Denmark signed the Mine
Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997 and ratified it on 8 June 1998, the fifteenth
country to do so. Denmark has not yet passed domestic legislation implementing
the treaty.
While there was no national legislation on a mine ban prior to the signing of
the Mine Ban Treaty,[1] Denmark
was an early supporter of a ban. On 5 September 1995, Danish Minister of
Foreign Affairs Niels Helveg Peterson announced Denmark’s support for a
comprehensive ban on antipersonnel mines (APMs). He instructed the Danish
delegation to the CCW review conference in Vienna to work for a
ban.[2]
On 23 May 1996 Denmark decided to renounce the use of AP mines. The Danish
Ministry of Defense announced that “Denmark will unilaterally refrain from
using AP mines in the Danish
defense.”[3] In noting
that the result of the CCW review conference had produced “no major
break-through towards a ban” and that the next review conference would not
take place until 2001, the Danish government “deemed it necessary to take
concrete action in order to send a clear and non-ambiguous political
signal.”[4]
Denmark participated in all the meetings of the Ottawa Process and endorsed
the key UN General Assembly resolutions in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Denmark signed the CCW and Protocol II on 7 July 1982. The government
ratified revised Protocol II on 30 June 1998.
Production and Transfer
Denmark is not currently producing AP mines or mine
components to APMs.[5] The
government has stated that Denmark has not produced any antipersonnel mines
since the 1950s.[6]
Others have alleged that production continued into the
1980s.[7] Companies involved
in mine production in the past apparently include the government company,
Ammunitionsarsenalet, and private companies ALUTOP Aps, DEMEX Consulting
Engineers A/S, HAI Aluksering Horsens A/S – HAI Aluksering Korsør
A/S, Korona Plast Aps, Lindys Maskinfabrik A/S and Nea-Lindberg
A/S.[8] No information is
available from the Ministry of Defense on types and quantities of the mines
produced in Denmark.
Denmark has never been an exporter of the
weapon.[9] Past production of
mines was for the use of the Danish Army
only.[10]
The Ministry of Defense indicates that Denmark has not imported APMs since
1990, but does not give any information on the type, quantity, value and date
of imports.[11] According to
correspondence from the Foreign Ministry, Denmark imported M14 mines (apparently
from the US) and DM 31 mines (apparently from Germany) in the 1950s and 1960s,
and M18A1 mines (apparently from the US) in the
1980s.[12] U.S. government
sources indicate that the U.S. exported 1,576 AP mines to Denmark between 1983
and 1992.[13]
On the issue of the legality of transit of foreign mines through Danish
territory, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave the following statement:
“In accordance with Article 1 of the Ottawa Convention, Denmark cannot
transfer to anyone, directly or indirectly, APMs or allow anyone to do so on
Danish territory. According to Article 3, physical movement (transfer) of APMs
are permitted if the purpose is the development of and training in mine
detection, mine clearance, mine destruction techniques or if the purpose is
destruction of
APMs.”[14]
Stockpiling
Denmark started the destruction of its APM
stockpiles in December 1997 after the signing of the Mine Ban
Treaty.[15] The Ministry of
Defense informs that the destruction is now almost completed and that all
stocks, excluding the APMs retained for training purposes, will be destroyed by
the end of 1999. The stockpile consisted of about 250,000 mines: 98,000 M47;
76,000 M56 (MLE 51-APID 51); 62,000 M58 (NM M14); 13,000 M66 (DM31), 1,000 M80
(M18A1 Claymore).[16] The
Claymores will not be destroyed.
The APMs retained for training purposes are 4,962 NM
M14s.[17] The Danish Defense
Command is responsible for retaining these mines. The Claymore mines, now
called “sector charges,” have been rebuilt to ensure that they can
be command detonated
only.[18]
There are no APMs stockpiled by any other country in
Denmark.[19]
Mine Action Funding
Denmark has contributed a sizable amount of money
to humanitarian mine action programs throughout the years.
In addition to these funds, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also spent
a total of DKK 90,008,000 (1992-1998) on bilateral contributions to mine
clearance and mine related activities. The money allocated from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs is mainly channeled through various UN agencies, the ICRC and
non-governmental organizations such as DanChurchAid, Danish Refugee Council
(Danish Demining Group) and Norwegian People’s
Aid.[21]
Landmine Problem
Denmark reported to the UN that it considers
itself a landmine-affected country on 16 June 1995. The UN country report for
Denmark states that “ landmines and ammunitions are still being cleared
[in Denmark] fifty years after the end of
WWII.”[22] The peninsula
of Skallingen is the most heavily affected area of Denmark and is closed to the
public. The German occupying forces mined the area during WWII. It is estimated
that less than 10,000 mines are still in the ground (including antitank
mines).[23] According to the
information on Denmark at the United Nations, the mines found in Denmark are
Schultzmine, Holzmine 42, Pansermine, Schultzmine 42, Stockmine, Teller 35 and
Teller 42.[24]
When asked about the mined area, an official at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs claimed that this area is of no interest to the public and that nobody
currently seems to show an interest in using this land. He also doubted that the
area would be of much use if
cleared.[25]
Mine Awareness
The mine-infested area of Denmark is marked to
ensure effective exclusion of civilians. It is currently being discussed whether
the marking should be renewed, but no action has yet been taken. The marking of
the mined area is the responsibility of the local police, but the mined area is
almost fully owned by the Ministry of
Transportation.[26] Mine
awareness education for Danish citizens is currently not perceived as
necessary.[27]
Mine Clearance
All Danish military engineer units receive
training in the laying and lifting of mines. There are three demining units in
Denmark during peacetime, and thirteen in time of
war.[28] According to UN data
on Denmark, the total number of square meters (sqm) cleared of mines since the
WWII is 14,482,000. However, it is not clear when this report was written, so
the number might be outdated. Of the area mentioned in the UN report, 6,086,000
sqm was cleared in Skallingen (1946-49), 140,000 sqm in Henne Strand (1981) and
7,256,000 sqm in Kalvebod (1981-1994). Explosive ordnance experts have cleared
these areas.[29]
After the signing of the Mine Ban Treaty, Denmark is obliged to clear all its
mine-infested areas. Officials are currently in the process of discussing how
this should be done, but no specific plan of action has been made public yet.
The cost of clearing all the mine-infested areas in Denmark is estimated to be
DKK 300 million.[30]
Specific numbers on landmine casualties in Denmark have not been found. All
modern general health and surgical facilities are available in Denmark.
[1]Danny Annan, Danish
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, written answers to LM, 24 March 1999.
[2]International Campaign to
Ban Landmines, “Landmine Update,” No. 12, December 1995.
[3]Ministry of Defense, Press
Release, 28 June 1996.
[4]“Ban Movement
Chronology”, ICBL homepage: www.icbl.org, 22 March 1999.
[5]Major Per Lyse Rasmussen,
Danish Ministry of Defense, written answers to LM, 25 March 1999; telephone
interview, Niels Munk, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 23 March 1999.
[6]See, Michael Borg-Hansen,
Counsellor, Royal Danish Embassy, Washington, DC, letter to Human Rights Watch,
11 July 1996, in response to ICBL questionnaire.
20See, Tom Vilmer Paamand, “Danish mine-producing
companies,” 2[7] April 1995. Peace
on the Net: www.fred.dk/peace/danmines.htm. He states that “antipersonnel
mines have not been produced in Denmark since the 1970s, but in 1980 some were
renovated for the Danish Army. One company produced parts for antipersonnel
mines until 1982.”
[8]Tom Vilmer Paamand,
“Danish mine-producing companies,” 27 April 1995. Peace on the Net:
www.fred.dk/peace/danmines.htm.
[9]Royal Danish Embassy
letter to Human Rights Watch, 11 July 1996.
[20]See, Tom Vilmer Paamand,
“Danish mine-producing companies,” 27 April 1995. Peace on the Net:
www.fred.dk/peace/danmines.htm. He states that “antipersonnel mines have
not been produced in Denmark since the 1970s, but in 1980 some were renovated
for the Danish Army. One company produced parts for antipersonnel mines until
1982.”
[21]Danish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, ”Danish Humanitarian Contributions to Mine Clearance and
Mine related Activities from 1992-1998.”
[22]United Nations,
“Country Report: Denmark”, United Nations Demining Homepage:
www.un.org/Depts/Landmine, 22 March 1999.
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