The
contribution of this paper does not necessarily imply the association of the
ICRC with views or statements made in other chapters of Landmine
Monitor.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is
pleased to have been invited to contribute to the third edition of Landmine
Monitor. The Landmine Monitor has established itself as an important reference
point for research on the world-wide landmine problem and the implementation of
the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-personnel mines (the "Ottawa treaty").
It will certainly continue to be an essential resource for future work in these
areas.
In 2000, the Ottawa Treaty celebrated the first
anniversary of its entry into force. Today, the use, production, stockpiling and
transfer of anti-personnel (AP) mines have been outlawed by nearly two thirds of
the world's governments. By the end of 2000, 109 countries were party to the
Ottawa treaty, compared to 90 at the end of
1999.[2]
Efforts to rid the world
of these weapons have begun to bear fruit. Significantly, governments have
increased funding for programmes for mine/UXO-clearance, mine/UXO-awareness and
assistance to victims. This has brought relief to both victims and their
communities in some densely mined countries around the world. Lives and limbs
are being saved, victims have greater access to improved treatment and
rehabilitation, and millions of mines that were ready for deployment will now
never find their way into the ground.
Notwithstanding these achievements, AP
mines remain a menace and continue to bring suffering to civilian populations in
many parts of the world. It is imperative to ensure universal adherence to and
compliance with the treaty's provisions if efforts to eradicate the scourge of
mines are to succeed. States party to the Ottawa treaty must meet their
obligations fully by undertaking mine clearance, destroying their stockpiles
within the deadlines set, and providing aid to landmine survivors. They must
also adopt legislation to provide for the punishment of those who flout the
treaty's provisions.
Throughout 2000, the ICRC maintained its pivotal role in
promoting universal adherence to and full implementation of the Ottawa treaty by
taking part in and hosting a broad range of regional and international
initiatives, and by offering technical assistance and advice. The ICRC also
sustained its efforts to extend assistance, including curative care and physical
rehabilitation, to thousands of war-wounded includingmine victims. In
view of the AP mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) which remain scattered in
present and former battlefields around the world, the ICRC increased its
mine-awareness programmes in order to inform the thousands of civilians living
in such areas of the dangers they are exposed to.
2. HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY: PROMOTING UNIVERSALIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
Since the adoption of the Ottawa treaty, the ICRC
has taken every step to ensure that the treaty has an impact on the ground.
Addressing the problem caused by AP mines dictates that the treaty be ratified
universally and its provisions be implemented fully.
Throughout 2000, the
ICRC sought to make the Ottawa treaty a universal reality. It provided technical
assistance and advice for several countries around the globe on the drafting,
adoption and amendment of national legislation to punish war crimes and other
violations of international humanitarian law instruments, such as the Ottawa
treaty.
In addition, the ICRC organized or participated in national and
regional meetings in various regions of the world. The ICRC thus convened a
meeting on AP mines in Abuja, Nigeria, for military and ministry of foreign
affairs officials from that country. Participants from the Gambia, Ghana and
Liberia also attended the meeting. It also supported the organization of a
regional Conference on landmines in the Middle East and North Africa, organized
by the National Centre for Middle East Studies, under the auspices of the League
of Arab States, in Cairo, Egypt.
In addition to ICRC-organized events,
representatives of the institution participated in the following meetings on AP
mines:
a conference in Minsk, organized by the Belorussian NGO, Support Group
Centre for Associations and Foundations;
a regional conference on land mines hosted by the Government of Djibouti;
a conference organized by the ICBL's (International Campaign to Ban
Landmines) Non-State Actors Working Group, in Geneva, Switzerland;
a meeting of experts organized in Berlin by the German Parliament's
subcommittee on disarmament;
a meeting convened in Ljubljana by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs;
a pan-African Seminar on universalization and implementation of the Ottawa
treaty in Bamako, Mali.
In all its efforts, the ICRC also
encouraged adherence to amended Protocol II of the 1980 Convention on Certain
Conventional Weapons[3] (CCW), which
remains an important instrument regulating anti-vehicle mines, booby traps and
other devices not covered by the Ottawa treaty.
To ensure the success of
these efforts and promote a general understanding of the Ottawa treaty, the ICRC
provided documentation, videos and, in many cases, its recently refurbished
English-language landmine exhibition to be used as information tools. The ICRC
developed an information kit to assist States in developing implementing
legislation to give effect to the
treaty.[4]
3. MINE AWARENESS
The ICRC continued its efforts to prevent mine
accidents through its mine/UXO awareness programs. In 2000, working directly or
through National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, it conducted mine awareness
programmes in Afghanistan, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Ethiopia,
Eritrea (by distributing material as an emergency measure), Lebanon, Nicaragua,
the northern Caucasus region of the Russian Federation (including Chechnya), and
the regions of Kosovo and Nagorny
Karabakh.[5]In
addition, data collection began in Iraq and on the Tajikistan/Uzbekistan border
to determine whether there is a need for mine/UXO-awareness programmes.
In
2000, new mine awareness programs were started in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia,
Lebanon, the Russian Federation (Chechnya), and the region of Kosovo.
A
short summary of the programs in Azerbaijan and the region of Nagorny Karabakh,
Ethiopia, Lebanon, and the Russian Federation/Chechnya is provided below.
AZERBAIJAN / NAGORNY KARABAKH
The ICRC mine/UXO-awareness programme launched in
Azerbaijan in spring 1996 consisted of a public information campaign to IDPs and
to population living on the front-line as well as a teacher training programme
in affected areas. It was handed over to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine
Action (ANAMA) in February 2000. This was a crucial step towards national
capacity-building and integration of awareness and clearance activities.
In
Nagorny Karabakh, a working group on mine/UXO issues, including representatives
of the local media and the relevant ministries (defence, education, health,
etc.), was set up in early 1999. A school programme, providing for the training
of 72 teachers and the production of a mine-awareness puppet show, was designed
and is being implemented by the ICRC in close cooperation with the Ministry of
Education.
As concerns the adult population, the ICRC has not undertaken any
major initiatives for adults as the Emergency Rescue Service for Community based
Programmes (CBMA) and the Civil Defence are carrying out projects successfully.
In response to suggestions by these two institutions, the ICRC supported their
mine/UXO-awareness programme through a workshop with the local media on
optimizing use of the media for the transmission of mine information to the
general public, on television spots and fact sheets. The institution also
supported the work of CBMA by providing 50 sign boards bearing mine-awareness
messages and posted in various regions of Nagorny Karabakh. The feedback from
the communities concerned is encouraging. A system for reporting mine sightings
has been developed within communities, who report to the Civil Defence and Halo
Trust.
ETHIOPIA
An assessment of needs was conducted in November
2000 to collect information on hazardous behaviour and attitudes and to
determine how people perceive the dangers relating to mines/UXO. Mine-awareness
pocket calendars, leaflets and posters were produced and distributed as an
emergency measure in the Tigray area (Ethiopian side) and in the Eritrean
territory occupied by Ethiopia.
The ICRC is now working with the Ethiopian
Red Cross to provide support and training for its efforts to develop and
implement community-based mine-awareness activities.
LEBANON
Since June 2000, the ICRC has been providing the
Lebanese Red Cross Society (LRCS) with support in the development of a
mine/UXO-awareness programme in response to the increase in casualties following
the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The ICRC has trained 12 mine-awareness
instructors whose role is to train LRCS field workers at community level. In
cooperation with the LRCS, 5,000 mine-awareness posters and 100,000 leaflets in
comic-strip form, mainly targeting children, have been distributed to support
community-based LRCS mine-awareness activities for adults and children.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION/CHECHNYA
An assessment mission carried out in early July 2000
highlighted the need for a mine/UXO-awareness programme in the northern
Caucasus. Eight ICRC field officers were trained in the collection of
information on mine/UXO casualties in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Daghestan. So
far, six ICRC mine-awareness officers have been trained to run community-based
mine/UXO-awareness activities specifically targeting children, teachers and
adults in camps for displaced people. A puppet show has been used with children
to highlight the dangers faced from mines and UXO, and in particular the safe
behaviour to adopt. It is planned to begin mine-awareness programmes in Chechnya
as soon as the situation permits.
4. DATA COLLECTION
An important aspect of ICRC mine awareness programs
is the collection of data about mine incidents. In addition to providing
information about the location of mined areas, this data is also necessary to
understand the impact of mines on local communities and mine victims in order to
better respond to their needs.
One of the most comprehensive ICRC data
collection programs are in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Yugoslavia (Kosovo). In
Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of mine/UXO victims has
declined significantly, from 3,161 in 1992-1995 to 1,247 between
1996 and 2000, and then 90 in 2000. It must be noted, however, that there
was a rise in the number of people injured while venturing into areas they knew
to be hazardous. Economic and social concerns are major factors in mine
accidents, and as such the mine/UXO-awareness approach should focus on
behavioural change and on integration with other development programmes:
technical and economic solutions may help lower the incidence of mine/UXO
injuries.
Below is a brief summary of some of the data collected by the ICRC
in Bosnia and Herzegovina through December 2000.
In Afghanistan, the ICRC began collecting data on mine/UXO
casualties as of 1998. Presently, the ICRC is supporting UN co-ordinated
surveying, demining and mine awareness through the sharing of data. This helps
identify locations affected by mines and/or UXO and minefields which have not
yet been surveyed and assists in the planning and prioritizing of mine clearance
and mine awareness programmes. Data is collected in 11 different provinces. The
primary sources of data are ICRC supported hospitals, clinics and first aid
posts as well some selected clinics run by the Swedish Committee for
Afghanistan, Aide Médicale Internationale, IbnSina, Healthnet and the
Norwegian Assistance Committee, in order to broaden its geographical outreach
and gain greater access to the victims treated in the 275 clinics which these
institutions support. Information on approximately 2,812 mine/UXO victims was
collected between March 1998 and December 2000.
In 1999, 30 people were
injured by mines/UXOs in Nagorny Karabakh. More than half of the
victims (56.7%) were children. In 2000, the number of mine/UXO victims dropped
to 15, including four children and four deaths. Data collection on mine/UXO
victims was initiated by the ICRC together with local authorities, who are now
fully in charge of information gathering. The ICRC database on mine/UXO
casualties is still being used for data entry and analysis.
In
Albania, the Albanian Red Cross Mine Awareness Instructors, supported by
the ICRC, are collecting information on mine/UXO casualties. Between June and
December 1999, 191 mine/UXO victims were recorded whilst 35 people were injured
and killed in 2000.
5. MINE VICTIM ASSISTANCE
Providing aid and assistance to victims of war is
one of the primary activities of the ICRC. The ICRC often provides medical and
surgical care during and immediately following armed conflicts. In 2000, the
ICRC continued to provide assistance (first aid, transport, curative care, and
physical rehabilitation) for war-wounded, including mine/UXO victims, as well as
training of civilian and military surgeons, in over 25 countries amongst which
were Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Georgia, Iraq, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sri Lanka,
Sudan, Tadjikistan, Uganda, and Yugoslavia.
The construction and fitting of
prostheses remain an important part of the assistance ICRC provides directly to
mine victims. For the fourth consecutive year, the annual number of physically
disabled people assisted, mainly with prostheses (16,442) and orthoses (11,005),
increased. This was especially true of Afghanistan, where the production of
orthoses exceeded that of prostheses. In total seven additional projects were
assisted in: Ethiopia, Myanmar and Uganda. This increased the total number of
assisted prosthetic/orthotic centres to 37 in 14 different countries. Each
project provides rehabilitation services free of charge to war wounded, a
majority of which are often mine victims, and other people in need. Such
services include new protheses or orthoses, fitting, training and, in some
cases, transport and accommodation during his or her stay.
In 2000, the ICRC
produced record number of protheses. In total, 16,442 protheses were
manufactured and of these 9,882 were for mine victims (see table below). Clinics
in Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia and Iraq produced the largest percentage of
protheses for mine injured. This is not surprising given that these are among
the most heavily mine-affected countries in the world.
In addition to the 37
programs it runs today, the ICRC continues to assist physical rehabilitation
projects formerly operated by it, but which have now been handed over to local
organizations, government ministries, National Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies or non-governmental organizations. Resources for this assistance comes
from the ICRC-administered Special Fund for the Disabled (SFD). During 2000, 62
projects in 37 countries received assistance from the fund. These projects
assisted all those in need of their services, including mine victims.
6. ISSUES RELATED TO TREATY IMPLEMENTATION
The fact that certain anti-vehicle mines with
sensitive fuses or sensitive anti-handling devices can also be detonated by the
presence, proximity or contact of a person has long been highlighted by the ICRC
and organizations concerned with the global landmine problem and was considered
in the context of negotiations of the Ottawa treaty, in subsequent meetings of
States Parties and in the intersessional work carried out in Standing Committees
since 1999.
In order to facilitate the discussion on this issue, the ICRC
hosted a technical expert meeting in March 2001 with the following
objectives:
identify specific technical measures which may be taken by States to
minimize the risk that a person might activate the fusing mechanism of an
anti-vehicle mine;
identify specific technical measures which may be taken by States to
minimize the risk that a civilian might activate the anti-handling device of an
anti-vehicle mine by accidentally disturbing it; and
identify best practices as regards the design and use of anti-handling and
fusing mechanisms for anti-vehicle mines.
In May 2001, the ICRC
submitted to the Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the
Convention a summary report of the meeting, highlighting the discussions and
proposals made. The Standing Committee welcomed the identification by
participants at the Expert Meeting of possible best practices regarding the
design and use of certain fusing mechanisms on anti-vehicle mines, as indicated
in the summary report.
The ICRC remains concerned with this issue and will
continue to work with States and participants in the Standing Committee on the
General Status and Operation of the Convention to resolve it.
ICRC prosthetic/orthotic programmes: production statistics for 2000
[2]As at 1 June 2001, 116 States
were party to the Ottawa treaty.
[3]Amended Protocol II is part of
the 1980 UN Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain
Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have
Indiscriminatory Effects, and is more formally known as the Protocol on
Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other
Devices.
[4]As at 31 December 2000,
some 20 States had adopted national legislative measures to impose penal
sanctions and respect for its
provisions.
[5]In addition, ICRC
mine awareness activities were conducted jointly with Halo Trust in Georgia.
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