Ban Advocates Blog

To content | To menu | To Home

Victim Assistance

Entries feed - Comments feed

Friday, March 20 2009

Progress Review on Victim Assistance - Voices from the Ground

Experiences of survivors, their families and affected communities pig_blog.jpg

A juvenile breeding pig of a pig bank project in Quang Tri Province, Viet Nam: sustainable assistance to survivors and their families can take many forms depending on the social, political and economic context, the capacities of the family or community assisted and the capacities of the organization providing that assistance.

A questionnaire will be used in a document called the Progress Review on Victim Assistance-Voices from the Ground made by Handicap International-Belgium. This document will report on the experiences and knowledge of survivors, their families and communities by looking at the achievements and challenges of the past five years of victim assistance. Your answers to the questionnaire are the most important part of the document because they will help decision-makers improve victim assistance. It will also remind them of their obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty. This document will be published all over the world in September 2009.

Continue reading...

Wednesday, December 3 2008

Cluster bomb victims - key facts

Download the complete document

Cluster bomb victims key facts

These figures come from a Handicap International report, Circle of impact, The Fatal Footprint of Cluster Munitions on People and Communities, Handicap International Belgium, May 2007. The report and analysis is available on the website www.handicapinternational. be

Monday, February 18 2008

Landmine Monitor Fact Sheet

Download the complete document

Landmine Monitor Fact Sheet

Victim Assistance Coordination in Countries with Cluster Munitions Casualities

Since 1999, Landmine Monitor has reported on landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties, including those of cluster sub-munitions, and has monitored the assistance provided to address the needs of survivors. It monitors the States Parties’ commitment to the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) Article 6.3 (International Cooperation and Assistance) and the implementation of victim assistance.

Implementing Assistance

Download the complete document

Implementing Assistance

The explanatory comments to the Wellington text acknowledge the importance of facing the implementation challenge and increasing survivor/victim inclusion.

This paper shows that while progress has been made, the states’ understanding of the needs for victim assistance implementation, according to their statements during the Oslo process, is even further advanced than is currently evident in the draft treaty text. States in the Oslo process have acknowledged that the future Treaty needs to build on existing international instruments and reaffirm the notions specified in these. When performed in conjunction with other relevant conventions, stronger implementation provisions will not require significant effort and will lead to reinforced victim assistance efforts.

Thursday, December 6 2007

Assuring Assistance

Download the complete document

Assuring Assistance

Below are proposed simple, concrete concepts to enhance victim assistance in the future cluster munitions treaty, which would refine the current common ground approach.

The following elements would facilitate implementation of the victim assistance requirements. They are based on the idea that effective victim assistance needs to be defined, planned, delegated, coordinated, implemented and reported on.