Key developments since May 2002: Italy
completed the destruction of its stockpile of more than 7.1 million
antipersonnel mines in November 2002. Italy provided a total of €9.91
million (US$8.65 million) in mine action funding in 2002, a very significant
increase from 2001. In 2002, Italian armed forces carried out demining in
Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and mine risk education in Kosovo.
Italy has served as co-rapporteur of the Standing Committee on Stockpile
Destruction since September 2002. In April 2003, the Italian Campaign to Ban
Landmines hosted the annual Global Landmine Monitor Researchers Meeting in
Rome.
Mine Ban Policy
Italy signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997
and ratified it on 23 April 1999, becoming a State Party on 1 October 1999. The
ratification law (Law 106/99) approved on 26 March 1999 included amendments to
the existing national mine ban legislation (Law 374/97, approved on 29 October
1997).
Italy participated in the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in September 2002,
where its delegation described the Mine Ban Treaty as a milestone in the
development of international humanitarian law, showing the effectiveness of
public opinion and moral values. Italy also announced that it had encouraged
countries in the Horn of Africa to join the treaty. It gave an
update on the stockpile destruction program, and invited non-party States to
make a symbolic reduction (of about 10 percent) in their antipersonnel mine
stockpiles, as a sign of
goodwill.[1]
At the Fourth Meeting of States Parties, Italy became co-rapporteur of the
Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, and will become co-chair of the
committee in September 2003. Italy actively participated in the various
Standing Committee meetings in February and May 2003. In February,
Italy’s delegation announced the completion of stockpile destruction, gave
presentations on the destruction program, and detailed its €9.91 million
allocation to mine action in 2002. It confirmed that national legislation
permits joint military activities with non-States Parties only if the activities
are compatible with Article 1 of the Mine Ban
Treaty.[2] It also reiterated
that its legislation prohibits mines with antihandling devices, and encouraged
other States Parties to explore all possibilities, via a best practices
approach, for moving forward on this
issue.[3] At the meetings in
May, Italy renewed its offer of assistance to other countries destroying
stockpiles of antipersonnel
mines.[4] Italy also
participated in the Universalization Contact Group meetings and in the
President’s consultations on preparations for the 2004 Review
Conference.
Italy submitted its annual Article 7 transparency report on 16 April 2003 for
the period 17 October 1998–31 December 2002. The report confirms
completion of stockpile destruction, and summarizes funding of mine action in
2002 on the voluntary Form J.[5]
In November 2002, Italy voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 57/74,
which calls for universalization and implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty.
Italy is a State Party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its
Amended Protocol II, and submitted its annual report required by Article 13 on
29 November 2002. Italy attended the Fourth Conference of States Parties to
Amended Protocol II on 11 December 2002.
On 15 October 2002, the Senate approved a motion, agreed by all political
parties, which invited the government to urge non-state actors to help
universalize the Mine Ban Treaty by promoting its principles and objectives. It
also invited all States Parties to assist NGOs and others in involving non-state
actors in the process of banning antipersonnel landmines, and called for
increased funding of mine
action.[6]
Also in October 2002, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs informed the
National Committee for Humanitarian Mine Action (Comitato Nazionale per
l’Azione Umanitaria Contro le Mine, CNAUMA) about diplomatic initiatives
to bring the Mine Ban Treaty to the attention of states, including Egypt,
Ethiopia, Libya, and the US.[7]
From 7-9 April 2003, the Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines (Campagna Italiana
Contro le Mine, ItCBL) hosted the annual Global Landmine Monitor Researchers
Meeting in Rome, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
More than 70 researchers and 45 campaigners from 65 countries attended this
meeting, which consisted of ICBL workshops and Landmine Monitor sessions with
research coordinators. Activities surrounding the conference included a
“Youth Against War” event outside Saint Peter’s square at the
Vatican on 6 April 2003, a press conference, and an address to the closing
plenary of the conference by Italy's Under-Secretary of State for Disarmament,
Hon. Mr. Alfredo Luigi Mantica.
The ItCBL prepared detailed recommendations for the Italian government during
its presidency of the European Union (EU) in the second half of 2003. The
Campaign welcomed Italy’s previous positive contributions and identified
as current priorities universalization (especially targeting accession by
Estonia, Finland, and Latvia and ratification by Poland), implementation of
treaty commitments, and increased mine action
funding.[8]
Production and Transfer
Italy was formerly a major producer and exporter of
antipersonnel mines.[9] The
conversion or decommissioning of two production facilities (Tecnovar and
Valsella) has been reported in previous Article 7 reports, but information on a
third former producer (Misar/SEI) has not been included in any of Italy’s
Article 7 reports, nor in any edition of the Register of
Mines.[10] The Ministry of
Defense states that Misar/SEI has replied to the Ministry’s inquiry, and
that the company has satisfied the legal
requirements.[11]
Transit of antipersonnel mines
Italy has taken the position that transit of antipersonnel mines is allowed
only for the purpose of destruction of
mines.[12] In March 2003, the
ItCBL sought assurances from the Ministry of Defense that no US antipersonnel
mines were being transported via the Italian rail network in the build up to the
war in Iraq, and asked what assurances the government had requested from the US
that any logistical support would be compatible with Italy’s obligations
under the Mine Ban Treaty. On 13 May the Ministry replied that, although not a
State Party, the US was fully aware of States Parties’ treaty obligations,
and the “issue had been commented upon in the context of the work of the
CCW Conference held in Geneva from 10 to 14 March, to which the US is a State
Party.” The Ministry stated that border checks on convoys in transit and
guarantees from other States were the responsibility of other
ministries.[13]
Stockpile Destruction
Destruction of the Italian stockpile began in
February 1999 and was completed on 20 November 2002, well in advance of the
deadline (1 October 2003) set by the Mine Ban Treaty. The deadline in national
legislation was 29 October 2002. The original stockpile of 7,122,811
antipersonnel mines was composed of 6,529,811 warfare mines and 593,000 practice
mines.[14] The destruction was
carried out at the Baiano di Spoleto (all types) and Noceto di Parma (Valmara
69) military plants. The German company RTG-E/Diehl, operating at Noceto di
Parma, was responsible for destruction of some types (MUSPA, MIFF and MW1
dispenser systems).
The final part of the stockpile (410,027 Valmara 69 mines) was destroyed from
January to 20 November 2002, with disassembly of 2,000 units per
day.[15]
Italian military plants demonstrated the capability to destroy the following
quantities: Valmara 69 - 2,000 units per day; AUPS - 12,000; PMC - 11,200; MAUS
1 - 5,400; VAR 40 - 12,000; and MK2 - 2,500. The Ministry of Defense said the
program allowed Italy to gain expertise, train personnel to high levels of
competence, and obtain equipment complying with all regulations on safety,
security and environmental
pollution.[16]
Mines Retained Under Article 3
Italian law permits the retention of up to 8,000 antipersonnel mines, for
training and development purposes. The April 2003 Article 7 report notes
retention of 811 warfare mines, the same number as in the previous report,
indicating no consumption of these mines in 2002. Italy has apparently decided
to no longer report on the number of “practice” mines retained,
which were recorded in the previous Article 7 report as totaling
7,181.[17] Italy stated in the
May 2002 intersessional meeting that some of its retained mines were in fact
only “parts” of mines, not functioning live mines. It said,
“We have realized that the number of 8,000 should probably be more
correctly assessed to a lower level,” noting that 2,500 units are
components that should not be counted as
mines.[18]
Mine Action Funding
In 2002, Italy provided a total of €9.91
million (US$8.65 million)[19] in
mine action funding.[20] This
is a major increase from funding of approximately €5.6 million in 2001.
At the Standing Committee meetings in February 2003, Italy stated that mine
action funding in 2002 represented a clearly upgraded engagement in mine action
and an emphasis on maintaining continuity in funding. Constant project
monitoring was needed, in order to persuade parliaments to increase their
financial commitments to mine
action.[21]
Funding of €9.81 million was provided via the Trust Fund for
Humanitarian Demining. An additional €100,000 was donated by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. The following projects were funded in
2002:[22]
Countries:
Afghanistan – €1 million to the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS)
for humanitarian demining and UXO disposal
Angola – €2.8 million, comprising €1 million to the UN
Development Programme (UNDP) for structural support of the mine action plan, and
€1.8 million to UNICEF for mine risk education
Azerbaijan – €200,000 to UNDP to develop national mine action
capacity
Bosnia and Herzegovina – €1,825,000, comprising €1.1
million to UNDP for structural support of the mine action center, and
€725,000 to UNICEF for mine risk education
Chad – €200,000 to UNDP for mine action
Ethiopia – €500,000, comprising €200,000 to UNDP for mine
action coordination and €300,000 to UNICEF for mine risk education
Laos – €150,000 to UNDP for the national UXO program
Mozambique – €900,000, comprising €450,000 for the
accelerated demining program and €450,000 to UNDP for the National
Institute for Demining
Russia/Chechnya – €100,000 for victim assistance via the
International Committee of the Red Cross
Sri Lanka – €400,000 to UNDP for mine action
Sudan – €158,000 to UNMAS for emergency mine action
Yemen – €500,000 to UNDP to support development of the national
mine action program
Organizations:
UNMAS – €195,000 for the Emergency Response Plan based in
Brindisi.
Geneva Call – €100,000 to support universalization of the Mine
Ban Treaty by promoting the treaty to non-state actors in Africa and America
Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) –
€212,000, including €67,000 for the sponsorship program,
€45,000 for the Implementation Support Unit, and €100,000 for
evaluation of field program
Organization of American States (OAS) – €250,000 to support
humanitarian demining programs in Costa Rica and Honduras
ICBL – €420,000 for the ItCBL and the ICBL, aimed at
universalizing the treaty, and hosting of Landmine Monitor Report 2003
global researchers’ meeting.
The Trust Fund for Humanitarian Demining, established as required by the
legislation ratifying the Mine Ban Treaty, will expire on 31 December 2003. At
the Standing Committee meetings in May 2003, Italy announced that it had started
internal procedures to re-finance the Trust Fund after
2003.[23]
In January 2003, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that mine action
funding in 2003 will decrease dramatically to €2.58 million ($2.45
million) and funds will be concentrated on fewer
countries.[24] In May 2003, at
the Standing Committee meetings, Italy described funding for 2003 as “so
far totaling €2.58 million,” based on priorities identified as:
Angola (€700,000), Iraq (€500,000), Bosnia and Herzegovina
(€400,000), Croatia (€168,000), Azerbaijan (€200,000) and
Yemen (€200,000). Organizations to be supported include the OAS
(€100,000), GICHD (€112,000), Geneva Call (€100,000) and the
UNMAS Emergency Response Plan
(€100,000).[25]
Mine Action Assistance
In November 2002, Italy reported that Italian armed
forces carried out humanitarian demining operations and related activities in
the context of peacekeeping and peace-enforcing missions. In Bosnia and
Herzegovina, the Italian Battle Group cleared five mined areas. In Kosovo, the
Multinational West Brigade carried out two mine risk education courses for
children at two schools and, in September 2002, held a mine risk education
exhibition in Pec. Since the beginning of the Multinational West Brigade
mission in 1999, Italian deminers found and destroyed 1,824 antipersonnel mines
and 676 antivehicle mines. In 2002, Italian armed forces supplied troops for
security duties and mine clearance as part of the international forces deployed
to Afghanistan; they destroyed 116
mines.[26]
In May 2003, it was announced that 3,000 military personnel including
deminers would be sent to Iraq, for duties including mine
clearance.[27]
NGO involvement in mine action
The Italian NGO Intersos carries out mine action activities, including
clearance, survey, mine risk education, and training. In 2002, it was active in
Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and
Pakistan.[28] Details on
Intersos activities can be found in the country reports in this edition of
Landmine Monitor Report.
In 2002, the Italian NGO Movimondo continued to support the Nicaraguan
army’s demining program with a mine risk education project in San
Francisco Libre
municipality.[29]
Landmine/UXO Casualties and Survivor Assistance
On 8 May 2002, an Italian soldier was killed and a
German soldier injured when a KFOR vehicle carrying a mine clearance team hit a
mine in the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia.[30]
On 4 January 2003, in the Niger desert close to the Algerian border, three
Italian tourists were killed and their driver injured when their vehicle hit an
antivehicle mine.[31] In April
2003, several Italian soldiers were injured when their vehicle hit a mine in
Khost province,
Afghanistan.[32]
Several Italian NGOs support survivor assistance programs in mine-affected
countries. Additional information on the programs can be found in the relevant
country report in this edition of Landmine Monitor Report.
The NGO AVSI (Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale) provides
medical rehabilitation for war victims, including mine survivors, in northern
Uganda. The program also includes psycho-social support and mine risk
education.[33]
The NGO Emergency carries out survivor assistance programs in Afghanistan,
Cambodia, and Iraq. Assistance includes emergency medical care and surgery,
physical rehabilitation and social reintegration. The programs in Afghanistan
and Cambodia are funded by Emergency’s own resources, and from private
donors and Italian local authorities, while funding for in Iraq comes from UNOPS
via the “Oil for Food” program.[34]
Intersos provides support to the orthopedic center for mine survivors in the
Menongue-Cuando Cubango province of Angola.
[1] Statement by Italy, Fourth Meeting of
States Parties, Geneva, 16-20 December 2002. Landmine Monitor
notes. [2] “Italy’s
Statement on Article 1 of the Ottawa Convention,” Standing Committee on
the General Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 7 February
2002. [3] “Italy’s Statement
on Article 2 of the Ottawa Convention,” Standing Committee on the General
Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 7 February 2002. See Landmine
Monitor Report 2002, pp. 305-307, for details of the Italian positions on joint
operations, transit of foreign mines, and antihandling
devices. [4] “Italian
Statement,” Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 15 May
2003. [5] Article 7 Reports submitted
on: 16 April 2003 (for the period 17 October 1998–31 December 2002), 2 May
2002 (for the period 17 October 1998–31 December 2001), 30 April 2001 (for
the period 17 October 1998–31 December 2000), 29 March 2000 (reporting
period stated “as of 31 January
2000”). [6] Senate, “Mozione
sulle mine antiuomo,” (1-00082 p.a.), 15 October
2002. [7] Speech by Alfredo Luigi
Mantica, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
“Report of CNAUMA meeting,” 29 October
2002. [8] ItCBL, "Promoting a truly
mine-free world: The role of the Italian Presidency of the EU," June 2003,
available at:
www.doc.icbl.org/EU_PRESIDENCY.doc. [9]
See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp.
717-729. [10] Article 7 Report, Form E,
16 April 2003: “National Military Authorities, in charge of collection and
destruction of APMs owned or possessed by any civilian at the moment of entry
into force of Law 374/97, have never received any report from
MISAR.” [11] Telephone interview
with Colonel Oliva, Ministry of Defense, 2 May 2003; see also Landmine Monitor
Report 2000, p. 670. [12] Oral remarks
to the Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention,
Geneva, 11 May 2001. [13] Letter to the
ItCBL from Ministry of Defense, 13 May
2003. [14] “Destruction of the
Italian Antipersonnel Mine Stockpile,” Ministry of Defence presentation at
Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 6 February 2003. Slightly
different data is given in the Article 7 report submitted on 2 May 2002
(6,529,838 warfare mines and 592,901 practice mines). The Article 7 report
submitted on 16 April 2003 notes 6,529,811 warfare mines and does not refer to
practice mines. [15] “Destruction
of Valmara 69 Mine at Military Plant in Noceto,” Ministry of Defence,
Defence Industries Agency presentation at Standing Committee on Stockpile
Destruction, Geneva, 6 February 2003; Article 7 Report, Forms D and G, 2 May
2002; Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form C, 29 November
2002. [16] “Experience and
Expertise of Italy in the Mine Destruction,” Ministry of Defence, Defence
Industries Agency presentation at Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction,
Geneva, 6 February 2003. [17] Article 7
Report, Form D, 16 April 2003; Article 7 Report, Form D, 2 May 2002. The armed
forces have retained 803 warfare mines and the European Commission’s Joint
Research Center at Ispra holds eight warfare
mines. [18] “Italy’s
Statement on Article 3 of Ottawa Convention, APLs Retained for Training
Purposes,” to the Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation
of the Convention, Geneva, 31 May 2002. Apparently, Italian national law
requires counting the components as retained mines, but the Mine Ban Treaty
would not. [19] Exchange rate €1 =
US$0.95, used throughout this report. Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange
Rates (Annual),” 6 January
2003. [20] Response to Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe questionnaire, 20 November 2002, pp.
2-3. [21] “Italy’s Statement
on Mine Action,” Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education
and Mine Action Technologies, 5 February
2003. [22] Ibid; Article 7 Report, Form
J, 16 April 2003; CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 29 November
2002. [23] Italy Statement, Standing
Committee on Mine Clearance, 14 May
2003. [24] Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Report of CNAUMA meeting, 31 January
2003. [25] Italy Statement, Standing
Committee on Mine Clearance, 14 May
2003. [26] Amended Protocol II Article
13 Report, Form F, 29 November
2002. [27] “Italy to send 3,000
troops to southern Iraq in early June,” La Stampa (daily newspaper), 15
May 2003. [28] Questionnaire from
Valentina Crini, Intersos, 10 March
2003. [29] Interviews with Vincenzo
Pira, Movimondo, 11 and 26 March
2003. [30] “Peacekeeper Killed in
Macedonia Landmine Blast,” Agence France Presse, 8 May
2002. [31] “Niger, iniziato
trasferimento delle salme dei turisti italiani” (Niger starts transfer of
Italian tourist corpses), Repubblic (daily newspaper), 5 January
2003. [32] “Several injured as
Italian military vehicle hits mine in Afghan southeast,” Islamic Republic
of Iran External Service, 26 April
2003. [33] Response to Landmine Monitor
questionnaire by Davide Naggi, Program Coordinator, AVSI, Gulu, 15 March
2003. [34] Email from Giorgio Raineri,
Emergency, 11 March 2003; and responses to Landmine Monitor Survivor Assistance
Questionnaires from Giorgio Raineri, Emergency, 17 March 2003; Rossella Miccio,
Emergency Desk Officer for Afghanistan, 14 March 2003; and Donatella Farese,
Emergency Desk Officer for Iraq, 11 March 2003.
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