Denmark

Landmine/ERW Problem

When it became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty, Denmark had one known mined area to clear from World War II, on the peninsula of Skallingen on Denmark’s west coast.^[1] In 2005, an 8km fence was erected to replace and supplement an old fence and sign postings, excluding some 2.95km² of land from the public. This included a “buffer zone due to the inconsistency in the available mapping information.”^[2]

Of the suspected mined area, 900,000m² is beach, which may be contaminated from mines displaced along the eroding coastline.^[3] The minefield comprised three suspected hazardous areas (SHAs), the first of which was cleared in 2006, releasing 190,000m² of land.^[4] In March 2008, Denmark expected the second SHA, measuring 475,000m², to be cleared by the end of 2008.^[5] By August, it reported that the area had already been cleared by April 2008.^[6]

The third and final SHA, 1.2km² in size, borders the sea. According to Denmark, the exact location of contamination had not been determined as of March 2008, but the area fenced off is larger than the actual mined area. “Further area cancellation and area reduction methods [through technical survey] will be used to delineate actual mined areas.”^[7]

Demining

Demining on the Skallingen peninsula has been awarded to commercial companies by tender.^[8] Denmark has formed a National Mine Action Authority within the Danish Coastal Authority responsible for national clearance standards, the tender process, and the quality of clearance operations.^[9]

Denmark’s Article 5 deadline extension request (see below) states that based on the experience from demining of the first SHA, the clearance standards were altered slightly,^[10] although no details have been provided. Based on findings in the first two SHAs, it was stated that: “Most or all remaining mines are ineffective because of the salty, wet environment in the area.”^[11] Prior to clearance of the third SHA, it was stated that the standards would again be “reviewed and formulated.”^[12] Demining of the third SHA will also be conducted by tender with a civil contractor.^[13]

Denmark has expressed concern about the environmental implications of clearing the remaining SHA, in particular whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) might be required. This might require permission from the environmental authorities for the technical survey.^[14]

Summary of Efforts to Comply with Article 5

Under Article 5 of the treaty, Denmark 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 2009. On 29 March 2008, Denmark submitted a request for an extension but did not specify the time period it was seeking. The treaty requires that a formal request specify the duration of the proposed extension. The initial request included a detailed description of progress to date but did not set out in detail the remaining problem, an operational plan or tentative budget covering any extension period. On 4 June 2008, Denmark presented its request to the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, but again did not specify the period of additional time it was seeking.^[15]

On 28 August 2008, Denmark submitted a revised request, asking for an initial 22-month extension to allow it “to complete the technical survey, EIA and public consultations and to develop a release plan for the last mine infected area in Denmark and furthermore to proceed with the tendering process in order to undertake all necessary surveys and other preparations (e.g., in this case, revision of national standards). Thereby Denmark will be in a position to develop a plan in order to complete the destruction of all antipersonnel mines in mined areas.”^[16]

Denmark’s failure to meet its Article 5 deadline is primarily due to clearance not being initiated before 2006, despite being a State Party since 1 March 1999. The ICBL is encouraged that Denmark has reiterated its commitment to fulfill its Article 5 obligations.

Support for Mine Action

National support for mine action

In November 2007, Denmark reported two funding commitments for mine clearance in the Skallingen peninsula. In 2005, the government committed DKK86 million (US$15,806,800), and in 2006 it allocated an additional DKK32 million ($5,881,600) for completion of mine clearance operations.^[17] Mine clearance coordination and operations in 2007 were evidently funded by these allocations.

International support for mine action

Denmark reported making donations for mine action totaling DKK65,702,278 ($12,076,078/€8,807,584) in 2007, a decrease of approximately 23% compared to 2006.^[18] In US dollar terms, owing in large part to fluctuation in the value of the US dollar, funding by Denmark has remained roughly consistent, between approximately $12 million and $14 million per year, since 2003.

2007 International Mine Action Funding by Denmark: Monetary^[19]

Funding by Denmark to Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan decreased in DKK terms by more than 20% in 2007 compared to 2006, while Denmark established new lines of funding to Myanmar, Nepal and Uganda in 2007. Denmark stated that funding to Afghanistan and Iraq was allocated in a three-year grant to Danish Demining Group (DDG), which was disbursed according to DDG’s programming priorities, accounting for the changing annual amounts. New funding was reported to be an effort by Denmark to complement existing programs in other areas by Danish NGOs in recipient states.^[20]