LM Report 2004

Jamaica

Key developments since 1999: Jamaica became a State Party on 1 March 1999.

Jamaica signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, ratified on 17 July 1998, and the treaty entered into force on 1 March 1999. In March and April 2004, Jamaica reported that amendments were being made to an initial draft of domestic legislation to implement the Mine Ban Treaty.^[1] Jamaica participated in the Ottawa Process and has since attended every annual meeting of States Parties (except for 2003), as well as intersessional meetings held in 2001 and 2002. On 13 February 2004, it participated in the First Preparatory Meeting for the 2004 Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty.^[2] Jamaica has submitted four Article 7 transparency reports.^[3] It has voted in favor of every annual pro-ban UN General Assembly resolution since 1996. Jamaica has appealed for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty, as well as more assistance for demining and mine survivors, and it has praised the ICBL’s Landmine Monitor initiative.^[4] The country has never produced, stockpiled, transferred, or used antipersonnel landmines, and is not mine-affected.^[5]

[1] Article 7 Report, Form A, 15 April 2004; and Letter from Amb. Raymond Wolfe, Under-Secretary, Multilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica, 25 March 2004.
[2] Letter from Amb. Raymond Wolfe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 25 March 2004.
[3] See Article 7 reports submitted 15 April 2004 (for calendar year 2003), 30 April 2003 (for calendar year 2002), 1 May 2002 (for calendar year 2001), and 25 July 2000 (for the period since September 1999).
[4] See Letter to ICBL (Elizabeth Bernstein) from Sheila Sealy Monteith, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade 17 January 2003; Statement by M. Patricia Durrant, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations on behalf of CARICOM, First Committee of the UNGA, New York, 12 October 2001, p.4; Statement by Jamaica, First Meeting of States Parties, Maputo, 3-7 May 1999, p.4; Statement by Amb. Stafford Neil, Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the UN, First Committee of the UNGA 58th Session, 9 October 2003.
[5] Article 7 Report, Form B, 30 April 2003.