This page contains information on the mandate, structure and activities of the Amended Protocol II Group of Experts - an informal implementation mechanism established by the Tenth Annual Conference of the High Contracting Parties to Amended Protocol II (Geneva, 12 November 2008), as stipulated in paragraphs 23 and 24 of its Final Document, CCW/AP.II/CONF.10/2, as follows:

"[T]o establish an informal open-ended Group of Experts.

[...] The work of the Group of Experts shall be considered by the [...] Annual Conference. "


Monday, 23 April and Tuesday, 24 April 2012, Palais des Nations, United Nations Office at Geneva.



Main focus of the 2012 Group of Experts:


Operation and status of the Protocol

• to review the operation and status of the Protocol and consider matters arising from the national annual reports, as well as the development of technologies to protect civilians against indiscriminate effects of mines.
• to analyze the implementation by the States parties of their obligation to submit national annual reports and shall study their content, focusing on the information submitted in Form B, “Mine clearance and rehabilitation programmes.”

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)

• to continue information exchange on IEDs, IED incidents, their humanitarian effects, their prevention, as well as on the significance of the CCW framework, its norms and their implementation with respect to the IED threat.
• to continue to survey existing guidelines, best practices, and other recommendations and compile, for consideration of the High Contracting Parties, guidelines adding to existing work and aiming at addressing the diversion or illicit use of materials which can be used for IEDs.
• to continue to follow the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) process and exchange views with the IATG technical review panel with a view to, where appropriate, contributing to the review and implementation of the guidelines with the aim of enhancing IED prevention.
• to continue discussions on victim assistance so that those providing assistance bear in mind the 2008 Plan of Action on Victim Assistance of Protocol V and the principles of age- and gender-sensitive medical care, rehabilitation, psychological support, and adequate assistance for social and economic inclusion in a non-discriminatory manner.

• Mr. Jesus S. Domingo of the Philippines, Coordinator on the operation and status of the Protocol; on matters arising from reports by High Contracting Parties according to paragraph 4 of Article 13 of Amended Protocol II, as well as development of technologies to protect civilians against indiscriminate effects of mines;
• Mr. Philip Kimpton of Australia, Coordinator on Improvised Explosive Devices, assisted by Mr. Reto Wollenmann of Switzerland as Co-Coordinator

• Letter by Mr. Jesus S. Domingo on preparations for the discussion on the Operation and status of the Protocol; matters arising from reports by High Contracting Parties according to Article 13 (4) of Amended Protocol II; and development of technologies to protect civilians against indiscriminate effects of mines.
• Letter by Mr. Philip Kimpton and Mr. Reto Wollenmann on preparations for the discussion on Improvised Explosive Devices.
• Letter by Mr. Philip Kimpton and Mr. Reto Wollenmann on the draft Compilation of existing guidelines, best practices and other recommendations aiming at addressing the diversion or illicit use of materials which can be used for IEDs.
• Food-for-Thought Paper by ADH Genève: A Need for Greater Restrictions on the Use of Improvised Explosive Devices?

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs):

Compilation of existing guidelines, best practices, and other recommendations aimed at addressing the diversion or illicit use of materials which can be used for IEDs

To see a Compilation of existing guidelines, best practices, and other recommendations aimed at addressing the diversion or illicit use of materials which can be used for IEDs, please click here. The High Contracting Parties are invited to update the Compilation at any moment.

To see the presentations that were delivered by the experts during the Group of Experts, which have been submitted to the Secretariat, please click below:



Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)



Segment 1
Information exchange on IEDs, with presentations of case studies from affected countries and an exchange on national experiences with steps to prevent IED use


COLOMBIA Improvised Explosive Devices by Mr. Pablo Esteban Parra Gallego, Director of Humanitarian Demining, Presidential Programme for Mine Action

UNITED KINGDOM Counter–Improvised Explosive Devices by Lt. Col. Peter Sonnex, Royal Engineers; and Commander Tim Peacock, Royal Navy

AUSTRALIA The Challenging Scope of the Improvised Explosive Device by Brigadier Wayne Budd, Commander, ADF Counter–IED Task Force

ISRAEL Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Israel by Dr. Shmuel Zitrin

INDIA IED Threat and Response: India by Col. Girish Wagh, Ministry of Defence

PHILIPPINES Philippine IED Update by Dr. Jesus S. Domingo, Minister, Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the UN in Geneva

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Overview by Ms. Marianne Burtnett, Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO)

PERU Improvised Explosive Devices – Peru by Mr. Willyam Lucar, Coordinator General, National Mine Action Centre of Peru (Contraminas)

NEPAL Nepalese Case Study on IED & Counter Measures by Lt. Col. Nabin Silwal, Nepalese Army HQ

INDONESIA Amended Protocol II & Improvised Explosive Devices by Let. Col. Tedjasukma Ekaputra, Indonesian Armed Forces

NIGERIA Case Studies of IED Incidents in Nigeria by Maj. Abdulrazaq Kazeem, Army HQ, EOD Unit, Ministry of Defence; and Mr. Tajudeen Adeshina Adigun ASP, Police Force Headquarters

FRANCE The French Military Doctrine in Counter–IED by Lt.-Col. Jean-François Souprayen, Ecole Supérieure et d’Application du Génie, Pôle Interarmées MUNEX, Ministère de la Défense

BANGLADESH IED Effects in Bangladesh and Prevention by Lt.-Col. ASM Faisal, Bangladesh Army

The Coordinator on IEDs briefly highlighted the following presentation:
Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Centre of Excellence (Maj. Niels van Bekkum, C-IED COE)



Segment 2
Discussion on IED-relevant existing guidelines, best practices and other recommendations


North Atlantic Treaty Organization Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) "Prevention of the Diversion of Explosive Ordnances to be Employed as IED" by Dr. Frederic Peugeot, NATO Trust Fund Project Manager, NAMSA General Services Programme

World Customs Organization (WCO) "From a Project to a Programme: The Evolution of Global Shield" by Mr. Jeffrey T. Wickett, Project Manager, Program Global Shield

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) OSCE Experience on IED by Mr. Anton Martyniuk, CSBM/Project Officer, Conflict Prevention Centre

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) The UN SaferGuard Programme and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG): Securing Ammunition Stockpiles to Prevent IED Manufacture an electronic presentation by Ms. Gillian Goh, Conventional Arms Branch



Segment 3
A focus on the issue of IEDs and International Humanitarian Law

The Coordinator on IEDs briefly highlighted the following publication:

A Need for Greater Restrictions on the Use of Improvised Explosive Devices? A 'Food-for-thought' paper by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (Académie de droit international humanitaire et de droits de humains, ADH Genève)



Segment 4
IEDs and Victim Assistance (a session jointly chaired by the Co-Coordinator on IEDs and the Coordinator on Victim Assistance)

Victim Assistance by the Protocol V Coordinator on Victim Assistance, Ms. Caroline Wörgötter of Austria

IRAQ Iraqi Ministry of Health Program to Support Mines Victims by Dr. Chasib Latif Ali Al-Shumosy, Director General of Planning and Resources Development, Ministry of Health




Monday, 4 April and Tuesday, 5 April 2011, Palais des Nations, United Nations Office at Geneva.



Main focus of the 2011 Group of Experts:

• to review the operation and status of the Protocol, and consider matters arising from reports by High Contracting Parties according to paragraph 4 of Article 13 of Amended Protocol II, as well as development of technologies to protect civilians against indiscriminate effects of mines;
• to address the issue of improvised explosive devices.

• Mr. Abderrazzak Laassel of Morocco, Coordinator on the operation and status of the Protocol; on matters arising from reports by High Contracting Parties according to paragraph 4 of Article 13 of Amended Protocol II, as well as development of technologies to protect civilians against indiscriminate effects of mines;
• Mr. Reto Wollenmann of Switzerland, Coordinator on Improvised Explosive Devices.

• Annotated Provisional Programme of Work
• Letter by Mr. Reto Wollenmann of Switzerland, Coordinator on Improvised Explosive Devices.
• Letter by Mr. Abderrazzak Laassel of Morocco, Coordinator on the operation and status of the Protocol; matters arising from reports by High Contracting Parties according to Article 13 (4) of Amended Protocol II; and development of technologies to protect civilians against indiscriminate effects of mines.

To see the presentations that were delivered by the experts during the Group of Experts, which have been submitted to the Secretariat, please click here.


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