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Belgium

Last Updated: 30 August 2013

Support for Mine Action

In 2012, the Kingdom of Belgium contributed €5,592,222 (US$7,191,039) in mine action funding to seven states and three other areas, as well as to the UN Mine Action Service, the Organization of American States (OAS), and the ICRC.[1] Belgium’s contribution in 2012 was its lowest since 2004. Since 2010, Belgium’s mine action funding has decreased by €3.4 million ($4.7 million) or 40%.

Belgium contributed 81% of its total funding in 2012 to the ICRC, Angola, Kosovo and Lebanon.

Belgium has also provided financial support to a variety of research projects. Since 1997, it has funded the NGO APOPO in support of the use of rats in mine detection. The Ministry of Defense and the Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs have funded the PARADIS project which studies the use of satellite imagery in demining. Belgium also supports research through the Comité Européen de Normalisation to define new standards for characterizing soil in electromagnetic mine detection sensors.[2]

Contributions by recipient: 2012[3]

Recipient

Sector

Amount (€)

Amount ($)

ICRC

Mine action

2,000,000

2,571,800

Angola

Clearance

1,081,000

1,390,058

Kosovo

Clearance

750,528

965,104

Lebanon

Clearance

709,397

912,214

Global

Advocacy, victim assistance

275,000

353,623

Palestine

Clearance

250,000

321,475

Peru

Clearance

168,062

216,111

Jordan

Clearance

100,000

128,590

Somaliland

Clearance

100,000

128,590

Iraq

Clearance

100,000

128,590

Philippines

Advocacy

40,000

51,436

Ecuador

Clearance

18,235

23,448

Total

 

5,592,222

7,191,039

Belgium contributed 56% of its support to clearance, capacity development, and other activities associated with clearance operations. Its contributions to victim assistance, totaling €218,062 ($280,406) went to the OAS for activities in Peru and to Handicap International for global activities.

Contributions by thematic sector: 2012

Sector

Amount (€)

Amount ($)

Clearance

3,149,160

4,049,505

Various

2,000,000

2,571,800

Advocacy

225,000

289,328

Victim assistance

218,062

280,406

Total

5,592,222

7,191,039

Belgium’s annual contributions to mine action have fallen considerably since 2010. In 2012, Belgium cut its foreign aid budget by 13%, affecting funding for mine action.

Summary of contributions: 2008–2012[4]

Year

Amount (€)

Amount ($)

2012

5,592,222

7,191,039

2011

5,843,386

8,140,421

2010

9,006,972

11,944,146

2009

7,444,646

10,374,114

2008

7,145,951

10,523,127

Total

35,033,177

48,172,847

 

 



[1] Average exchange rate for 2012: €1=US$1.2859. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2013.

[3] CCW Protocol V Article 10 Report, Form F, 8 April 2013; Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2013; Lebanon Mine Action Center, “2012 Annual Report Lebanon Mine Action Center,” Beirut, March 2013, p. 45; and emails from Carl Case, Director of the Office of Humanitarian Mine Action, OAS, 24 April and 27 June 2013.

[4] See Landmine Monitor reports 2008–2011; and ICBL-CMC, “Country Profile: Belgium: Support for Mine Action,” 30 July 2012.