Commitment to the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Policy

The Republic of Mozambique signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008 and ratified on 14 March 2011. The convention entered into force for Mozambique on 1 September 2011.

 In July 2012, Mozambique reported that it was “undertaking a review of legislation to ensure compliance with obligations” under Article 9 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[1] As of June 2013, the legislative review was continuing.[2]

Mozambique provided its initial Article 7 report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in July 2012.[3] It submitted its annual updated Article 7 report on 17 June 2013, covering calendar year 2012.

Mozambique was one of just three African states that attended the launch of the Oslo Process in February 2007 which produced the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It participated actively throughout the Oslo Process and was a strong advocate for a comprehensive ban without exceptions, as well as for victim assistance and international cooperation and assistance.[4]

Mozambique has continued to actively engage in the work of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It attended the Third Meeting of States Parties in Oslo, Norway in September 2012, during which it made statements on victim assistance, stockpile destruction, and clearance. Mozambique also participated in intersessional meetings of the convention in Geneva in April 2013, as well as a regional conference of the convention in Lomé, Togo in May 2013.

Mozambique has not made a national statement to express concern at Syria’s cluster munition use, but it endorsed the Lomé Strategy on the Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which expresses “grave concern over the recent and on-going use of cluster munitions” and calls for the immediate end to the use of these weapons.[5]

Mozambique is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Mozambique has not yet stated its views on certain important issues related to interpretation and implementation of the convention, including the prohibition on transit, the prohibition on assistance during joint military operations with states not party that may use cluster munitions, the prohibition on foreign stockpiling of cluster munitions, the prohibition on investment in production of cluster munitions, and the need for retention of cluster munitions and submunitions for training and development purposes.

Use, production, and transfer

Mozambique has declared that it “never produced” cluster munitions and “therefore has no need to convert or decommission such facilities.”[6]

It is not known who used cluster munitions in Mozambique in the past. In its Article 7 report, Mozambique declared that cluster munition remnants, including submunitions from RBK-250 and CB-470 air-dropped bombs, have been found in the provinces of Tete, Manica, Gaza and Maputo.[7] In September 2011, Mozambique requested that “State Parties in a position to do so…provide any technical data on previous cluster munitions strikes within the territory of Mozambique that may be available in their military archives.[8]

Stockpiling and destruction

In June 2012, Mozambique declared a stockpile of 290 cluster munitions and 22,656 submunitions of two types: 97 RBK-250 bombs, each containing 150 AO-1SCh submunitions (14,550 in total) and 193 RBK-250 bombs, each containing 42 PTAB submunitions (8,106).[9] The same cluster munitions were reported stockpiled in the annual report provided in June 2013.[10]

The stockpile was identified during a review by the Ministry of Defence and according to the Article 7 report provided in June 2012, “[t]he Ministry of Defence will separate the cluster munitions from other munitions maintained for operational use and is developing a plan for destruction of all cluster munitions in its stockpile. The Ministry of Defence will request technical assistance and financial support to complete the destruction process.”[11] In September 2012, Mozambique confirmed that it was still in the process of preparing a stockpile destruction plan.[12] In June 2013 it reported that planning of the stockpile destruction process is scheduled to be done during 2013. Mozambique has reported that its Ministry of Defence is requesting technical assistance and financial support to complete the destruction process.[13]

Under Article 3 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Mozambique is required to destroy all its stockpiled cluster munitions as soon as possible, but not later than 1 September 2019.

Mozambique has declared that it is not retaining any cluster munitions for training or research purposes as permitted by Article 3 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[14]

 

Contamination and Impact

The Republic of Mozambique is affected by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW); a legacy of nearly 30 years of conflict that ended in 1992.[1]

Mines

Mozambique has made considerable progress in clearing mined areas and, as of May 2013, planned to complete all clearance by the end of 2014. The 2006–2007 Baseline Survey identified 541 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) covering 12.2km² in Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Sofala, and Tete provinces. Since 2007, surveys have identified a further 542 SHAs not captured in the baseline survey covering a total of 22.2km². These results, combined with the baseline survey, almost tripled the original total estimated contaminated area to 34.4km² across 1,053 SHAs.[2] As of April 2013, there were 9.26km² remaining, and by March 2014 it is planned that less than 3km² will be remaining.[3]

In 2012, Niassa, Cabo Delgado, and Gaza provinces were declared mine free.[4] As of January 2013, five of the 10 provinces and 101 of Mozambique’s 128 districts had been declared mine-free, leaving 27 districts in five provinces as contaminated as of January 2013. Although approximately 82% of the remaining tasks are in Sofala and Inhambane provinces, it is planned that only 13 mined areas covering 2.88km² near the border with Zimbabwe in Manica and Tete provinces will remain by March 2014, and clearance of these border minefields is planned to be completed by the end of 2014.[5]

Mined areas remaining, by province, as of January 2013[6]

Cluster munition remnants

In its initial Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 report, Mozambique indicated that the extent of areas contaminated by cluster munitions is not known. It reported that a small number of cluster munitions, including both RBK-250 containers and unexploded submunitions such as Rhodesian manufactured Alpha bomblets, were found from 2005–2012 in the Guro district in Manica province, in the Boane district in Maputo province, in the Mabalane district in Gaza province, and in the Changara and Chifunde districts in Tete province; all of these cluster munitions were destroyed.[7]

In 2012, HALO Trust (HALO) and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) found a combined 25 Alpha bomblets in three locations in Tete province. While the complete scope of the cluster munition contamination remains unknown and more survey is required to identify the exact extent of the problem, the National Demining Institute (IND) believes cluster munition use in Mozambique was limited and that clearance of unexploded submunitions can be managed within the scope of the existing mine action program.[8]

IND reported that no accidents were recorded involving cluster munitions in 2012.[9]

Other explosive remnants of war

ERW incidents occur in rural areas in the course of normal community activities, such as food and water collection, farming, herding, or household work.[10] IND believes addressing the ERW problem will present challenges for the government for many years after mine clearance is completed in 2014. As mine clearance is close to completion, IND is considering ways to inform the public on ERW and what to do when an unexploded ordinance (UXO) is found, including information on whom to notify.[11]

The mine action program in Mozambique has provided direct support to the poverty reduction program in Mozambique, known as PARP; it has also provided development investment by clearing mined areas in support of mining, agriculture, and has contributed to infrastructure building including power lines, roads, dams, bridges, and railroads.[12]

Mine Action Program

Key institutions and operators

IND serves as the mine action center in Mozambique under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is mandated to coordinate and oversee implementation of demining programs, including quality assurance, quality control, and information management.[13]

Provincial demining commissions have been created that include the Directorate of Planning and Finance, the Provincial Police Command, and the army. Other sectors are represented on the commissions, depending on the province. For instance, the Inhambane commission includes representatives from the tourist industry, while in Tete the mineral resources sector is represented on the commission.[14]

UNDP has provided technical assistance since 1999. From 2008 to 2011, the structure and position of the UNDP international technical advisor was supported under the project “Weapons Risk Mitigation and Mainstreaming Mine Action, Small Arms and Light Weapons Controls 2008–2011;”[15] it is currently supported by the “Support to the National Demining Programme 2012–2015.” The UN Development Assistance Framework for Mozambique (UNDAF) 2012–2015 lists supporting Mozambique to meet its Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 obligations as part of its disaster relief and risk reduction efforts.[16]

Mozambique has four international mine clearance operators: APOPO, HALO, HI, and NPA.[17] NPA’s mine action team returned to Mozambique in July 2012 to conduct clearance and provide technical support in information management to IND’s database team.[18]

Post-2014

At a demining workshop in Maputo from 5–6 November 2013, donors, operators, and the government of Mozambique considered the issue of future employment for the personnel of the demining community after all the mined areas are cleared. In addition to IND, there are currently over 1,500 deminers and support staff employed by the NGOs and commercial companies working in the mine action area. UNDP planned to conduct a labor market survey to examine job opportunities for the various skills of mine action employees. While the UNDP study was welcomed, some of the participants cautioned that such surveys can raise false hopes and that productivity near the end of a program can present operational challenges, if not addressed. Participants suggested IND and UNDP explore employment outcomes from Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs as well as examining mine action program closures in other countries for possible approaches that could be applied in Mozambique. The workshop recognized that in preparation for completion, IND should clarify that working in mine action did not automatically entitle staff to future employment, but it should assist staff in finding new jobs.[19]

Land Release

Mozambique released 8.6km² in 2012 through a combination of survey and clearance conducted on 255 tasks. During clearance operations, 9,053 antipersonnel mines and 1,126 UXO were found.[20] In 2012, IND declared 20 districts and Niassa, Cabo Delgado, and Gaza provinces mine free, bringing the total number of mine free districts to 101 out of 128.[21]

Mozambique’s “Mine Free District Assessment” process requires operators to assess whether there are any remaining SHAs in each district before moving to the next district. The Mine Free District Assessment is a technical process of community liaison and post-clearance assessment to confirm that all communities have no remaining mined areas.[22] If the community does not report contamination, it is determined to be free of mined areas. Utilizing the district-by-district approach, the government brought the number of mine free districts at the end of 2012 to 101 out of the 128 districts, meaning there are no known mined areas remaining in these districts. This includes five (Gaza, Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Niassa, and Zambezia) out of the 10 provinces in the country.

From 2009–2012, 983 areas were released after survey and clearance, resulting in the release of 28.7km². This included 11.2km² of the 12.2km² identified in the 2007/2008 Baseline Survey as well as 17.5km² identified through surveys during the “Mine Free District Assessment” process. During this period, 20,479 landmines and 3,780 items of UXO were located and destroyed.[23]

Mine clearance in 2012–2013

IND has organized its demining operations by assigning provinces to the NGOs and developing a work plan based on a district-by-district approach to clearance; the goal is to complete clearance of an entire district before moving on to the next one. In 2012, HI operated in the provinces of Inhambane and Sofala; in 2013, HI was also assigned tasks in Mossurize District in Manica. In 2012, APOPO worked in Gaza and two districts in Manica province; in 2013 they are working in Moamba district in Maputo province, Tambara, and Gondola districts in Manica, Cheringoma district in Sofala, and Moatize district in Tete. HALO worked in Maputo, Manica, and Tete provinces. NPA began training demining teams and, in September 2012, commenced mine clearance operations in Tete province; in 2013, NPA also started working in Manica province.[24]

IND reported that in 2012 a total of 8.6km² of SHA/confirmed hazardous area (CHA) was released by NGOs, the Mozambique army, and local commercial companies. The NGOs cleared 7.2km² while conducting 205 tasks. Mozambique’s Armed Forces cleared one mined area in Gaza province covering 14,328m², clearing 112 antipersonnel mines and 51 UXO. Six companies were awarded contracts after a tendering process and cumulatively cleared 15 mined areas covering 1.41km², clearing 15 antipersonnel mines and 59 UXO.[25]

Clearance results in 2012[26]

APMs = antipersonnel mines

From January–April, Mozambique cleared another 1.4km², finding 4,155 antipersonnel mines and 292 UXO.[27]

HALO completed a survey of the Zimbabwe border in 2009 and confirmed there were 22.7 linear kilometers of border minefields and seven minefields covering two linear kilometers that are entirely inside Mozambique’s territory. The combined total of 24.7 linear kilometers is 14 linear kilometers more than identified in the 2007 baseline survey. Further complicating clearance plans to complete clearance by the 31 of December 2014 are another 74 linear kilometers of minefields that straddle the border in both Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The border minefields entirely inside Mozambique territory and those that straddle the border have been divided into 13 tasks covering 2,884,900m².[28]

Border minefields

Based on the pace of past clearance operations in Mozambique, the task of clearing 2.88km² with four operators appears to be feasible over a 10-month period. However, there are new operational challenges with the dense but clearly defined mined areas on the border. Some of the border minefields were reinforced with ploughshare fragmentation mines, which means the metal contamination in the ground will add an additional layer of complication to manual demining. The Rhodesian Security Forces laid mines in areas averaging 30 meters wide, with some containing minimal metal mines such as the R2M2 antipersonnel landmine.[29]

Much of the border lies on remote and mountainous terrain, making accessibility perhaps the biggest challenge. Of the 74.1 linear kilometers of minefields that straddle the border between Mozambique and Zimbabwe, only 19.1km can be easily accessed from Mozambique. The other 51km is more easily accessible from Zimbabwe with seven of the 13 border minefields being exclusively accessible from Zimbabwe. This necessitates close coordination with Zimbabwe’s authorities on cross-border movements to reach them.[30] As of May 2013, the respective ministries of foreign affairs were negotiating a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the clearance of the border areas in Mozambique territory by December 2014 that would allow free movement of deminers and equipment across borders without visas and customs duties and that would include a protocol for medical evacuation.[31]

Both manual and mechanical demining will be utilized at the border, with some additional equipment needed. IND calculates that with four operators for 10 months, the 13 border minefields can be cleared for approximately US$8.65 million, or $3 per square meter. IND estimates an associated cost of $1.25 million for quality assurance, information management, coordination, and development of a national capacity to respond to the residual UXO and ERW.[32]

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the five-year extension request granted in 2008), Mozambique is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 2014. At the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in May 2012, Mozambique stated that its mine action program needed $17 million in 2012 if it was to stay on course to meet its 2014 deadline.[33] However, by December 2012 Mozambique determined they would need a second extension request, and in May 2013 they submitted the request asking for an additional 10 months (until December 2014).

Even though the plan to clear the border area in 10 months is based on the available clearance capacity from four operators, as well as on evidence and experience, the viability of a 10-month extension can only be addressed after August 2013, when IND expects to receive preliminary results of non-technical and technical surveys of the border minefields, as well as additional information from Zimbabwe. IND may adjust the cost and time needed under the plan after March 2014, following an agreement on cross-border issues with Zimbabwe and the completion of the non-technical surveys.

Determining the number of mined areas has been a challenging exercise in Mozambique. Its first Article 5 deadline extension request and the National Mine Action Plan were formulated based on the information contained in the 2008 Baseline Survey. The Baseline Survey was intended to be a comprehensive assessment of the remaining work to be done in the six southern and central provinces based on the consolidation of a number of older surveys that existed at the time, thereby theoretically reducing duplications of SHAs and CHAs. In addition, a number of infrastructure sites and the border area with Zimbabwe had not yet been surveyed at the time of the extension request, but surveying them was an important task listed in the extension request.

The 2007 Baseline Survey was the basis for the estimated annual clearance goals (presented in its first extension request of 2008) to clear 541 tasks by 2014. Since Mozambique submitted that extension request in 2008, it has identified approximately 500 additional SHAs through the Mine Free District Assessment, which almost tripled the amount of area needed to be cleared from 12.2km² to 34.4km². While IND expected the surveys of infrastructure sites to increase the amount of area to clear, they were surprised by how much the baseline survey underestimated the remaining problem in the villages of the southern and central districts outside the infrastructure sites. As more district surveys were completed, it became apparent that the remaining problem was almost three times larger than that estimated by the baseline survey. However, the operators were able to increase clearance capacity, which enabled Mozambique to avoid falling behind its annual targets.[34]

Mozambique plans to complete clearance of all mined areas by March 2014 with the exception of the 13 mined areas on the border with Zimbabwe. The second extension request from March–December 2014 is to clear the remaining 13 tasks covering 2.88km² in five districts in Manica and Tete provinces along the long border with Zimbabwe.

NGO areas of operation in 2014 on the border with Zimbabwe[35]

Cluster munition clearance in 2012[36]

In 2012, NPA and HALO found cluster submunitions during battle area clearance (BAC) and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD).

In October/November 2012, NPA conducted BAC covering 229,541m² near Chiloue community in Chifunde district in Tete province, finding one Alpha bomblet. HALO destroyed 18 Alpha bomblets during EOD call-outs in Chivingue community in Changara district in Tete province and found six Alpha bomblets in Monoquere community in Gondola district in Manica province.

Compliance with Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Mozambique is required to destroy all cluster munition remnants in areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 September 2021.

In its initial Article 7 report submitted in July 2012, Mozambique stated that it required technical assistance in determining the extent of any cluster munition-contaminated area, including a request to former users to provide information on possible locations and type of cluster munition remnants. Mozambique has stated it may need until 2021 to clear all cluster munition remnants, largely because they do not know the full extent of the problem.[37]

Quality management

Each clearance operator has its own internal quality management system. IND is responsible for quality management at a national level, conducting random quality assurance visits on all active tasks and random sampling and inspection of completed sites.[38] In 2012, IND conducted 166 quality assurance tasks.[39]

 

Summary action points based on 2012 findings

·         Increase national and international resources dedicated to sustaining the provision of physical rehabilitation services; previous investments in training rehabilitation technicians were wasted in 2012 due to a lack of raw materials for prosthetics production, leaving technicians idle and survivors and other persons with disabilities in need.

·         Ensure that the results of the 2013 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) survivor needs assessment are considered in the implementation of the National Disability Plan and that, based on the results, the section of the plan relating to assistance for landmine survivors is revised as needed.

·         Clearly identify to donors where international resources —both financial and technical— are needed to guarantee implementation of the National Disability Plan.

Victim assistance commitments

The Republic of Mozambique is responsible for a significant number of landmine survivors, cluster munition victims and survivors of other ERW who are in need. Mozambique has made commitments to provide victim assistance through the Mine Ban Treaty and has victim assistance obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Casualties

Casualties Overview

In 2012, the National Demining Institute (Instituto Nacional de Desminagem, IND) reported three mine/ERW casualties in Mozambique.[1] All casualties were adult civilians; two were women. Two casualties occurred in Sofala province and the other in Maputo province.

The three casualties identified in 2012 represented a significant decrease from the nine casualties reported in 2011 and the 36 identified in 2010.[2] There were no casualties among deminers in 2012 as compared with three deminer casualties in 2011.

The total number of mine/ERW casualties in Mozambique is unknown, but there were at least 2,447 through the end of 2012. The most extensive collection of casualty data to date remains the nationwide Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), completed in 2001; it recorded 2,145 mine/ERW casualties but did not provide a breakdown of those killed and injured.[3] An additional 302 casualties (81 killed, 218 injured, three unknown) had been identified between 2002 and 2011.[4]

Cluster munition casualties

There were known to be casualties from incidents involving cluster munition remnants, though these were not distinguished from ERW in the data and would require a survey to identify them.[5]

Victim Assistance

The total number of mine/ERW survivors in Mozambique is not known. Between 2009 and 2012, 1,502 survivors were identified through needs assessments carried out in three provinces (Maputo, Inhambane and Sofala).[6] Based on the results of the 2007 national census, the Ministry of Women and Social Action (Ministério da Mulher e da Acção Social, MMAS) projected that there were 10,901 landmine/ERW survivors in Mozambique through December 2011.[7] The Monitor has recorded at least new 222 new survivors throughout the country in annual casualty recording since 1999.[8]

Victim assistance since 1999[9]

Since monitoring began in 1999, most mine/ERW survivors in Mozambique have lacked access to victim assistance services of all kinds. Most survivors live in rural areas, far from where services are located. A lack of both affordable transportation and knowledge of available services have been among the greatest obstacles to access. Thirty years of armed conflict damaged or destroyed some 40% of Mozambique’s medical facilities; the rebuilding of facilities, particularly outside of major urban centers, has been slow. Since 2005, there have been some improvements in the availability of medical care in rural areas. During this period, six rehabilitation centers have been renovated.

By 2009, all medical and rehabilitation centers were managed by the government, many of which had previously been managed by international organizations such as POWER, Handicap International (HI) and the Mozambique Red Cross. Five of Mozambique’s 10 rehabilitation centers offered accommodation but demand sometimes exceeded availability. The supply of rehabilitation services was limited due to a lack of trained technicians and materials. Rehabilitation centers remained dependent on international financial assistance for prosthetic materials. The launching of a national training course for prosthetists and orthotists in 2009, the first of its kind in the country, was expected to improve the quality and availability of services, though this outcome had not been observed through 2012.

Throughout the period, survivors have had almost no access to economic and social inclusion programs or psychological assistance. International and national NGOs, including the national Network for Mine Victims (Rede para Assistência às Vítimas de Minas, RAVIM), have reached a limited number of survivors to assist them in accessing services or provide basic economic relief or support for income generating projects.

The IND, the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Saude, MISAU), and the MMAS officially shared responsibility for the coordination of victim assistance. However, Mozambique has lacked a coordination mechanism and a victim assistance plan. Since 2004, Mozambique has identified victim assistance as the weakest component of its mine action program.

Victim assistance in 2012

In 2012, there was an overall decrease in availability of victim assistance activities provided by both the government and NGOs. The decrease was attributed to declines in international financial assistance. This was especially marked in the area of physical rehabilitation where the lack of materials for rehabilitation centers prevented the production of prostheses throughout the year. The National Disability Plan 2012–2019, which included a component on assistance for mine survivors, was approved in September 2012.

Assessing victim assistance needs

In 2012, RAVIM, in partnership with HI, completed a survey of landmine survivors in 12 districts within the provinces of Sofala and Inhambane.[10] Conducted between October 2012 and June 2013, the survey was intended to assess the living conditions and needs of a representative sample of survivors of landmines and other ERW.[11] Data was collected through hundreds of interviews with landmine/ERW survivors, service providers, and local community leaders as well as through focus group discussions with landmine survivors.[12]

The research protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee of the MISAU and authorized by IND, MMAS and provincial authorities in both provinces. IND supported the implementation of the survey by providing letters of support to accompany funding requests submitted by HI in partnership with RAVIM.[13] Results were expected to be published by July 2013 and to inform the development of a national victim assistance plan. Once published, MMAS expected to present the results to the National Disability Council.[14]

Victim assistance coordination in 2012[15]

There were no coordination meetings specifically for victim assistance held in Mozambique in 2012.[16] The mandate of the IND for victim assistance was limited to data collection on mine/ERW casualties and the ongoing maintenance of this data within the IMSMA database. The MMAS coordinated meetings to develop the National Disability Plan 2012–2019 and to collect information from relevant actors to monitor the annual implementation of the plan.[17] However, the IND convened a Mine Action Coordination Article 5 Completion Workshop in November 2012 where RAVIM raised discussion on the need for better information gathering, better needs assessment and better services for landmine survivors.[18] The IND also participated in meetings held by the MMAS and recommended the inclusion of assistance for landmine survivors in the National Disability Plan.[19]

The National Disability Council held one high-level meeting as well as four meetings of the technical committee during 2012. The purpose of the meetings included the approval of the annual report of the Disability Council for 2011, the approval of activities for 2012, the announcement of the approval of the National Disability Plan, and assessments of the implementation of the 2008 accessibility decree and of the accessibility of public transportation.[20]

On 4 September 2012, the second National Disability Plan for 2012–2019 was approved by the Council of Ministers.[21] The plan was developed in consultation with national and provincial representatives of relevant government ministries and civil society organizations, facilitated by the MMAS, the Mozambique Federation of Associations for Persons with Disabilities (FAMOD) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The conclusions and recommendations from the evaluation of the previous National Disability Plan were considered. The three main objectives of the plan are:

·         To promote the participation, empowerment, and equality of persons with disabilities;

·         To assure equal rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities; and

·         To monitor and harmonize all programs and activities carried out for persons with disabilities, particularly those of civil society organizations.[22]

The plan includes a specific section (section 11) related to assistance for landmine survivors. The objective for this section is to “Provide psychosocial support and socioeconomic reintegration for mine victims with disabilities.”[23] The projected budget for the seven activities assisting survivors, over a period of three years, is 17,500,000 Mozambican metical or approximately US$590,000.[24]

The plan identifies actors responsible for each objective, makes cost projections, and includes a plan for monitoring its implementation. In the section on assistance for landmine survivors, the IND is designated as a “key actor” in the monitoring of the plan’s implementation.[25] As of October 2012, funding had not been identified to cover the costs of the plan.[26] Implementation and monitoring of the plan was said to have started as soon as the plan was approved in September 2012.[27] While recognizing that it may have been too early to draw conclusions, by March 2013 RAVIM saw no evidence of its implementation “on the ground” and found that the plan appeared to be “mere intentions” only.[28]

Mozambique provided an update on progress and challenges for victim assistance at the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo in September 2012, the Twelfth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in December 2012, and at the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings in Geneva in May 2013.[29] In its Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report for calendar year 2012, Mozambique provided casualty data and limited information on emergency medical response to new casualties.[30] In its Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 report for calendar year 2012, Mozambique named the victim assistance focal point, provided an update on the approval of its National Disability Plan 2012–2019 and indicated the need for international financial and technical assistance to aid in the implementation of that plan.[31]

Inclusion and participation in victim assistance

There was no functioning victim assistance coordinating mechanism in which landmine and ERW survivors could participate.[32] However, survivors as well as other persons with disabilities were involved in the development of the National Disability Plan directly through RAVIM and through FAMOD.[33] FAMOD, as the national federation through which all organizations of persons with disabilities can have a voice, was identified as part of the monitoring mechanism for the disability plan.[34]

Survivors participated in the assessment of survivors’ needs through RAVIM.[35] RAVIM also worked with HI in urban centers implementing an information and referral service (Serviço de Informação, Orientação e Acompanhamento Social, SIOAS) designed to identify persons with disabilities, including survivors, and accompanying them in accessing needed assistance.[36]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[37]

Emergency and continuing medical care

No changes were identified in the quality or availability of emergency or ongoing medical care. Both persons who were injured by mines/ERW in 2012 were treated in local medical centers.[38]

Physical rehabilitation including prosthetics

While all rehabilitation centers remained open through the country in 2012, the number of people able to access new prosthetic devices declined significantly due to a lack of raw materials. At the largest rehabilitation center in the country located in Maputo, new prosthetics were not available during the entire year. Technicians were only able to provide physiotherapy services or make adjustments to existing prosthetics.[39] The number of residential or transit centers hosting persons with disabilities from rural areas while accessing rehabilitation services reduced from seven in 2011 to five in 2012.[40]

Economic and social inclusion and psychological support

Psychological support and social inclusion programs remained entirely absent with no changes reported.[41] Through the SIOAS, members of RAVIM and other organizations of persons with disabilities provided peer support. Started in 2011, this referral service assisted over 600 persons with disabilities, including survivors, through the end of 2012.[42]

Due to a lack of funding, in 2012 RAVIM closed the project started in 2011 to support income-generating activities for survivors and their families in Sofala province.[43] No other economic inclusion initiatives were identified that targeted survivors while being inclusive of all persons with disabilities.

Limited government initiatives continued to assist some persons with disabilities in initiating income-generating activities and the number of persons with disabilities working in the public sector increased, although modestly compared with the number of persons with disabilities in the overall population.[44]

As in previous years, MMAS continued to provide food subsidies and other basic social assistance to persons with disabilities.[45] However, there was no information on how many, if any, of these beneficiaries were mine/ERW survivors and RAVIM found that most survivors lacked any support to promote their economic inclusion.[46] As part of the Strategy for Persons with Disabilities in Public Service, MMAS provided job training, managed a database of public sector jobs, and worked to promote employment for persons with disabilities through a quota system within the public sector.[47]

Laws and policies

Legislation guaranteed the rights and equal opportunities of persons with disabilities. However, the government lacked the resources to implement the law and discrimination remained common.[48] The law required the accessibility of public buildings and the Ministry of Public Works made slow progress in ensuring access to public buildings in Maputo for persons with disabilities.[49] Some accessibility adaptations did not meet generally accepted standards, rendering them unusable for wheelchair users.[50] Public transportation in Maputo was free for persons with disabilities;[51] however there were no accessible buses and over-crowding prevented persons with disabilities from using them.[52]

The evaluation of the National Disability Plan 2006–2010 found that many programs for persons with disabilities sought to promote the inclusion of women with disabilities but that, despite these efforts, women with disabilities still suffered greater discrimination than men with disabilities, with more living in poverty and experiencing lower employment rates.[53] There were no age-appropriate services available for child survivors.[54] Teachers received training in 2012 to increase the availability of inclusive education,[55] though educational opportunities for children with disabilities were seen to be “poor.”[56]

Mozambique ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 30 January 2012.

 

In 2012, nine donors contributed US$13.7 million to APOPO, HALO Trust, Handicap International, Norwegian People’s Aid, and UNDP for clearance operations in the Republic of Mozambique.[1] Mozambique has made considerable progress in clearing mined areas; it announced in May 2013 that it planned to complete all clearance by the end of 2014.[2]

In 2012, Mozambique contributed $2,213,088 towards its mine action program.[3] Since 2008, the government of Mozambique has contributed approximately 20% of the total mine action budget.

International contributions: 2012[4]

 

Summary of contributions: 2008–2012[5]