KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MINE BAN TREATY
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE MINE BAN TREATY SINCE MAY 2000 BY REGION AFRICA States Parties Benin. Benin has set up an interministerial
commission to consider the measures needed nationally to implement the Mine Ban
Treaty. With French support, Benin is
establishing a regional demining training center open to other African
countries, which should become operational in mid-2002. Botswana. The Mine Ban Treaty entered
into force for Botswana on 1 September 2000.
As of July 2001, Botswana had not yet submitted its first Article 7
transparency report that was due on 28 February 2001. Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso
has proposed a draft decree, including penal sanctions for violation, to
implement the Mine Ban Treaty at the national level. It submitted its first Article 7 transparency report on 4
December 2000. Cape Verde. Cape Verde ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on
14 May 2001. Chad. A Landmine Impact Survey was completed in
May 2001. Approximately 300 mine- and
UXO-related casualties were recorded in the past two years. Chad has not submitted its Article 7
reports, due 29 April 2000 and 30 April 2001.
Congo-Brazzaville.
Congo-Brazzaville acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 May 2001. A military official told Landmine Monitor
that the country has a stockpile of some 700-900,000 antipersonnel mines, and
that an inventory of all the stocks is being conducted throughout the country
by the army. This is the first time
Congo-Brazzaville revealed information about its mine stockpile. Côte d’Ivoire. Côte d’Ivoire
became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty on 1 December 2000. The Article 7 transparency report, due at
the end of May 2001, had not yet been submitted as of July. A Côte d’Ivoire Campaign to Ban Landmines
was established in December 2000. Djibouti. In February 2001, a National Mine Action
Center was inaugurated in Djibouti. In
November 2000, Djibouti hosted a conference on landmines for the Horn of Africa
and Gulf of Aden states. Djibouti has
not yet submitted its first Article 7 report, due in August 1999. Gabon. Gabon ratified the Mine Ban
Treaty on 8 September 2000 and became a State Party on 1 March 2001. Ghana. Ghana ratified the Mine Ban
Treaty on 30 June 2000 and it entered into force on 1 December 2000. Guinea-Bissau. Guinea-Bissau
ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 22 May 2001.
The nongovernmental organization HUMAID began demining operations in
January 2000, and through February 2001 had cleared some 44,392 square meters
of land, removing 1,284 antipersonnel mines, 45 antitank mines, and 264 UXO,
mostly in Bissau city. In mid-2000 the
UNDP began support aimed at creation of an integrated mine action program in
Guinea-Bissau. A national mine action
coordination body, the National Center for Coordination of Anti-mines Actions
(CAAMI), was established in late 2000, and a draft National Humanitarian Mine
Action Program (PAAMI) was prepared in early 2001. Kenya. Kenya ratified the Mine Ban
Treaty on 23 January 2001. UXO victims
in Kenya are currently seeking legal redress from the British government, which
undertakes joint military training exercises in northern Kenya. British Royal Engineers started clearing
munitions early April 2001. Liberia. The Mine Ban Treaty entered into force for
Liberia on 1 June 2000. An independent
panel of experts is investigating UN allegations that weapons including
antipersonnel mines have been imported by Liberia in violation of the UN
embargo. Despite fighting in Lofa
county in Liberia there are no reports of mine use. Malawi. There was one mine
incident in Malawi in 2000, resulting in five casualties. Malawi reports that it is in the process of
enacting national implementing legislation, but it has still not submitted its
required Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report, due on 28 August 1999. In December 2000, the United States did not
approve Malawi for US demining assistance. Mali. Mali has adopted legislation to
implement the Mine Ban Treaty at the national level. In February 2001, Mali hosted the Bamako Seminar on the Universalization
and Implementation of the Ottawa Convention in Africa, attended by 45 African
governments. Mali’s initial
transparency report required by Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 was finally submitted
on 17 May 2001. Mauritania. On 1 January
2001, Mauritania became the 100th State Party to the Mine Ban
Treaty. A two-year US assistance
program has helped create a long-term indigenous mine action program in
Mauritania. By early 2001, 141 hectares
and 202 kilometers of roads had been cleared, 27 minefields had been identified
and some 3,200 antipersonnel mines and 2,300 unexploded shells destroyed. Mauritania has reported destruction of its
antipersonnel mine stockpile (about 5,000 mines), and intends to keep 5,918 antipersonnel
mines for training purposes. Mauritius. Mauritius
enacted the Anti-Personnel Mines (Prohibition) Act in April 2001. As of July 2001, Mauritius had still not
submitted its first Article 7 report, due on 27 August 1999. Mozambique. According to the National Demining Institute, in 2000 a total of 4.98
million square meters of land was cleared, including over 317 kilometers of
road. Landmine casualties continued to
decline dramatically, from 133 casualties in 1998, to 60 in 1999, to 25 in 2000. The initial findings of the Mozambique
Landmine Impact Survey were released in June 2001. It found that all ten provinces and 123 out of 128 districts in
Mozambique are mine-affected. The survey identified 1,374 suspected mined
areas, covering an estimated 562 square kilometers. Mozambique submitted its
first Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report, which provided the first
public details on Mozambique’s stockpile of 37,818 antipersonnel mines. Namibia. It appears that both Angolan
UNITA rebel forces and Angolan government forces have used antipersonnel mines
inside Namibia. The number of mine
incidents has risen dramatically since 1999.
Police statistics show that in 2000, 14 people were killed and 125
injured in mine incidents. The
US-sponsored mine clearance program came to end on 8 February 2001. Namibia has still failed to submit its
initial Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report due on 27 August 1999. Rwanda. There are serious allegations
of antipersonnel mine use by Rwandan troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
particularly in June 2000. Rwanda
denies the allegations. Mine clearance
operations resumed in Rwanda in June 2000.
As a result by January 2001, 2,966 mines and UXO were removed and 11,337
square meters of land were cleared for resettlement. Senegal.
There continue
to be allegations of use of mines by the MFDC rebels. The number of new mine casualties decreased slightly to
fifty-seven in 2000. Seychelles. Seychelles ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on
2 June 2000 and became a State Party on 1 December 2000. Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 25 April
2001. Sierra Leone has acknowledged
that it has a small stockpile of 900 antipersonnel mines. South
Africa. South Africa has continued to play a
leading role in the intersessional work program of the Mine Ban Treaty. South African companies continued to carry
out mine clearance operations and extensive research and development on
demining technology and mine clearance equipment. Tanzania. Tanzania ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 13 November
2000. The treaty came into force for Tanzania on 1 May 2001. Tanzania is the only State Party that has
not revealed whether or not it currently maintains a stockpile of antipersonnel
mines. Field visits by Landmine Monitor
to the border area between Tanzania and Burundi showed that there continue to
be landmine victims arriving from Burundi in northwest refugee camps. Togo: Togo became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty on 1
September 2000, but has not yet adopted national measures to implement the
treaty or submitted its first Article 7 transparency report. In December 2000, four local NGOs
established the Togolese Campaign to Ban Antipersonnel Mines Uganda: Landmine Monitor has continued to receive
disturbing reports that indicate a strong possibility of use of antipersonnel
mines by Ugandan forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo in June 2000. Landmine Monitor believes that these serious
and credible allegations merit the urgent attention of States Parties, who
should consult with the Ugandan government and other relevant actors in order
to seek clarification, establish the facts, and resolve these questions
regarding compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty.
The Ugandan government denies that it used antipersonnel mines in the
DRC. There continue to be new mine casualties in northern
Uganda. The Mines Advisory Group
completed the first assessment of the mine situation in Uganda in May 2001. Zambia. Zambia ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 23
February 2001; the treaty entered into force for Zambia on 1 August 2001. UNMAS carried out an assessment mission in
May-June 2000, and the US State Department conducted an assessment mission in
October 2000. Zimbabwe. In January 2001, Zimbabwe enacted The Anti-Personnel Mines (Prohibition) Act, 2000. In November 2000, Zimbabwe destroyed its
stockpile of 4,092 antipersonnel mines.
It has decided to retain 700 mines for permitted training purposes. European Union-funded mine clearance was
terminated in December 2000. Zimbabwean
officials strongly denied allegations of use of antipersonnel mines by
Zimbabwean forces deployed in the DR Congo, as reported in Landmine Monitor Report 2000. Zimbabwe became co-chair of the
Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention in
September 2000. AFRICA Angola. Both government and UNITA
forces have continued to use antipersonnel mines, even though the Angolan
Parliament approved ratification of the Mine Ban Treaty in July 2000. Major mine action NGOs report clearing some 5.8 million square meters
of land in 2000. INAROEE reported that
1,335 antipersonnel mines, 51 antivehicle mines, and 75,017 UXO were destroyed
through clearance operations. UNICEF
reports that mine awareness campaigns reached more than 237,000 people in
2000. During 2000, there were 840
landmine and UXO casualties recorded. Burundi. It seems certain that antipersonnel mines have
continued to be used in the ongoing conflict in Burundi. There have been allegations of use by both
government and rebel forces. Landmine
Monitor has not been able to obtain conclusive evidence regarding which
belligerents are responsible for mine use.
The government appointed an interministerial commission to oversee and
facilitate the Mine Ban Treaty ratification process. Cameroon. Although Cameroon has passed national legislation to
ratify the Mine Ban Treaty, as of July 2001 it had not deposited its instrument
of ratification with the United Nations.
Despite not being a State Party, on 14 March 2001 it submitted a
transparency report as required by Mine Ban Treaty Article 7; it declared a
stockpile of 500 antipersonnel mines. Ethiopia. The border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea came to an end in June
2000. A variety of mine action
activities are underway. A Mine Action Coordination Center has been established
within the United Nations Mission on Eritrea and Ethiopia, and the government
has created an Ethiopian Mine Action Office. The NGO HALO Trust
conducted a rapid assessment survey.
Mine awareness activities and survivor assistance programs expanded.
Still, there were 170 new mine casualties in just the Tigray region in 2000. There have continued to be reports of mine use by
Ethiopia as well as Eritrea during their border war from May 1998 to June 2000. While Landmine Monitor does not have
conclusive evidence, there are strong indications that Ethiopian forces used
antipersonnel mines during the conflict.
In June and July 2001 letters to Landmine Monitor, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs denied any use of antipersonnel mines by Ethiopia. Sudan.
There are strong
indications that both government and rebel forces in Sudan continued to use
antipersonnel mines. The government
continues to deny use. The first
meeting of the Sudan Mine Network, established to coordinate mine action, was
held in April 2001. Between September
1997 and March 2001 clearance teams have removed 2,816 antipersonnel mines, 411
antitank mines, and 88,019 UXO. Sudan
has recovered 2,972,024 square meters of land, along with 676 miles of road. AFRICA Non-Signatories Central African Republic. The Central
African Republic, a non-signatory, attended the Bamako Seminar on the
Universalization and Implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty in Africa, in
February 2001, and also attended the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional Standing
Committee meetings in Geneva in May 2001. The Central African Republic had
never before participated in international diplomatic landmine meetings. Democratic Republic of Congo. The government of President Joseph Kabila has
expressed its intention to join the Mine Ban Treaty. The DRC reportedly completed the domestic procedures necessary to
accede to the Mine Ban Treaty on 28 March 2001. However, as of July the instrument of accession had not yet been
formally deposited at the United Nations.
Since May 2000, there has been continued use of antipersonnel mines in
the DRC, even as the fragile peace takes hold.
An April 2001 UN report stated, “During the disengagement phase, [UN
observers] received information indicating the presence of minefields laid by
the belligerent forces to protect their front-line positions,” and remarked on
“both the increased number of new defensive positions and the danger of
mines.” Landmine Monitor has been
unable to confirm definitively which of the fighting parties have used
antipersonnel mines. In light of
continued serious allegations regarding use by Mine Ban Treaty States Parties,
Landmine Monitor strongly urges States Parties as a matter of priority to
consult, seek clarifications, and cooperate with each other to establish the
facts and resolve questions regarding antipersonnel mine use in the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Eritrea. Since the border war
between Eritrea and Ethiopia
came to an end in June 2000, Eritrea has acknowledged use of antipersonnel
mines during the conflict. A variety of
mine action activities are underway. A
Mine Action Coordination Center has been set up within the United Nations
Mission on Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE).
The Eritrean Mine Action Center has been established as the coordinator
of all mine action in Eritrea. The HALO
Trust has conducted a rapid assessment survey of danger areas. Training of deminers is underway. Eritrea has submitted to UNMEE a detailed
map and 313 comprehensive minefield records. Nigeria: On
10 May 2000, the Federal Executive Council resolved that Nigeria should join
the Mine Ban Treaty. The decision of
the Council is in the process of being implemented. Somalia. According to UNDP Somalia, as of July 2001,
a Puntland Mine Action Center was being established and a Mogadishu Mine Action
Center will be established in September 2001.
UNDP Somalia indicates demining in Somalia can begin in October 2001. The Survey Action Center carried out an
Advance Survey Mission in March 2001.
Agreement of government authorities has been obtained to conduct a
Landmine Impact Survey. In 2000, in two
regions of central Somalia, there were 147 mine casualties. AMERICAS States Parties Argentina. Argentina co-hosted a regional seminar on
stockpile destruction in November 2000.
Argentina submitted its initial Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency
report, which made public for the first time details on its stockpile of 89,170
antipersonnel mines. An Office for
Humanitarian Demining has been established in the Office of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff. Bolivia. For the first time, Bolivia provided
detailed information to Landmine Monitor on Chilean minefields near its
border. In January 2001
parliamentarians from Bolivia and Chile met and issued a joint declaration on
demining their common border. Bolivia
has not submitted its required Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report
annual updates in 2000 and 2001. Brazil. Domestic legislation to implement the Mine
Ban Treaty is currently before the Senate.
Brazil submitted its initial Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency
report, which made public for the first time details about Brazil’s stockpile
of 34,562 antipersonnel mines. Brazil
intends to retain 16,550 mines for training, the most of any State Party. Canada. Canada has continued to play its leadership
role in promoting universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban
Treaty. It coordinated the
Universalization Contact Group, and co-organized regional conferences in Mali,
Mongolia and Poland. It took
responsibility for work related to operationalizing Article 8 on
compliance. It promoted stockpile
destruction, including co-organizing seminars in Buenos Aires and Budapest. It
has served as co-rapporteur of the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance. The
government contributed US$14.6 million to mine action programs. Colombia. Colombia ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 6
September 2000. Guerrilla groups
continued to use antipersonnel landmines.
Landmine Monitor identified a growing number of mine-affected areas,
including at least 168 municipalities in 27 departments in all five regions of
Colombia. A new pilot project on mine
awareness and victim assistance is being implemented in 16 municipalities. A total of 83 mine casualties were recorded
in 2000, an increase from 63 in 1999.
From January through July 2001, 138 mine casualties were recorded. Colombia has reported a stockpile of 18,294
antipersonnel landmines. Costa Rica. Domestic implementation legislation has
been introduced to the Legislative Assembly.
Costa Rica has not yet submitted its initial Article 7 transparency
report, due by 27 February 2000.
According to current plans, mine clearance is due to be completed in
July 2002. Dominican Republic.
The Dominican
Republic ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 30 June 2000. Ecuador. Ecuador and the Organization of American
States signed a Framework Agreement for an Integrated Mine Action Program in
Ecuador. Ecuador has reported that it
is retaining 16,000 antipersonnel mines for training, the second highest number
of any State Party. El Salvador. For the first time, the Armed Forces has
told Landmine Monitor that El Salvador has a stockpile of 5,657 antipersonnel
mines. Although the government has
declared itself “mine-free,” the International Demining Group, and its partner
organization CORDES, identified 53 mine- and UXO-affected sites in
Chalatenango, Cabañas, Cucatlán and Usulután departments. A mine action project, including demining, by
IDG was scheduled to start in late 2001.
El Salvador has not submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report,
due 27 December 1999. Guatemala. Clearance of unexploded ordnance in the
northern areas of El Quiché department was completed in March 2001; clearance
of all 13 departments considered high risk is scheduled for completion by
2004. There were no reported casualties
in 2000 or 2001. Guatemala submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report
on 2 March 2001. Honduras. On 2 November 2000 Honduras destroyed its
stockpile of 7,441 antipersonnel mines, except for an uncertain number retained
for training purposes. Honduras is
serving as co-rapporteur of the intersessional Standing Committee on Victim Assistance. The mine clearance operation along the
border is scheduled for completion in September 2001. Nicaragua. Nicaragua is the host of the Third Meeting
of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, which takes place from 18 to 21
September 2001 in Managua. Since
September 2000, Nicaragua has served as co-chair of the Standing Committee on
Victim Assistance. A total of 70,000
antipersonnel mines have been destroyed from stockpiles since 1999, and
stockpile destruction is scheduled for completion by December 2002. As of April 2001, a total of 2.1 million
square meters of land had been cleared, including 64,874 landmines. More than 70,000 mines were still in the
ground at 369 mined areas along the border with Honduras and 39 sites in the
interior. Mine clearance along
Nicaragua’s border with Costa Rica was reported completed in April 2001. New mine victims including fatalities are
reported in 2001. Perú. Perú has served as co-chair of the Mine Ban
Treaty Standing Committee on Mine Clearance.
Perú reduced the number of antipersonnel mines it intends to retain for
training to 5,578. From March 2000
through July 2001, Peru destroyed 117,506 stockpiled antipersonnel mines. An interministerial Foreign Affairs and
Defense Working Group was established in 2000 to coordinate mine action and develop
a national plan. In May 2001, Perú and
the Organization of American States signed an agreement to support integrated
mine action in the country. New mine casualties were reported in 2000 and 2001,
both civilian and military. Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad and Tobago
became the first Caribbean state to adopt domestic implementing legislation in
September 2000 Uruguay. Uruguay ratified the Mine Ban
Treaty on 7 June 2001. The Ministry of
Defense provided Landmine Monitor with details on its stockpile and
destruction. As of July 2001, Uruguay
had a stockpile of 1,918 antipersonnel mines, and it had destroyed a total of
242 stockpiled antipersonnel mines since May 2000. Venezuela. As of July 2001, Venezuela had not yet
submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report, due 29 March 2000. Venezuelan military sources indicate that
Venezuela holds a small number of antipersonnel mines in stock for training
purposes. AMERICAS Signatories Chile. In May 2001 the Chilean Senate passed
ratification legislation. As of July
2001, the President had not signed the legislation into law. The Army has approximately 25,000
antipersonnel mines stockpiled. The
Navy destroyed 2,000 M16 mines on 6 November 2000. There are no reports of significant mine clearance
operations. Landmine Monitor fieldwork
has produced new information on mined areas. AMERICAS United States of America. A White
House-directed landmine policy review began in June 2001. Decisions are pending on the continued development
and production of two key alternatives to antipersonnel mines, RADAM and NSD-A,
both of which may be inconsistent with the Mine Ban Treaty. The total budget for the landmine
alternatives program was nearly $50 million in fiscal year 2000; spending
estimates for fiscal years 2001 and 2002 are $100 million for each year. The United States contributed $97 million to
mine action programs in 37 countries is fiscal year 2000 and plans to spend a
comparable amount in fiscal year 2001.
The U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines hosted the ICBL’s General Meeting and
held a “Ban Landmines Week” in Washington, DC in March 2001. There were two mine incidents that injured
U.S. military personnel during the reporting period, in Kosovo and South Korea. ASIA-PACIFIC Australia. The Australian government announced a
collaborative program with the Australian Network of the ICBL to encourage
universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty in the Southeast Asia region. Australia was named President of the Review Conference
of the CCW. Australia became
co-rapporteur of the Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Stockpile
Destruction. It destroyed another 6,460
previously unrecorded antipersonnel mines and revised downward the number of
antipersonnel mines retained for training purposes to 7,845. Australia provided clarification that it is
a former producer of antipersonnel mines.
Approximately US$6.8 million was committed or spent on mine action
programs in the 2000/2001 fiscal year. Bangladesh. On 6 September 2000 Bangladesh ratified the
Mine Ban Treaty, and it entered into force on 1 March 2001. According to Bangladesh officials, Myanmar
government forces have continued to plant antipersonnel mines inside Bangladesh
territory. From January 2000 to March
2001, at least nine people were killed and six injured by landmines. Cambodia. A comprehensive Cambodian National Level
One Survey is underway and is expected to be completed by the end of 2001. In the year 2000: a total of 32.2 million
square meters of land was cleared, including 22,613 antipersonnel mines; mine
awareness education was provided in 903 villages, reaching 627,244 people; and
802 people were injured or killed in mine incidents, a decrease of 24 percent
from the previous year. An additional
328 people were injured or killed between January and April 2001. In September 2000, a new coordinating body,
the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, was established. The Cambodian Mine Action Center faced a
funding crisis that resulted in the lay-off of most CMAC employees and the
closure of the bulk of demining operations on 13 October 2000. Although Cambodia declared in 1999 that it
destroyed all of its stockpiled antipersonnel mines, local communities have
said that many military regions still have stores of antipersonnel mines. Japan. Japan has served as the co-chair of the
Mine Ban Treaty’s Standing Committee on Victim Assistance since September
2000. Japan destroyed more than 220,000
antipersonnel mines by the end of February 2001, and expects to destroy an
additional 380,000 by the end of February 2002. After increasing significantly to $13.2 million in 1999, Japanese
mine action funding decreased to $11.86 million in 2000. On 26 December 2000, Japan announced a new
commitment to provide 500 million yen for research and development of new
demining technology. Kiribati. Kiribati acceded to the Mine
Ban Treaty on 7 September 2000. Malaysia. In January
2001, Malaysia completed the destruction of all 94,721 antipersonnel mines in
its stockpile. Malaysia has served as the co-chair of the Standing Committee on
Stockpile Destruction since September 2000.
Domestic legislation, the
Anti-Personnel Mines Convention Implementation Act 2000, took effect on 15 June
2000. Maldives. Maldives ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 7
September 2000 and it entered into force for Maldives on 1 March 2001. Nauru. Nauru acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 7
August 2000. New Zealand. New Zealand has continued its international
advocacy in support of the Mine Ban Treaty, and its financial and in-kind
contributions to mine action programs.
In March 2001, it co-hosted a United Nations Asia-Pacific Regional
Disarmament Conference, which included discussion on landmines. Philippines. The Mine Ban
Treaty entered into force for the Philippines on 1 August 2000. Increased hostilities resulted in increased
landmine use by three rebel groups: the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the New
People’s Army, and the Abu Sayyaf Group.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines identified 40 landmine incidents in
2000, resulting in 64 casualties, including 19 civilians. Although the Philippines previously
destroyed all of its Claymore mines, it is now pursuing the possibility of acquiring
new Claymore mines. Thailand. A Level One Landmine Impact Survey was
carried out from September 2000-May 2001.
The survey identified 530 mine-affected communities in 27 provinces, and
recorded 3,472 mine victims, including 350 injured or killed during the last
two years. Since August 2000, two new
Humanitarian Mine Action Units have been organized, trained, and deployed. A total of 69,346 stockpiled antipersonnel
mines were destroyed from January through June 2001. Thailand has decided to reduce the number of mines retained for
training to 4,970. In September 2000,
Thailand became co-rapporteur of the Standing Committee on General Status and
Operation of the Convention. Thailand
has accused Myanmar forces of laying mines inside Thailand. ASIA-PACIFIC Afghanistan. In the year 2000, an average of about 88
mine and UXO casualties per month were recorded, a sharp decline from recorded
casualties in 1999. In 2000, mine
action organizations marked and mapped about 126 million square meters of mine
and UXO contaminated land, and cleared about 104 million square meters of mine
and UXO contaminated land. A total of
13,542 antipersonnel mines, 636 antitank mines and 298,828 UXO were destroyed
during these clearance operations. Mine awareness organizations provided formal
mine awareness training to more than one million people. MAPA experienced a severe shortage of funds
in 2000 and as a result could not achieve its operational targets for the year
and had to lay off five manual mine clearance teams, two technical survey teams
and two international experts. Mine
action operations were suspended in Badghais and Faryab provinces after seven
mine awareness workers were killed in August 2000. The Taliban and their opposition, the Northern Alliance, have
accused each other of laying new landmines.
The Northern Alliance denied use to Landmine Monitor, but admitted to an
EU mission that they continued to use antipersonnel mines. Burma (Myanmar).
Myanmar government
forces and at least eleven ethnic armed groups continue to lay antipersonnel
mines in significant numbers. The
governments of Bangladesh and Thailand both protested use of mines by Myanmar
forces inside their respective countries.
In a disturbing new development,
mine use is alleged to be taking place under the direction of loggers and
narcotics traffickers, as well as by government and rebel forces. India. India has for the first time
designed a remotely-delivered antipersonnel mine system for trial evaluation
and prototype production. It has also
designed for production a detectable version of its hand-laid, non-metallic M14
mine. According to government
sources, 129 civilians were killed and 715 were injured as a result of landmine
and IED incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2000. Democratic People’s Republic
of Korea. The leaders of North Korea and South Korea discussed
the landmine issue at their June 2000 summit meeting. North Korea agreed to build a transportation linkage across the
Demilitarized Zone requiring a major mine clearance operation in the DMZ in
2001, but the project has been suspended. Republic of Korea. In September 2000, South Korea began a transport
linkage project across the DMZ that will require clearing thousands of
landmines, but the project has been suspended.
South Korea states it cleared 1,100 antipersonnel mines below the DMZ
and 4,800 antipersonnel mines in the rear areas in 2000. There were six civilian and thirteen
military mine casualties reported in 2000.
South Korea produced about 7,000 KM18A1 Claymore mines in 2000. South Korea ratified CCW Amended Protocol II
on 9 May 2001. Lao P.D.R. In 2000, 7.42
million square meters of land were cleared and 80,538 UXO and mines were
destroyed. In the half of 2001, 43,851
UXO and mines were destroyed. According
to UXO LAO, in 2000, 39 people were killed and 63 injured by UXO. Mongolia. Ministry of
Defense officials acknowledge the existence of significant stockpiles of
antipersonnel mines. A
government-sponsored conference on landmines was held on 27-28 June 2001. Nepal. Maoist rebels have used homemade landmines
in ever-greater numbers as conflict expands.
There are now serious indications that government police forces may be
using mines as well. Parliamentarians
have confirmed that the Army has a stockpile of antipersonnel mines. The government reported 2,456 mine
incidents, killing 1,366 people, from February 1996 to June 2000. For the year 2000, the Nepal Campaign to Ban
Landmines identified 182 casualties from landmines and improvised explosive
devices. Pakistan. It appears Pakistan is engaged in new production of both hand-emplaced
detectable mines and remotely delivered mines.
Pakistan is continuing to modify its stockpile of low metal content
mines. From August to December 2000,
the non-governmental organization Human Survival and Development (HSD) carried
out an assessment mission in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and
collected data on landmine victims in the Bajaur Agency. This household survey identified 599
landmine victims since 1980. In 2000,
31 people were killed or injured by landmines in Bajaur Agency. HSD launched the first mine awareness
program in August 2000. As of December
2000 it had reached 24,076 people, in about 147 villages of the Bajaur Agency. Singapore.
The Ministry of Defense acknowledges that Singapore continues to produce
antipersonnel mines, and asserts that it has a stockpile “for training and
defensive purposes only.” Sri Lanka. Increased
fighting has resulted in increased use of antipersonnel mines by government and
LTTE forces, and increased military and civilian mine casualties. UN mine action and mine awareness programs
have been terminated. In March 2001, a
Symposium on the Impact of Landmines in Sri Lanka was held in Colombo, and in
May 2001, a Conference on the Use of Landmines by Non-State Actors was held in
Colombo. Vietnam. The government has carried out clearance activity
related to construction of the new Ho Chi Minh national highway. Clearance by non-governmental organizations
has expanded. The US and Vietnam signed their first mine action assistance
agreement. An advance survey mission
was conducted in May 2001 in preparation for a national Landmine/UXO Impact
Survey. Taiwan In March 2001, the Ministry of National Defense
confirmed that Taiwan no longer uses, produces, or transfers antipersonnel
mines. Clearance operations continue on
Kinmen Island. EUROPE/CENTRAL ASIA Albania. The Mine Ban Treaty entered
into force for Albania on 1 August 2000.
In January 2001, Albania signed an agreement with the NATO Partnership
for Peace Trust Fund for the destruction of Albania’s 1.6 million stockpiled
antipersonnel mines. Dismantling
started in late May 2001 and is due for completion by April 2002. Landmines
claimed a total of 35 casualties in 2000, a sharp decrease from 191 the
previous year. Austria.
Austria’s continued efforts to sensitize other countries to the landmine
issue and encourage accession to the Mine Ban Treaty have concentrated on
Central Asia and the southern Caucasus.
Austria doubled its mine action funding to US$1.9 million in 2000, but
has reduced the budget for 2001 to its previous level of US$950,000. Belgium. Belgium continued to play a leadership role
in promoting universalization and effective implementation of the Mine Ban
Treaty. Belgium has served as co-chair
of the intersessional Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the
Convention since September 2000. There
has been much activity in Parliament and elsewhere in support of a ban on antihandling
devices. Belgium contributed more than
US$3.7 million to mine action in 2000, an increase from the previous year. Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine
Action Center (BHMAC) reported the clearance during 2000 of more than 7.1
million square meters of land, including the destruction of some 5,800
mines. The International Trust Fund for
Demining and Victim Assistance provided about US$11 million in 2000 to Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Shortfalls in funding
in 2001 have put at risk the operation of BHMAC. Following the dismissal on
grounds of corruption and abuse of authority of three Demining Commissioners, a
new BiH Demining Commission was inaugurated in December 2000. In 2000, 2,642 mines were collected from
civilians in an SFOR initiative. In
2000, 92 new mine and UXO casualties were recorded, a small decrease from the
previous year. Several incidents have been reported of Bosnian Serbs laying
landmines to prevent the return of
Bosnian Muslims. Bosnia and
Herzegovina adhered to CCW Amended Protocol II in September 2000. Bulgaria. Bulgaria
reported that it completed the destruction of its stockpile of 885,872
antipersonnel mines in December 2000.
Bulgaria decided to reduce the number of mines it retains for training
purposes from 10,446 to 4,000. Croatia. During the year 2000, a total of 9.8 square kilometers
of land were demined, and another 23.2 square kilometers of suspected mined
land were declared free of mines and UXO as a result of general and technical
survey. Croatia spent US$22.5 million
on demining in 2000. The National Mine
Action Program was approved by Parliament in October 2000. There were 22 new mine casualties in 2000, a
significant reduction from 51 casualties in 1999. Croatia announced that it would reduce the number of
antipersonnel mines retained under Mine Ban Treaty Article 3 from 17,500 to
7,000. No stockpiled antipersonnel
mines have been destroyed since June 1999, but large-scale destruction is to
begin in September 2001. Croatia has
served as co-rapporteur of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction
since September 2000 and will become co-chair in September 2001. Czech Republic. On 15 June 2001, the Czech Republic reported the
completion of its stockpile of 324,412 antipersonnel mines. Czech units in SFOR and KFOR continued to
clear mines in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, respectively, and the Czech
Republic funded mine action programs in Croatia and Kosovo. In
May 2001, at an arms fair in Brno, a Czech company displayed an antivehicle
mine in tripwire-activation mode. Denmark. Denmark nearly doubled its mine action
funding in 2000, to about US$13.4 million.
The number of antipersonnel mines retained for training and development
has been reduced from nearly 5,000 to just over 2,000. France. France has continued to promote universalization and
implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, with a special focus on compliance
issues. In February 2001, France
organized jointly with Canada and Mali a Pan-African seminar in Bamako. In 2000, the total French contribution to
mine action programs was about US$6.77 million, an increase from the previous
year. Germany. In 2000, Germany increased its financial support for
mine action from $11.4 million in 1999 to approximately $14.5 million. Initiatives are underway in the government
and the Parliament aimed at a ban or increased restrictions on antivehicle
mines. Hungary. Hungary hosted a seminar on the destruction of PFM-1 antipersonnel
mines in February 2001. Italy. Italy had destroyed more than 4 million stockpiled
antipersonnel mines as of March 2001.
In its fiscal year 2000, Italy
committed about US$2 million for mine action programs, a significant reduction
from the previous year’s contribution of US$6.45 million. In February 2001, the Italian Parliament
approved the establishment of a national Trust Fund for Humanitarian
Demining, but with drastically less funding than previously envisioned. Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of). Since ethnic Albanian
insurgents began fighting the FYROM government in March 2001, the press has
reported at least six antivehicle mine incidents, in which four FYROM soldiers
were killed and nine injured, and two EU Monitors and their interpreter were
killed. Several seizures of
antipersonnel mines being smuggled into FYROM from Kosovo have been
reported. No progress has been made in the destruction of FYROM
antipersonnel mine stockpiles. Malta. Malta ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 7 May 2001. It will enter into force on 1 November 2001. Moldova. Moldova ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 8
September 2000 and it entered into force on 1 March 2001. Moldova has begun discussions on a project
with the NATO Partnership for Peace Program for the destruction of its landmine
stockpile. Demining teams cleared 1,658
mines and UXO in 2000, and 450 mines and UXO between January and May 2001.
Between May and August 2000, a Moldovan demining unit carried out mine
clearance operations in the safety zone of the Transdniester peacekeeping
mission, clearing some 85 hectares of previously unused agricultural land. The Netherlands. For 2000, the Dutch contribution to humanitarian mine
action was increased by more than fifty percent, totaling US$14.2 million. The Netherlands has taken a leadership role
in the CCW on the explosive remnants of war issue. The Netherlands has served as co-chair of the Standing Committee
on Mine Clearance, and as chair of the donors’ Mine Action Support Group. Norway. Norway continued to play a crucial leadership role in
promoting full implementation and consolidation of the Mine Ban Treaty. Norway served as President of the Second
Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2000 and presided
over the intersessional process throughout the subsequent year. Norway became co-rapporteur of the Standing
Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention in September
2000. Norwegian
funding for mine action in 2000 totaled more than US$19 million. Portugal. The beginning of stockpile
destruction was apparently delayed due to safety and environmental concerns; the new target date
was April 2001. Romania. Romania ratified the Mine
Ban Treaty on 30 November 2000 and it entered into force on 1 May 2001. Romania declared in June 2001 that it has
just over one million antipersonnel mines in stockpiles, which it will destroy
by detonation and disassembly. Slovak Republic. The Slovak Republic has
reported the complete destruction of its stockpile of 180,000 antipersonnel
mines, with only
1,500 retained for permitted training and development purposes. Since the Second Meeting of
States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2000, Slovakia
has acted as co-chair of the intersessional Standing Committee on Stockpile
Destruction. The Slovak Ambassador to
the United Nations chaired the Second Annual Conference of States Parties of
Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Conventional Weapons. Slovenia. On 21-22 June 2000, Slovenia hosted the Third Regional
Conference on Landmines, in Ljubljana. Slovenia had destroyed nearly 20,000 antipersonnel mines as of May
2001; plans call for destruction of the remaining mines by the end of
2001. Slovenia announced its intention
to reduce the number of antipersonnel mines it retains for training from 7,000
to 1,500. The International Trust Fund
in Slovenia received more than US$29 million in 2000 for regional demining
activities. The ITF initiated the
establishment of the South Eastern Europe Mine Action Coordination Council on
30 November 2000. Spain. Spain completed the destruction of its stockpile of
849,365 antipersonnel mines in November 2000.
It has reduced the number of mines retained for training from 10,000 to
4,000. Spain plans to set up an
International Center on Demining. Sweden. As of 1 April 2001, Sweden had destroyed
2.3 million antipersonnel mines since entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty.
It planned to retain 11,120 antipersonnel mines for permitted training
purposes. It has reported rendering
Claymore-type mines “useless” as antipersonnel mines. Sweden contributed some US$8 million in 2000 to mine action,
continuing a downward trend in funding.
Switzerland. Switzerland hosted the Second Meeting of States
Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2000. In 2000, Switzerland provided US$8.5 million for mine action
programs, a significant increase from the previous year. Tajikistan. Russian forces have placed antipersonnel
mines inside Tajikistan along the border with Afghanistan. Russian peacekeepers have also used antipersonnel
mines in Tajikistan. Uzbekistan
acknowledges laying antipersonnel mines on its border with Tajikistan, and
Tajikistan claims that Uzbek forces have laid mines inside Tajik territory. Kyrgyzstan has reportedly laid mines on its
border with Tajikistan. The new mining
has resulted in an increase in mine victims. United Kingdom. The UK
continues to be one of the biggest contributors to mine action internationally,
spending approximately US$23 million in its financial year 2000/2001, a
significant increase from the previous year.
EUROPE/CENTRAL ASIA Cyprus. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that
legislation for the ratification of the Mine Ban Treaty would be put before
Parliament following elections in May 2001.
The Ministry of Defense stated that “forward steps have been taken
in the spirit of the treaty such as demining, exclusion of antipersonnel mines
[from] our armament programs, [and] schedule of destruction of the stocks” of antipersonnel mines. Greece. In April 2001, the Greek Minister of
Foreign Affairs jointly announced with his Turkish counterpart that Greece, a
signatory, and Turkey, a non-signatory, would simultaneously adhere to the Mine
Ban Treaty. As one of a number of
cooperative activities, Greece will demine its side of the border with
Turkey. Greece continues to clear mines
from its borders with Albania, Bulgaria, and Macedonia. Poland. Poland established an interagency working group in 2000 to
develop a plan and time line for Poland’s ratification of the Mine Ban Treaty,
but officials continue to insist on a variety of pre-conditions. Poland and Canada co-sponsored a landmines
seminar in Warsaw on 18-19 June 2001. Landmine
Monitor has been told that Poland has
between one and two million antipersonnel mines in stockpile. In
2000, 2,091 landmines were cleared, as well
as 770 aviation bombs, 28,724
artillery and mortar shells, 5,892 grenades and 649,960 pieces of other ammunition, nearly all left from
World War II. Ukraine.
Ukraine has disclosed that its antipersonnel mines stockpile consists of
6.35 million PFM and PMN mines. Ukraine
and Canada signed a framework agreement for destruction of the PMN mines, and
discussions are underway with NATO’s Maintenance and Supply Agency on a PMN
destruction project. In 2000, Ukrainian
demining units joined UN demining operations in Lebanon and Sierra Leone, and a
Ukrainian-Polish Joint Peacekeeping Battalion started demining operations in
Kosovo. Ukraine is developing a Crimea Humanitarian Demining Program. EUROPE/CENTRAL ASIA Non-Signatories Armenia. Armenian
deminers participated in joint training with Georgian and Azeri deminers
conducted by the US military in the fall of 2000. Landmine Monitor researchers carried out site visits along the border area in the Synik, Vayots Dzor, and Tavush provinces,
developing new information on the impact of mines and on mine survivors. As of May 2001, the database compiled by the
Armenian National Committee of the ICBL contained details of 335 landmine
survivors in eleven provinces of Armenia. Azerbaijan. A limited Level One Survey was completed in
the Fizuli region. With the results of
the survey, the National Mine Database was created. Other surveys are
on-going. A total of 27 deminers and 16
mine surveyors were trained during 2000; 163,860 square meters of land were
cleared, along with the marking and fencing of 289,991 square meters. In December 2000, mine action was
suspended due to lack of funds. Ten mine incidents occurred in 2000 in
which four people died and six were injured. Belarus. Belarus for the first time revealed that it has 4.5
million stockpiled antipersonnel mines, of which 3.6 million are of the PFM-1
and PFM-1S type. Belarus destroyed
8,183 stockpiled antipersonnel mines from 1997-2000. Belarus hosted an UNMAS assessment mission from 31 July-4 August
2000. In the past ten years, the Armed
Forces have cleared more than 350 hectares of mines and UXO. Estonia. There were twenty deaths and injuries due
to mines and unexploded ordnance in 2000.
In
June 2000, a Demining Center was established.
Estonia became a State
Party to the CCW Amended Protocol II on 20 October 2000. Finland. Finland has reaffirmed its goal of acceding to the Mine Ban Treaty by
2006, despite attempts by the Ministry of Defense to put back the timetable. In
2000, Finland provided about US$4 million to mine action, a reduction from the
previous year. Georgia. There continued to be reports of armed groups from
Georgia laying antipersonnel mines in the Abkhazia region. Georgia has said the government has “neither
tacitly nor openly supported Georgian partisans in their use of antipersonnel
mines.” Georgia acknowledges that it
laid antivehicle mines (but not antipersonnel) on the Chechen sector of
Georgia-Russia border, then subsequently cleared them. Georgia states that Russian forces have
mined the Russian-Georgian border near the villages of Shatili and Omalo. The Georgian military began an inventory of
its stockpiled mines, which was to be completed at the end of May 2001. In September-November 2000, the U.S.
conducted humanitarian demining training of Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani
soldiers at a military base in Georgia.
The ICBL Georgian Committee reports that between January and the end of
June 2001, 51 people were killed or injured by landmines and unexploded
ordnance. Kazakhstan. According to one newspaper report,
Kazakhstan possesses 800,000 to one million antipersonnel mines. This is the only known public estimate of
Kazakhstan’s antipersonnel mine stockpile.
Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz forces
reportedly mined the border with Tajikistan in summer and fall 2000. Uzbekistan mined its border areas with
Kyrgyzstan, and Kyrgyzstan contends that Uzbekistan planted some mines on
Kyrgyz territory. In June 2001, the
Kyrgyz government adopted a law to provide the legal framework for mine
clearance and mine awareness, and Kyrgyzstan started demining the border areas
with Uzbekistan. Russia. Russian forces continued to use mines in
Chechnya. Russian troops also mined the
Tajik border with Afghanistan. Russia
had destroyed 1.5 million stockpiled antipersonnel mines as of January 2001,
including all of its blast mines. In
April 2001, the Federal Working Group for Mine Action was formed to facilitate
Russia's progress in mine action, including stockpile destruction. Russia is expanding its participation in
international mine action operations.
The Russian military carried out a public roundtable analyzing mine use
in Chechnya; among the revelations was that remotely-delivered
AFM-1?/PFM-1S mines failed about 50 percent of the time because of
problems with the self-destruct mechanism. Turkey. Turkey announced on 6 April
2001 that it was starting the process of accession to the Mine Ban Treaty. Turkey has confirmed that it has ceased
production of antipersonnel mines. In
late 2000, Turkey announced a project to demine the border with Syria. In January
2001, Turkey signed a joint declaration with Georgia that includes a commitment
to demine the border and foreswear future use.
A Turkish NGO campaign against landmines was formed in September 2000. Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has mined its border areas with
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Uzbek forces apparently were continuing to
mine the border with Tajikistan in June 2001.
Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan contend that Uzbekistan has laid mines
inside their borders. The new mining
has resulted in an increase in mine victims in all three countries.Signatories
Non-Signatories
States Parties
Non-Signatories
States Parties
Signatories