President of the CCM 2^nd Review Conference (2RC), H.E. Mr. Félix Baumann, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Conference on Disarmament, hosted an informal virtual briefing on 8 June 2020 to update the CCM community on the process towards the Review Conference.

Ambassador Baumann informed that the First Preparatory Meeting would be an all-day meeting potentially on 29 June 2020 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. In consideration of Swiss national guidelines on gathering and travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 situation, the First Preparatory Meeting of the 2RC that was scheduled for 8 June 2020 had to be postponed to a later date. A silence procedure to confirm the new date will be held this week. In keeping with national safety measures, options on the nature of this meeting were still being considered and would likely permit only one person per delegation or entity to attend the First Preparatory Meeting physically. To optimize inclusivity and productivity, the Meeting would be webcast for the benefit of those delegation members unable to be present in the conference room. Interpretation services in all six UN languages would also be made available for all participants.

During the briefing, the President provided an update on the three main documents of the 2RC: the Review Document, the Lausanne Action Plan (LAP) and the Political Declaration. He reminded that the first draft of the Review Document had already been circulated and that the numerous comments received on the Document were being incorporated. A revised version would be shared at a later date. A zero draft of the LAP was being developed by the presidency taking into consideration the comments provided by the CCM community and would serve as a basis for discussion at the First Preparatory Meeting. As the LAP will be a crucial tool for CCM implementation for the next five years, consultations on it would continue to be held up to the Second Preparatory Meeting scheduled for 4 September 2020. Elements of the Political Declaration would be presented ahead of the Second Preparatory Meeting for a substantial discussion during that Meeting. The three documents will be presented at the 2RC for adoption by CCM States Parties.

The First Preparatory Meeting would also start to consider institutional matters concerning the machinery of the Convention, implementation support and its financing as well as the financing of the Convention. The President assured that the Programme of Work would be circulated as soon as possible.

Ambassador Baumann was pleased to announce that the 2RC would be convened at the SwissTech Convention Center from 23 to 27 November 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland. He stated that the presidency, in partnership with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), would launch a public photo exhibition in August to showcase the impact of cluster munitions. The exhibition would take place in several cities around Switzerland.

President of the 2^nd Review Conference (2RC), H.E. Mr. Félix Baumann, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Conference on Disarmament, held a virtual briefing on 18 June 2021 to provide an update on the process in the lead up to the hosting of Part 2 of the 2RC.

Ambassador Baumann reminded that due to the COVID-19 situation, States Parties to the Convention had agreed for the 2RC to take place in two parts. Part 1 was held in virtual format on 25-27 November 2020 and Part 2 has been further postponed until the health situation allows for the holding of the Conference in hybrid format. Since the beginning of the year, the President has continuously monitored the situation and provided States Parties with regular updates through letters.

The recent easing of gathering restrictions that came into effect on 31 May 2021 allows for conferences organized by international organizations to take place as long as certain conditions are met, such as occupying a maximum of half of the available seats in the venue and maintaining a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between each seat. The Swiss Presidency had worked with the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) to explore options for dates to conclude the Review Conference before the summer holidays. Unfortunately, due to various logistical obstacles, no feasible dates could be obtained during this period.

After consultation with the Coordination Committee, Ambassador Baumann affirmed that the most realistic option would be to hold the 2RC Part 2 during the week originally foreseen for the 10^th Meeting of States Parties (10MSP), potentially on 20-21 September 2021, as a room had already been reserved for the event. A silence procedure to confirm the proposed new dates of the Conference will be held soon, followed by another briefing by the President in late August or early September.

President of the 2^nd Review Conference, H.E. Mr. Félix Baumann, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Conference on Disarmament, held an informal briefing on 27 August 2021 to provide information on the organization of Part 2 of the 2RC and update on the process in the lead up to the Conference. The briefing was held in hybrid format at the Palais des Nations where remote participation was also made possible.

During the briefing, Ambassador Baumann instructed on the programme of the 2RC Part 2, which States Parties have agreed by silence procedure to convene in hybrid format on 20-21 September 2021. He advised that the Conference will be held in 3 two-hour sessions each day (10:00-12:00 hrs, 13:00-15:00 hrs and 16:00-18:00 hrs) and that the high-level segment will be taking place during the first session of the Conference. Furthermore, he informed that the Article 4 extension requests of Afghanistan, Chile and Mauritania will be considered at the Conference.

Ambassador Baumann further notified that informal consultations will be held with CCM stakeholders on 6 and 13 September 2021 ahead of the 2RC Part 2 and that details of the meetings will be communicated by the Secretariat in due time.