Libya

Last Updated: 22 November 2013

Support for Mine Action

Unsecured and damaged ammunition, easily accessible weapons material, and explosive remnants of war (ERW), exacerbated by the 2011 armed conflict, continue to pose a considerable threat to the State of Libya and international security. The extent and scope of the problem has yet to be determined.[1]

In response to the problem, Libya received US$20.7 million in international assistance from 14 donors.[2] The European Union (EU) and the Netherlands provided $11.3 million. In 2011, Libya similarly received $19 million.[3]

The United States (US) did not support mine action in Libya in 2012, but since 2011 has provided approximately $40 million in assistance to locate and secure Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) and other weapons.[4] In an interview with Michael P. Moore from Landmines in Africa, Major General Walter D. Givhan, the US State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Plans, Programs, and Operations, said, “In Libya, the US government prioritized securing MANPADS over landmines and while some of the funds made available for MANPADS destruction also covered landmine destruction and removal, the intent was to eliminate the MANPADS. This is understandable from a national security and national interest perspective: the United States is not going to be threatened by landmines in the ground in Libya, but US airplanes flying in Libyan airspace could be targeted by MANPADS in Libya.”[5] The US did not disaggregate its funding to Libya regarding MANPADS and landmines.

The Libyan Ministry of War Wounded, Martyrs and Missing Persons and the Ministry of Health contributed $1,307,058 and $150,172 respectively to the International Trust Fund (ITF) Enhancing Human Security to provide for rehabilitation of 25 amputees at the University Rehabilitation Institute (URI) in Ljubljana, and for the URI to assess rehabilitation capacity in Tripoli and Benghazi.[6]

In July 2013, the UN reported that of the 10 humanitarian mine action projects valued at $10 million, only one was fully funded for the year, four were partially funded, and five had not received any funding resulting in a shortfall of $5.4 million. In addition, two victim assistance projects valued at $530,000 had not been funded as of July 2013.[7]

International contributions: 2012[8]

Donor

Sector

Amount

Amount

($)

EU

Clearance

€5,300,000

6,815,270

Netherlands

Clearance

€3,560,671

4,578,667

Germany

Clearance, risk education

€2,198,045

2,826,466

Japan

Clearance

¥145,859,875

1,827,360

Norway

Clearance

NOK8,910,000

1,531,428

Denmark

Clearance

DKK5,000,000

863,230

Switzerland

Clearance

CHF607,500

647,862

Italy

Clearance

€500,000

642,950

Sweden

Clearance

SEK2,240,000

330,769

Luxembourg

Clearance

€244,181

313,992

Austria

Various

€110,000

141,449

Canada

Clearance

C$100,000

100,050

Brazil

Clearance

US$100,000

100,000

Estonia

Clearance

US$9,970

9,970

Total

 

 

20,729,462

 

 



[2] Response to Monitor questionnaire by Robert Gerschner, Unit for Arms Control and Disarmament in the framework of the UN, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Austria, 26 February 2013; Canada, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2013; email from Carolin J. Thielking, European Union Mine Action Focal Point, Division for WMD, Conventional Weapons and Space, European External Action Service, 15 May 2013; response to Monitor questionnaire from Adam Ravnkilde, Security Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 17 May 2013; Japan, Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), Amended Protocol II, 28 March 2013; “UNMAS Annual Report 2012,” p. 39; Germany, CCW, Amended Protocol II, Form B, 22 March 2013; and Italy Financial Tracking System, Reliefweb, fts.unocha.org/pageloader.aspx?page=search-reporting_display&CQ=cq240413220104Nk8VOBnyzx.

[3] ICBL-CMC, “Country Profile: Libya: Support for Mine Action,” 19 September 2012.

[4] US Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety 2013,” Washington, DC, August 2013, p. 3.

[5] Interview with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Walter Givhan, Landmines in Africa, 19 November 2012.

[6] ITF, “Enhancing Human Security Annual Report 2012,” Slovenia, 2013, p. 36.

[8] Average exchange rate for 2012: €1=US$1.2859; DKK5.7922=US$1; NOK5.8181=US$1; SEK6.7721=US$1; CHF0.9377=US$1; C$0.9995=US$1; and ¥79.82=US$1. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2013.