An informal roundtable discussion on the Country Coalitions Concept under the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) took place on 13 March 2019 in Geneva. The event hosted by the Implementation Support Unit of the Convention was facilitated by Sri Lanka, President of the Ninth Meeting of States Parties. The roundtable event was made possible as a result of the generous contribution of Canada.

The Country Coalitions Concept was introduced by Germany, in its capacity as the President of the Seventh Meeting of States Parties, as an initiative that builds on a country specific approach to complying with CCM commitments. The purpose of the lunchtime discussion was to bring together States Parties with outstanding CCM Article 3 and 4 obligations to exchange experiences on the numerous benefits of such a customized approach.

In that context, 16 States Parties gathered to share views and exchange best practices on the benefits of establishing country coalition partnerships to ensure the timely completion of CCM obligations. Two States Parties that have recorded progress in the implementation of their Article 4 obligations through the implementation of such a model also shared their successful experiences as a means to encourage other States Parties with outstanding obligations to establish similar partnerships.