Thirty-five
of the 53 countries in Europe/Central Asia are States Parties to the Mine Ban
Treaty, including three who ratified in this reporting period: Moldova (8
September 2000), Romania (30 November 2000), and Malta (7 May 2001).
Five
countries have signed but not ratified: Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, and
Ukraine. There are thirteen non-signatories in the region: Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan, Latvia, Russia,
Turkey, Uzbekistan, and FR Yugoslavia.
Some developments during the
reporting period are encouraging. The Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey
announced that they will join the treaty and will deposit their instruments of
ratification and accession, respectively, at the same time. Cyprus has announced
its intention to ratify soon. FR Yugoslavia has announced its intention to
accede to the treaty. Belarus stated publicly on several occasions that the
only impediment to joining the Mine Ban Treaty is its need for international
financial and technical assistance for destruction of millions of stockpiled
antipersonnel mines. Finland reiterated its goal of joining the Mine Ban Treaty
in 2006.
Seven non-signatories in the region voted for United Nations General
Assembly Resolution 55/33V in November 2000 calling for universalization of the
Mine Ban Treaty, including Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Latvia,
and Turkey. However, of the 22 abstentions, five were in the region, including
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Uzbekistan.
Of the States
Parties, 27 have submitted their initial Article 7 transparency reports as
required under the Mine Ban Treaty. Five are late in submitting initial
reports, including Albania, Iceland, San Marino, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
Fifteen States Parties have enacted domestic implementation legislation for
the Mine Ban Treaty: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France,
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
and the United Kingdom. A number of other states indicate that the treaty has
been incorporated into domestic law, or that existing law is adequate, and new,
separate legislation is not needed: Andorra, Denmark, Ireland, Slovak Republic,
and Slovenia. Other states report that legislative preparations are underway:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Holy See, Iceland, the Netherlands,
and Portugal. The legislative position in the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia is unclear.
Since the Second Meeting of States Parties in
September 2000, six States Parties in this region have served on the
intersessional Standing Committees of the Mine Ban Treaty: Belgium (co-chair
General Status), Croatia (co-rapporteur Stockpile Destruction), Germany
(co-rapporteur Mine Clearance), the Netherlands (co-chair Mine Clearance),
Norway (co-rapporteur General Status), and the Slovak Republic (co-chair
Stockpile Destruction).
Use
In
the period since the release of the Landmine Monitor Report 2000, the
most extensive use of antipersonnel mines in the region has been in Chechnya,
where both Russian forces and Chechen fighters have continued to use mines,
albeit at a lesser level than during the height of the conflict in late 1999 and
early 2000.
There were a number of cases of new instances of antipersonnel
mine use, or serious allegations of new use, in the region. These include:
Russian forces have laid antipersonnel mines on the Chechen stretch of the
Russian-Georgian border, and have laid antipersonnel mines inside Tajikistan on
the Tajik-Afghan border; Uzbekistan has laid antipersonnel mines on its borders
with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan (both governments have accused Uzbekistan of
emplacing mines across the border in their territory); Kyrgyz forces reportedly
mined the border with Tajikistan in summer and fall 2000, then subsequently
cleared the mines; since ethnic Albanian insurgents began fighting the FYR
Macedonia government in March 2001, at least six antivehicle mine incidents have
been reported and there have been several reported seizures of antipersonnel
mines being smuggled from Kosovo; in southern Serbia, bordering Kosovo,
irregular ethnic Albanian forces have used antivehicle mines, and allegedly
antipersonnel mines, too.
Armed non-state actors are reported to have
used mines in four countries in the region: Georgia (in Abkhazia); FYR
Macedonia; Russia (in Chechnya); and FR Yugoslavia (in and near Kosovo).
Joint Operations
The
ICBL has expressed concern about the possibility of States Parties participating
in joint military operations with a non-State Party that uses antipersonnel
landmines, notably the United States in the NATO context. In this reporting
period, several governments in this region have provided new or updated
information on the issue of joint operations, including Belgium, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and
the United Kingdom. These recent statements show a variety of interpretations
of the issue, but indicate that many States Parties consider participation in
joint operations where antipersonnel mines are used as not compatible with
treaty obligations.
Production and Transfer
Landmine
Monitor has decided to remove Turkey and FR Yugoslavia from its list of
producers of antipersonnel mines. Turkey has, for the first time, provided
Landmine Monitor with a written statement indicating that it has not produced
antipersonnel mines since 1996, and has said that it does not intend to produce
them. Turkey’s Foreign Minister announced in April 2001 that Turkey was
starting the process of accession to the Mine Ban Treaty. FR Yugoslavia has
also provided a written statement saying that it has not produced antipersonnel
mines since 1992. While Landmine Monitor has received some contrary information
in the past, this statement, combined with the decision of the new government to
accede to the Mine Ban Treaty, justifies removal from the list of
producers.
Russia is the sole remaining producer in the region, although it
stated in December 2000 that it is decommissioning facilities for production of
antipersonnel blast mines. Officials have said Russia is increasingly focusing
efforts on research and development of landmine alternatives, rather than new
antipersonnel mine production.
Landmine Monitor research did not find
evidence of antipersonnel mine exports or imports by any country in the region.
Stockpiling and Destruction
Italy,
with 3 million antipersonnel mines, and Albania, with 1.6 million, have the
biggest stockpiles of Mine Ban Treaty States Parties; however, these numbers are
outdated, as destruction programs are underway in both these countries. Italy
had destroyed, as of March 2001, 4,086,057 antipersonnel mines. A
NATO-sponsored stockpile destruction program is in-place in Albania. Romania
for the first time reported that its stockpile totals 1,076,629 antipersonnel
mines.
Mine Ban Treaty signatory Ukraine has revised its stockpile estimate
to 6.35 million, down from earlier estimates of 10.1 million; still, this is
thought to be the fourth largest stockpile in the world. Ukraine and Canada
signed a framework agreement for destruction of PMN mines, and discussions are
underway with NATO on a PMN destruction project. Other signatories in the
region with large stockpiles are likely to be Poland and Greece. Neither has
been willing to reveal information about their mine stocks.
Landmine Monitor
estimates that Russia has some 60-70 million antipersonnel mines, more than any
country except China. Belarus revealed for the first time the size of its AP
mine stockpile: 4.5 million. Other non-signatories in the region believed to
have large stockpiles are Finland, Turkey, and FR Yugoslavia. Georgia is
reportedly conducting an inventory of its antipersonnel mine stockpile.
According to one newspaper report, Kazakhstan possesses 800,000 to one million
antipersonnel mines; this is the only known public estimate of
Kazakhstan’s antipersonnel mine stockpile.
In this reporting period,
four States Parties in the region completed destruction of their antipersonnel
mine stockpiles: the Czech Republic in June 2001, Bulgaria in December 2000,
Spain in November 2000, and the Slovak Republic in September 2000. Eleven
others previously completed destruction: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland,
and the United Kingdom.
Additionally, seven States Parties are in the
process of destroying their stockpiles: Albania, Croatia, Italy, Moldova,
Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden. Sweden, as of April 2001, has destroyed
2,335,069 antipersonnel mines since entry-into-force of the Mine Ban Treaty, and
there were 24,200 antipersonnel mines still in stockpile. Slovenia destroyed
nearly 20,000 antipersonnel mines as of May 2001; plans call for destruction of
remaining mines by the end of 2001.
Five States Parties have not begun the
destruction process: FYR Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Tajikistan, and
Turkmenistan. Romania has only been a State Party for a short time.
The
problems associated with the destruction of PFM-1 and PFM-1S antipersonnel mines
was the subject of an international meeting in Budapest co-hosted by Hungary and
Canada. The following countries are thought to stockpile this type of
antipersonnel mine: Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine.
With
regard to mines retained for training and development, the highest number will
be kept by Sweden, with 11,120, and Italy, with 8,000. After the ICBL raised
concerns about excessive numbers retained, several countries have decided to
decrease the number: Bulgaria from 10,446 to 4,000; Croatia from 17,500 to
7,000, Denmark from 4,991 to 2,106, Slovakia from 7,000 to 1,500; and Spain from
10,000 to 4,000. Slovenia confirmed that it will reduce the number of
antipersonnel mines retained from 7,000 to 1,500 after 2003.
Stockpiling and Transit of Foreign Antipersonnel Mines
The
United States stores antipersonnel mines in Norway (123,000 antipersonnel
mines), Germany (112,000), United Kingdom at Diego Garcia (10,000), Greece
(1,100) and Turkey (1,100). Germany and the United Kingdom do not consider the
US mine stockpiles to be under their jurisdiction or control, and thus not
subject to the provisions of the Mine Ban Treaty or their national
implementation measures. Norway, through a bilateral agreement with the US, has
stipulated the mines must be removed by 1 March 2003, which is the deadline for
Norway to comply with its Mine Ban Treaty Article 4 obligation for destruction
of antipersonnel mines under its jurisdiction and control.
The United States
has also discussed with a number of treaty States Parties the permissibility of
the US transiting mines through their territory. Research published in previous
editions of Landmine Monitor showed that States Parties in this region,
including France, Denmark, Slovakia, and Spain have indicated transit is
prohibited. Norway and Germany indicated that this is permitted. During this
reporting period, the number of States Parties indicating that transit would not
be allowed has increased, with Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal
and Switzerland added to the list.
Antivehicle Mines with Antihandling Devices
A
key issue of concern to the ICBL is that of antivehicle mines with antihandling
devices or sensitive fuzes which cause them to function as antipersonnel mines,
and thus are prohibited under the Mine Ban Treaty. The ICRC hosted a technical
experts meeting on the issue on 13-14 March 2001 in Geneva, which was attended
by fifteen countries, including nine States Parties from this region (Austria,
Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United
Kingdom) and one non-signatory (Finland). During the reporting period, officials
of a number of States Parties in this region made policy statements on this
matter, including Belgium, the Czech Republic, Canada, Germany, France, Italy,
the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In the
Belgian Parliament, legislation banning antihandling devices, or interpreting
existing law to ban them, has been proposed and studied. In Germany, some
Parliamentarians and government officials are considering options to ban or
regulate use of antivehicle mines.
Landmine Problem
Of
53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, 24 are mine-affected, as well as the
regions of Abkhazia, Chechnya, Kosovo, and Nagorno-Karabakh. Last year,
Bulgaria and Slovenia were reported as mine-affected, but are now considered
mine-free. Uzbekistan is now listed as mine-affected due to its mining of its
borders with both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. FYR Macedonia is also now
considered mine-affected, due to use of mines in the conflict with Albanian
insurgents during 2001; casualties have been reported, but the extent of mining
has not been determined.
Of the 23 affected states in this region, eight
are States Parties (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Denmark, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, and Tajikistan) and four are signatories
(Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, and Ukraine). Eleven mine-affected countries in the
region have not yet joined the treaty (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia,
Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Yugoslavia). In
some cases, there is considerable contamination with unexploded ordnance (UXO)
as well as mines.
The most serious problems are in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Yugoslavia (including Kosovo), Chechnya, and Nagorno-Karabakh. Bosnia
and Herzegovina has recorded a total of 18,145 minefields. In Croatia, there
are an estimated 4,000 square kilometers of mined or suspected mined areas. In
Kosovo, a total of 620 minefields have been identified. Yugoslavia laid an
estimated 50,000 mines. NATO bombing left as many as 30,000 unexploded cluster
munitions which function like antipersonnel mines. Albanian officials state
that the entire Albania-Kosovo border is affected by antipersonnel and antitank
mines laid by Serbian forces. Nagorno-Karabakh reports that thirty percent of
the territory’s agricultural lands are not being used because of the
danger of mines. In Abkhazia, HALO Trust completed a minefield survey and
estimated over 18.3 square kilometers of land were potentially
mine-threatened.
World War II mines and UXO still require clearance in
Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and Russia. Other countries, such
as the Czech Republic, have mine/UXO problems from munition dumps left by the
former Soviet Union.
In Kosovo, a modified Landmine Impact Survey has been
conducted. Advance survey missions have been conducted in Azerbaijan and Bosnia
and Herzegovina, with plans for Landmine Impact Surveys in the future. In 2000
and 2001, the UN has carried out assessment or fact-finding missions in Belarus
and Georgia/Abkhazia.
Mine Action Funding
Thirteen
of the top seventeen mine action donors in 2000 are from this region, led by the
United Kingdom ($21.5 million), Norway ($19.2 million), Germany ($14.5 million),
the Netherlands ($14.2 million) and Denmark ($13.4 million). In 2000, notable
increases in mine action funding were recorded in Denmark, the Netherlands,
Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Mine action funding fell
substantially in Italy and Sweden.
In Europe, research and development
(R&D) programs are also a central part of mine action initiatives. On 17
July 2000, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the European Commission,
Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, and the United
States, in order to establish an International Test and Evaluation Program
(ITEP) to promote the development of new technologies for humanitarian demining.
These countries, as well as France, Germany, Norway, Denmark, and Croatia are
devoting considerable resources to R&D.
The major recipients of mine
action funding in the region are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Croatia.
Mine action funding for Kosovo in 2000 totaled about $33 million, more than any
other location in the world. Bosnia and Herzegovina received about $15 million,
a significant decrease from the previous year; funding shortfalls in 2000 and
2001 put the existence of the Mine Action Center at risk. Croatia has provided
the vast majority of funding for mine action there, but foreign donors provided
some $6 million in 2000. Estonia received $2.2 million from the US in 2000 for
demining training and equipment.
Mine Clearance
During
2000 and early 2001, mine clearance operations of some sort (including sporadic
clearance and clearance for military purposes) could be found in: Abkhazia,
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Chechnya, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, FYR
Macedonia, Moldova, Nagorno-Karabakh, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and
Yugoslavia. Compared with last year’s Landmine Monitor reporting,
additional countries with clearance operations are Kyrgyzstan and FYR
Macedonia.
In 2000 and early 2001, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Croatia, and Moldova had humanitarian mine action programs
underway, as did Abkhazia, Kosovo, and Nagorno-Karabakh. In Bosnia and
Herzegovina, in 2000, 1.7 million square meters of land were declared to be
mine-free. In Croatia, 9.8 million square meters of land were cleared, and in
Kosovo, 19.4 million square meters were cleared, including destruction of 10,713
AP mines, 3,920 AT mines, 3,729 cluster bomblets and 9,643 UXO. The UN Mine
Action Coordination Centre plans to complete clearance of all known minefields
and surface CBU by the end of 2001.
Mine Awareness
Mine
awareness programs have been implemented in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, and the Russian Federation (Chechnya and
Ingushetia), as well as Abkhazia, Kosovo and Nagorno-Karabakh. In Albania, in
June 2000, an assessment mission was carried out jointly by the ICRC and a mine
clearance NGO to determine the extent of the mine/UXO problem in the three most
contaminated districts. As a result of the recent fighting in FYR Macedonia,
the ICRC conducted a needs assessment in June 2001 in order to assess the extent
of the UXO problem. In Kosovo, after the early proliferation of mine awareness
programs, the UN Mine Action Coordination Center required accreditation of mine
awareness organizations and also required that mine awareness be included as an
element of all clearance tasks. In June and July 2001, the GICHD conducted a
mine awareness and advocacy assessment mission on behalf of UNICEF to
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Mine Casualties
In
2000-2001, mine/UXO accidents occurred in 19 countries in Europe and Central
Asia. In Albania, 35 casualties were recorded in 2000, down from 191 in 1999.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 92 casualties were recorded in 2000. In Croatia, 22
casualties were recorded in 2000, down from 51 in 1999. In Georgia, 51
casualties were reported between January and June 2001. In Kosovo, 95
casualties were recorded in 2000, down from 342 registered between 16 June (end
of conflict) and 31 December 1999. In Nagorno-Karabakh, 15 casualties were
recorded in 2000, down from 30 in 1999. In Tajikistan, mine injuries appeared
to be on the rise with 58 casualties reported between August 2000 and early May
2001.
In 2000/2001, landmine/UXO casualties also include nationals coming
from mine-free countries, or other mine-affected countries, killed or injured
while abroad engaged in military or demining operations, peacekeeping, tourism,
or other activities. These countries include France, FYR Macedonia, Norway,
Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Belgium and
Uzbekistan reported mine/UXO casualties in 2000 and 2001, but not in 1999.
Cyprus and Moldova reported no new casualties in 2000 or 2001, although these
countries remain mine-affected.
Survivor Assistance
Among
the notable developments with respect to survivor assistance in this region are:
in Albania, an agreement was signed between the Albanian Mine Action Center and
the Slovenian International Trust Fund to provide forty mine survivors with
prostheses up to June 2001; in Armenia, in October 2000 the Yerevan Prosthetic
and Orthotic Center stopped providing medical assistance due to a lack of
funding, but operations were resumed in February 2001; in Azerbaijan, the Victim
Assistance component of the National Mine Action Plan, budgeted to cost
$150,000, has not been implemented due to the absence of donor funding; in
Chechnya, UNICEF with the support of a local NGO, Voice of the Mountains, is
developing a database on mine casualties; women and children were reported as
suffering 34 percent of all landmine and UXO injuries; in Georgia, the Ministry
of Labor, Health and Social Affairs is developing a special program for the care
and rehabilitation of the disabled; and in Ukraine, the government fulfilled its
budget obligations and financed the activities of the orthopedic centers in
full; a series of state decrees relating to the disabled, including mine
victims, have been accepted.
Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden
utilized the new Article 7 Form J, aimed mainly at voluntary victim assistance
reporting.
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