The Second Review Conference was officially opened by H.E. Ambassador Jürg Streuli of Switzerland, President of the Ninth Meeting of the States Parties.
States Parties acclaimed H.E. Ambassador Susan Eckey of Norway as President of the Second Review Conference.
The Second Review Conference adopted its agenda.
The Second Review Conference adopted its rules of procedure.
The conference adopted the costs estimates for the Second Review Conference as well as for the two preparatory meetings held in advance of the Second Review Conference.
In keeping with past practice, the eight outgoing Co-Chairs of the Standing Committees were elected by acclamation as Vice-Presidents of the Second Review Conference: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, Italy, Japan, Thailand and Zambia.
Ambassador Clara Inés Vargas of Colombia was confirmed as Secretary-General of the Second Review Conference.
The Second Review Conference adopted its programme of work.
The review of the operation and status of the Convention started with a thematic discussion on victim assistance. Song Kosal, Youth Ambassador of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) was invited by the President of the Second Review Conference, Ambassador Susan Eckey of Norway, to introduce the topic. She was accompanied by three survivors, Tun Channareth, from Cambodia, Prasanna Kruppu from Sri Lanka andSandra Castro, from Colombia.
The outgoing Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance, Belgium and Thailand, took the floor.
The following States Parties which reported the responsibility for significant numbers of landmine survivors offered presentations highlighting their accomplishments since the First Review Conference, as concerns the assistance of victims, and the challenges they still face:
The conference interrupted its discussions on victim assistance to hear a video message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon.
The conference returned to the topic of victim assistance and other statements were delivered by:
H.E. Ambassador Jürg Streuli, President of the Ninth Meeting of the States Parties (9MSP) and Chair of the Article 5 analysing group presented his report on the work of the States Parties that were mandated to analyse the four Article 5 extension requests that were submitted in 2009.
The Second Review Conference continued with informal presentations of requests submitted under Article 5. The four States Parties requesting an extension of their Article 5 deadline were given the opportunity to informally present their requests to the conference. The presentation of each request was followed by a presentation of the analysis of the request from the 9MSP President and Chair of the Article 5 analysing group, Ambassador H.E. Jürg Streuli. After the presentation of each request and its analysis, the floor was opened for informal discussions.