LM Report 2000

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FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA

While the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) would appear to have made no progress towards accession to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, parliamentarians have at least agreed to find out the government’s current position.^[1] In addition, a New Zealand government official commented to Landmine Monitor that the "FSM supports the Ottawa Convention in principle and would like to sign. The FSM regards its special compact with the U.S. as requiring it to act in concert with the U.S. on the issue."^[2]

The Federation was one of 20 countries that abstained from voting on the December 1999 UN General Assembly resolution 54/54B supporting the Mine Ban Treaty. The FSM also abstained on earlier resolutions in 1996, 1997 and 1998. One possible reason could be that the Federation is linked through its Compact of Free Association with the U.S., which gives full authority and responsibility to the U.S. government for the Federation’s security and defense matters.

The Federation did not attend the First Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Maputo nor did it attend any intersessional meetings of the treaty.

In Landmine Monitor Report 1999, a representative of the Federation indicated that “The FSM does not use, produce or stockpile anti-personnel mines. The FSM National Police has informed me that it is unaware of the existence of landmines in the FSM.”^[3] The FSM is not thought to have contributed to any humanitarian mine action programs.

[1] At a meeting with ICBL Ambassador Tun Channareth, FSM parliamentarians including FSM’s Federal Government Vice Speaker, the Hon. Claude H. Philip, promised to find out FSM’s position on the treaty from the President’s office. UNICEF, Report on the Pacific visit of Tun Channareth, International Campaign to Ban Landmines Ambassador, March 22-31, 2000, p. 9.
[2] Fax from Grahame Morton, International Security and Arms Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Neil Mander, Convenor of NZ Campaign Against Landmines, 30 March 1999.
[3] Letter from M.J. Mace, Assistant Attorney General, Federated States of Micronesia to Neil Mander, Convenor NZ Campaign Against Landmines, 11 December 1998.