Support to the Oslo Action Plan of the Ottawa Convention

The action aims at contributing to human security by supporting the implementation of the Oslo Action Plan 2020-2024, adopted by the States Parties at the Fourth Review Conference of the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (also known as the ‘Ottawa Convention’).

In the framework of the European Security Strategy and in accordance with relevant decisions of the international community, the project pursues the following specific objectives:

• working side-by-side with  States Parties to implement the survey and clearance and mine risk education and reduction aspects of the Oslo Action Plan;
• supporting States Parties to implement the victim assistance aspects of the Oslo Action Plan;
• promoting the universalisation of the Ottawa Convention and promote norms against any use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and on their destruction;
• accompanying the efforts of States Parties that retain anti-personnel mines for permitted purposes to increase reporting capabilities, ensure that the number of such mines does not exceed the minimum number absolutely necessary, and explore alternatives to live anti-personnel mines for training and research purposes where possible;
• demonstrating the ongoing commitment of the Union and its Member States to the Convention and their resolve to cooperate with those States Parties that need support in meeting their commitments under the Convention, thereby enhancing the leading role of the Union in pursuing the Convention’s vision to end suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines.

To achieve these objective, several specific projects are financed under this action, aiming at:

• supporting the implementation of Article 5 of the Convention, for international cooperation and assistance, and for transparency and exchange of information;
• enhancing victim assistance, as well as international cooperation, transparency and exchange of information;
• fostering universalisation efforts and promote the Convention’s norms;
• finding alternatives to the use of live anti-personnel mines for training, and for increased cooperation and assistance;
• demonstrating the commitment of the European Union and its Member States, as well as ensuring their visibility, in particular through annual briefings to divulge the activities and their outcomes under this action, but also by organising a closing event, thereby underlining the Union’s contribution to implement the Convention.