Press Room

A Review of Release Events & Activities

(14 October 2003)

Events to release Landmine Monitor Report 2003 took place in sixteen countries on Tuesday, 9 September 2003. In addition, campaigners in Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Ukraine, and the U.K. did media outreach on 9 September 2003. Release events are planned at a later date in Nepal (Kathmandu - Hotel Himalaya, 3 Dec.), New Zealand (Wellington - National Cathedral, 17 October), Russia (Moscow - UN Peacekeeping Museum, 26-28 Sep.)

The the full report is available online at www.icbl.org/lm/2003 (searchable by country), as well as the Executive Summary, Major Findings, Key Developments, maps and translations.

Here is a summary of how we did to amend or add something, please email Mary Wareham at wareham@hrw.org

List of Events

AUSTRALIA (Canberra - Parliament House) The Australian release of LM2003 was held this morning. Mrs Chris Gallus, Australia's Special Representative on Mine Action hosted the event and officially released the report. Stephanie Koorey, the LM researcher for Australia, emceed the event and Patricia Pak Poy and I also made presentations. About 40 people attended - mostly from the embassies. These included Afghanistan, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Russia, Egypt, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Philippines, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa, and Turkey. Most wanted copies of the report so we have run out in Australia and need more. Unfortunately no media - even though all the major media outlets were invited and have offices in Parliament House. I did send out a press release so maybe something will get in the papers tomorrow. (Sheree Bailey, Handicap International Belgium, 8 Oct.)

Photo: NVI-Bangladesh
BANGLADESH (Dhaka - Reporters Unity Club) Yesterday we arranged a grand release program for Landmine Monitor Report 2003. It started at 11.30am and continued till 1pm. Mr. M Ruhul Amin Director General UN wing MFA Bangladesh was present from government side. Anne Pignard from HI-Bangladesh and other local NGOs were also present. 2 TV channels, reporters from all national newspapers, BBC, BSS, UNB and an Iranian national news agency attended. There were over 100 participants, including about 60 media. Since 8 September local newspapers has been writing on LM-Bangladesh report-2000, 2001 and 2002. It creates good attraction of all other media. Indeed it got a good coverage. Mr. Amin gave good information to the journalists. Rafique Al Islam, Non Violence International-Bangladesh, 11 Sep.

BELGIUM (Brussels - De Markten) The release today went well, even if we didn't have much press (maximum 10 journalists all together). The good thing though was that the US, Belarus, Laos, Serbia-Montenegro, Angola, European Commission, Belgium and a few other countries were represented. Serbia-Montenegro announced that the instrument of ratification had been sent to NY. Stan Brabant, Handicap International Belgium, 9 Sep.

CAMBODIA (Phnom Penh - National Centre of Disabled Persons) We had a great launch! There was a press presence from CHINA (3 different papers), Japan Kyodo news, Reuters, Camboge Soir (the French daily), Cambodia Daily (English daily), TVK Cambodian, two other local TV stations and many local Cambodian newspapers. Representatives came from the RUSSIAN embassy, Japanese embassy and various members of the public, including landmine survivors and NPA. We presented the Monitor 2003 with the multiple copies that arrived on time and were very popular with Russia , China and the journos plus our Cambodian monitor on English and Khmer and the major findings in Khmer and English and stories of the survivors going to BKK in Khmer and English and your press release and our press release. Denise Coghlan, Cambodia Campaign to Ban Landmines, 10 Sep.

CAMEROON (Yaounde - Hilton Hotel) Jonas Mfoutaie, International Club for Peace Research.

DR Congo (Kinshasa) The release by the HIB team there went well also, here is what I just received: Great meeting, great impact and interest among Embassys and international organizations, great media impact (Zulu and I spoke to TV chains). Great job from Stephan!!! Stan Brabant, Handicap International Belgium, 9 Sep.

FINLAND (Helsinki - Finnish Parliament) On 9 September, we started the day with a closed round table meeting chaired by Mrs. Jaakonsaari, chair of the Foreign Affairs committee of the Finnish Parliament. I presented the main findings of the report - as Ian had to cancel his trip. We had a short but constructive and open discussion. After the meeting, Zlatko and I presented the report to the Parliamentarians groups and the media. This conference went well also, we had interesting questions, and Laura and Zlatko were interviewed afterwards. The Minister of Foreign Affairs opened John Rodsteds photo exhibit. The FCBL prepared a document in Finnish including the translation of the key findings, the Finnish report and the map of States Parties, signatories and non Signatories. Our Finnish colleagues were very pleased with the media coverage. Sylvie Brigot, ICBL, 11 Sep.

FRANCE (Paris - Centre d'Accueil de la Presse Etrangre/Foreign Press centre)

INDIA (New Delhi - Rainbow Higher Secondary School) Dr. Balkrishna Kurvey, Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines,

ITALY (Rome - Rappresentanza del Parlamento Europeo/European Parliament Office) We had our press conference this morning at the offices of the European Parliament with the participation of Deputy Minister Luigi Alfredo Mantica as well as Annalisa Formiconi for the LM and Emilio Emmolo presenting the Italy report. Nicoletta chaired and I gave a brief overview of the data in the report. We had a good turn out of TV crews who recorded interviews with Nicoletta (Main TV news TG1, national channel La7 and satellite channel Sat2000). We also had 4 major national dailies, the main Italian wire agency (ANSA) attending plus a series of radio outlets including Vatican Radio (Portuguese Service for Africa). We have one article coming out tomorrow on Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana and a full page on the NGO/third sector magazine Vita this coming Saturday. We also did radio interviews with Radio Avvenire, Radio Vatican (Italian, English and Portuguese for Africa services) and a few local radio stations. Articles appeared on national circulation newspapers Avvenire, il Manifesto and La Stampa. On the net, the news was covered by the Missionary News Agency and a number of web pages linked to the church, NGOs and current affairs, including the "Eritrea News In Italian" (ERINIT) web page which reproduced our summaries of the report in full. As a follow up, some TV channels have been broadcasting short spots on universalization. From Simona Beltrami, Campagna Italiana Contro/Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines, 9 Sep.

JAPAN (Tokyo - Japan Campaign to Ban Landmines office) We had Mr. Yasushi Fujii and his colleague of Kyodo News, and Ms. Mari Misumi of Mainichi Newspaper. The JCBL translated into Japanese the ICBL Press Release, a Table of Comparison of Statistic Data of LM-2003 and those in Reports previously issued (ICRC, Hidden Killers 1994, 1998 and 2001, LM 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002), Comments on Japan Chapter of LM 2003, and Comments of China Chapter of LM 2003. Mr. Yasushi Fujii and his colleague of Kyodo News, and Ms. Mari Misumi of Mainichi Newspaper attended the release event. Kyodo News, Mainichi Newspaper and Asahi Shimbun wrote intresting articles about the 5MSP and landmines problem in 6th year of Ottawa Treaty. In JCBL's News Letter issued on 30 Sep 2003, we introduced an editorial on 5MSP by Mr.Yusuke Shindo, Director of Conventional Weapons Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Japanese translation of ICBL's "What is 5MSP" and "Major Findings of the 2003 report. (Mr. Kitagawa, JCBL, 9 Sep. & 2 Oct.)

KENYA (Nairobi - Grand Regency Hotel) [GMT 13.00] About 50 guests came, incl. eleven representatives of foreign missions. The Thai Ambassador, H.E. Dr. Charivat Santaputra, delivered the keynote address and other interventions were made by the Belgian and Canadian ambassadors. (Cornelius Nyamboki, Kenya Coalition Against Landmines, 9 Sep.)

LEBANON. On September 10 in Beirut, Ken Rutherford from Landmine Survivors Network was here. We took the opportunity of a seminar on Landmine Victims and Disability Issues to announce the Landmine Monitor. It was very good. Parliament people were there. (Habouba Aoun, Landmine Resouce Center, 13 Oct.)

MALAWI (Lilongwe) A press breifing was organised where members of the print and electronic media were prsent. The report was released at this press briefing. The event came as a news item on the the national and private radio statations. Several peole also attended which included NGOs, donors and some government ministries. (Undule Mwakasungura, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, 10 Sep.)

NORWAY (Oslo - Norwegian Peoples Aid HQ) On 9 September, we had three journalists present from national broadcasting, one of the major newspapers and the Reuters representative. Think there was some more as well. So far the results were stories on the two major radios, pretty long on the larger one. Kjell Knudsen, ICBL, 9 Sep. The state TV channel had a report on the mid day news on television. We were also interviewed live in studio on one of the major radio channels. Otherwise unfortunately nothing in the major papers. Sara Sekkness, NPA, 10 Sep.

PAKISTAN (Peshawar) Our release event went very well. Almost all the media representatives of the leading national and international dailies were present. The Acting High Commissioner of Canada was the guest speaker at the event. I read the Press release and provided information to the media about the LMN. At the end there was a question answer session. The press conference got a very good coverage in the newspapers. Moreover, we got the reports before the event and that helped us a lot. (Raza Shah Khan, Sustainable Peace and Development Organization, 11 Sep.)

SENEGAL (Ziguinchor - hotel) J'ai organis la confrence de presse le vendredi 3 octobre 2003 11H avec Handicap International Sngal et le Prsident d'Amnesty Internatinal Sngal pour prsenter le rapport 2003. Etaient aussi prsent toutes les organisations de droits de l'Homme qui s'activent Ziguinchor et le Prsident de l'association des victimes demines du Sngal de mme que l'arme qui a envoy un officier du Gnie militaire et le MFDC par son secrtaire gnral qui lutte contre l'arme sngalaise. Toute la presse rgionale tait prsente(4 redios locales, 5 quotidiens nationaux et une agence de presse) soit 10 Journalistes dont certains reprsentent plusieurs journaux la fois. La confrence de presse s'est trs bien droule et j'ai distribu le rapport ainsi que des documents tirs sur le site de ICBL comme "les rsultats cls" en franais. La confrence a dur 2 heures et aprs j'ai eu des entretiens individuels avec des journalistes pour passer la radio le mme jour. Toutes les radios l'ont relats le mme jour vendredi et ds le Samedi dj, 2 journaux nationaux ont fait des comptes rendus que je vous enverrai par courrier ou scanner et les autres vont le sortir lundi quej'enverrai galement. Je prcise que toute l'organisation et le droulement a t au credit d'ICBL malgr les invits HI et Amnesty qui taient l pour m'appuyer dans la dmarche de paix. (Boubine Tour, Landmine Monitor Senegal, 6 Oct.)

SPAIN (Barcelona - Collegi de Periodistes) We held our event on 18th September, where the Landmine Monitor Report was presented together with a summary translated into Catalan, by Xavier de Montell, LM Researcher for Spain, and Moviment per la Pau. We have been interviewed by several radio programs and other media since then. (Maria Josep Pars, Moviment per la Pau, 10 Oct.)

SWITZERLAND (Geneva - UN Palais des Nations). I have just returned from the launch and, for those of you in Geneva, there should be TV news reports tonight on Swiss TV Italian (TSI at 1930H) and Swiss TV German (DSR at 2000H). Both Amb. Jean Lint and myself were interviewed. (Susan Walker, ICBL, 9 Sep.)

THAILAND (Bangkok - Foreign Correspondents Club) The event on 10 September included a panel with the ICBL coordinator, Dep. Dir. Gen. of the International Organizations Department of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Landmine Monitor Researchers for Thailand and Burma/Myanmar. The event was attended by representatives of the international press, Embassies and NGOs. After the panel, a period of questions and answers followed, and more informal discussions after the close of the formal panel. This event set the stage for many interviews and press reports throughout the following week during the Fifth Meeting of States Parties. Local and international media reports, citing information initially released during the Bangkok release, and a news release by Agence France Presse and Reuters stirred media interest for almost 2 weeks running. (Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, Thailand Campaign to Ban Landmines, 6 Oct.)

TURKEY (Istanbul - Taxim Hill Hotel, and Diyarbakir) The events were very succesfull, I got a lot of feedback and important press reports in Turkish. In Istanbul about 15 media representatives including CNN, NTV and Sky TV, Hurriyet, the most important national daily and Official Turkish News Agency(Anadolu Agency) some leftist media and also pro Kurdish media were present. I know already several local radio stations also diffused the news. The second press conference in Diyarbakir was also well attended and especially regional media showed an great interest. There were also individual intervieiw with press conference organisers. National press agencies and daily papers reported the evens in the same articles. (Mehmet Balci, Turkey Without Landmines, 10 Sep.)

UNITED STATES (Washington D.C. - National Press Club) Media came to the press briefing from Alwatan Al Arab 1, Associated Press (2), Channel One, Chicago Tribune, Defense Week, IPS, National Defense, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe, Tokyo Broadcasting System, UN Wire, Voice of America, and WIW/Solution Radio. HRW staff (Steve, Mark, Mary) also did a number of media interviews. (Briana Wilson, Human Rights Watch, 1 Oct.)