCT OF WAR BY RESTRICTING THE USE OF CERTAIN CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS. WHEN FULLY IMPLEMENTED, THE RULES CONTAINED IN THE PROTOCOLS WILL SHARPLY LIMIT OR ELIMINATE THE RISKS TO CIVILIANS AND NON-COMBATANTS, LIVES WILL BE SAVED AND SUFFERING SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED.
THE CONVENTION OFFERS A FRAMEWORK FOR GLOBAL NEGOTIATIONS TO GRADUALLY REFINE OR EXPAND THE AREAS COVERED BY IT. IN 1995-1996, THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES CONVENED AN AMENDMENT CONFERENCE TO SEEK AGREEMENTS ON FURTHER RESTRICTIONS. SWEDEN WAS HONOURED TO BE ENTRUSTED THE CHAIRMANSHIP WHICH WAS EXERCISED BY AMBASSADOR JOHAN MOLANDER.
BY THE TIME THE CONFERENCE CONCLUDED ITS WORK IN MAY OF 1996 IT HAD BEEN ABLE TO CONSIDERABLY STRENGTHEN PROTOCOL II, AND BY ADOPTING THE NEW PROTOCOL ON LASER WEAPONS.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS PROCESS CONTINUE. IN ITS FINAL DECLARATION, THE REVIEW CONFERENCE DECIDED TO CONVENE A FURTHER REVIEW CONFERENCE NOT LATER THAN 2001. THIS WILL OFFER THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES RENEWED OPPORTUNITIES TO CONSIDER MEANS TO STRENGTHEN THE PROTECTION AGAINST UNNECESSARY SUFFERING THAT CAN BE OFFERED COMBATANTS, NON-COMBATANTS AND CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICTS.
IT IS WITH A SENSE OF GREAT SATISFACTION THAT I NOTE THAT THE PROTOCOL ON BLINDING LASER WEAPONS ENTERED INTO FORCE ON 30 JULY 1998. AS OF TODAY THE NUMBER OF PARTIES THAT HAD CONSENTED TO BE BOUND BY THE PROTOCOL WAS THIRTY-ONE.
EQUALLY GRATIFYING IS THE FACT THAT TWENTY-SIX HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES NOW HAVE CONSENTED TO BE BOUND BY THE AMENDED PROTOCOL II, WHICH, AS A RESULT, WILL ENTER INTO FORCE ON 3 DECEMBER THIS YEAR.
THE DRAFT RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU REFLECTS THESE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS, AND THE FACT THAT, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE AMENDED PROTOCOL, ITS PARTIES WILL MEET ONCE YEARLY TO CONSULT AND CO-OPERATE WITH EACH OTHER ON ALL ISSUES RELATED TO THE OPERATION OF THE PROTOCOL. THE DRAFT RESOLUTION REQUESTS THE DEPOSITARY TO CONVENE A FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF PARTIES TO THE PROTOCOL IN THE COURSE OF 1999 .
DRAFT RESOLUTION L. 20 REV. 1 INTENDS TO PROMOTE THE FURTHER UNIVERSALIZATION OF THIS IMPORTANT BODY OF HUMANITARIAN LAW. ON BEHALF OF ITS FIFTY COSPONSORS, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT THE DRAFT RESOLUTION WILL BE ADOPTED BY CONSENSUS.
THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN