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Foxes in a hen house

© DanChurchAid

My close friends know that I am a bit possessed (as en euphemism for utterly annoying) with my wish to decipher the roots of proverbs, i.e. how did they come about and what do they actually mean.

I was thinking throughout the morning session today how the proverb that I decided to put now in the title of this first blog reflected the reality in the conference room. And of course imagining the scenarios how the proverb came about. Do not worry, I, as every other normal woman multitask, thus I was listening to the speakers and thinking about the proverb at the same time. So while the speakers were speaking I was thinking of a scene going something like: Farmer hears a big commotion in the henhouse and goes to find out what’s going on. As he opens the door, he asks, “Who’s in there?” The fox replies, “Ain’t nobody here but us hens.”

Preventing future cluster bombs casualties

This thinking did not really cheer me up as I was already feeling complete anticlimax compared to the opening ceremony that started on a very positive and inspiring mode, by first speaker being Branislav Kapetanovic, the cluster survivor from Serbia. He reminded us why we are here, which is to prevent future casualties by prohibiting the weapon.

“Like foxes in a hen house, there are countries going to Lima who want to cause as much mischief as possible. They favour a go-slow, aim-low approach intended to wreck the best chance we have had in a generation to secure a new cluster bomb treaty. We'll be watching them closely,” said Simon Conway of the British Landmine Action, and Co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition. This was written in the Cluster Munitions Coalition ( www.stopclusterbombs.org ) press release that was issued on 19 May 2007. Spot on it was, I was thinking at lunch time.

And the commotion in the henhouse started (and the most disturbing thing is that I did not want to see myself as a hen) immediately after the great opening ceremony. Continue reading as this fable has a happy ending at least today.

Lazy hens...

Instead of continuing in this spirit certain countries started raising issues of changing the agenda, so that they could go home because of their early flights and national holidays (sic!). So I was initially disturbed by the fact that some delegates obviously will spend more time flying to and from Lima then actually working and started worrying about all the wasted CO2 emissions. Just lazy hens, no foxes yet.

Then the disturbance really kicked in when a lot of countries started to push for moving of the issues of definitions (what will we prohibit under the word cluster) to today’s session from Friday. Being very adamant that definitions are the core issue (I (or my naïveté) of course thought that protecting future civilian casualties was the issue) and should thus be discussed ASAP – thus wasting first half hour of the conference that they wanted to shorten discussing shortening it… Go figure.

The compromise was eventually reached that the discussion will be held tomorrow afternoon. With only few of feathers slightly ruffled, the day then continued and actually ended on a great note for us hens. All the countries were in agreement that the comprehensive approach on the treaty that would encompass in addition to prohibition of use, stockpiling, transfer and production of cluster munitions also provisions on victim assistance, clearance and risk education and stockpile destruction. And that is what we wanted. We wanted countries to agree that they want a comprehensive treaty, helping the victims and not only a disarmament treaty that would only regulate the weapon and not solve the actual problem.

So writing this I feel less like a hen. And I do not want to say that I feel like a fox either. Foxy maybe.

To be continued....

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