Key developments since May 2002: In 2002,
Norway provided US$25.5 million in funding for mine action, a significant
increase from 2001. Norway’s five-year commitment of US$120 million to
mine action activities came to an end, but officials have stated that Norway
intends to maintain the same level of funding in the coming years. Norway
continued to play a key leadership role in promoting full implementation of the
Mine Ban Treaty and in the intersessional work program. At Norway’s
initiative, a contact group on resource mobilization was established at the
Fourth Meeting of States Parties. Norway reported that US antipersonnel mines
stockpiled in Norway were removed in November 2002. In 2002, the Norwegian
Petroleum Fund terminated its investments in Singapore Technologies due to that
company’s production of antipersonnel mines. In September 2002, a
conference was held in Oslo, “The Future of Humanitarian Mine
Action,” marking the fifth anniversary of the negotiation in Oslo of the
Mine Ban Treaty. In 2002, Norwegian Defense Forces participated in mine
clearance operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
Mine Ban Policy
Norway signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December
1997 and ratified it on 9 July 1998, becoming a State Party on 1 March 1999.
Implementing legislation was passed on 16 June 1998.
Norway was a very minor producer of antipersonnel mines and never exported
them. Norway’s stockpile of 160,000 antipersonnel mines was destroyed by
October 1996.[1] Its
Claymore-type directional fragmentation mines (FFV-013, M19, and M100) were
modified by December 1999 to ensure command-detonation
only.[2] Norway has retained no
antipersonnel mines for training or development purposes, as permitted by
Article 3 of the Mine Ban
Treaty.[3]
Norway has continued to play a key leadership role in promoting full
implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, in the intersessional work program and
the annual Meeting of States Parties. This included chairing the Resource
Mobilization Contact Group and active participation in the Universalization and
Article 7 Contact Groups, as well as in the January and May 2003
President’s Consultations on preparations for the first Review Conference
to be held in 2004. Norway was one of five countries that offered to host the
2004 Review Conference. Norway also participated in the Bangkok Regional Action
Group (BRAG).
It served as co-chair of the Standing Committee on General Status and
Operation of the Convention from September 2001 to September 2002. It is slated
to become the co-rapporteur of the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and
Socio-Economic Reintegration in September 2003.
At the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in September 2002, Norwegian
Ambassador Steffen Kongstad said, “The Mine Ban Convention is undoubtedly
the single most important instrument of International Humanitarian Law created
in recent years. Not only has it established a new international norm against
anti-personnel mines, it has also set significant new standards that may be a
model for solving other humanitarian
problems.”[4]
Ambassador Kongstad, who served as President of the Second Meeting of States
Parties, also expressed concern about current funding of mine action:
“While we have succeeded in making a change for the better on the ground,
we now see for the first time that the funding for mine action is stagnating.
This comes as no surprise, but demands that in the time to come, we have to give
more attention to fundraising and the most effective use of means. We should
start addressing resource mobilization and, more systematically, how human and
financial resources are
spent.”[5]
Norway presented a non-paper on the need to examine all avenues for
mobilizing resources to achieve the treaty’s humanitarian aims, including
traditional donors, mine-affected States Parties, multilateral agencies and
development banks, other mine-affected nations and non-traditional State donors,
and the private sector. The non-paper stressed that the needs of mine-affected
countries must be linked more effectively with the donor community, to ensure
that available resources are used in the best possible manner. It also stated
that mine-affected countries should be encouraged to provide domestic resources
in support of national programs, which would imply giving higher priority to
humanitarian mine action in national strategies for development and poverty
eradication.[6]
As proposed by Norway, a contact group on resource mobilization was
established at the Fourth Meeting of States Parties. It met during the Standing
Committee meetings in February and May 2003, with Norway chairing. In May,
Norway presented a preliminary review of the resources allocated so
far.[7]
Also at the May intersessional meetings, Norway noted the high number of
mines retained by some States Parties and reiterated that it should be the
“minimum number absolutely necessary.” It reminded delegates that
Norway has chosen not to retain any mines for training, even though it does a
lot of mine clearance. Norway urged States Parties, as a voluntary measure, to
report on the intended purpose and actual use of mines
retained.[8]
Norway submitted its annual Article 7 transparency report for calendar year
2002 on 30 April 2003. The report included voluntary Form J, giving brief
details of mine action funding. Four previous Article 7 reports have been
submitted.[9]
In November 2002, Norway voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution
57/74, which calls for universalization and implementation of the Mine Ban
Treaty. In the debate on the resolution, Norway noted that the Mine Ban Treaty
is “becoming an international norm” and welcomed the “strong
partnership between governments and the ICBL and ICRC.” It also stressed
that to continue the progress made and ensure full implementation of the treaty,
more political and financial commitment was
needed.[10]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Norway promoted the Mine Ban
Treaty on many occasions during 2002, including through the Human Security
Network.[11] Norway also
continued to seek clarifications on a bilateral level in instances where there
have been allegations of non-compliance.
In September 2002, a conference was held in Oslo titled, “The Future of
Humanitarian Mine Action,” to mark the fifth anniversary of the diplomatic
negotiations in Oslo of the Mine Ban Treaty. The conference was organized by
Norwegian People’s Aid, Norwegian Red Cross, and the International Peace
Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO), with funding from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. The conference addressed the current state of humanitarian mine
action, lessons learned from the past, and, especially, future needs. PRIO is
preparing a special issue of the Third World Quarterly based on the
conference
presentations.[12]
In December 2002, Ambassador Kongstad participated in the conference marking
the 5th anniversary of the signing of the Mine Ban Treaty in Ottawa.
Norway also sent a representative to the Landmine Monitor Global Researchers
Meeting in Rome in April 2003.
In 2002, the Norwegian Petroleum Fund terminated its investments in Singapore
Technologies, due to the company’s production of antipersonnel mines; an
advisory board had reported that such investments might violate Norwegian
law.[13] A public advisory
committee was established to develop ethical guidelines for the Petroleum Fund.
Its recommendations, issued in June 2003, included barring investments in
companies that manufacture antipersonnel mines, cluster bombs, or incendiary
weapons, as well as chemical, biological, and nuclear
weapons.[14]
Foreign stockpiling of antipersonnel mines
Under a bilateral arrangement, the US stockpiled antipersonnel mines (123,084
ADAM mines) in Norway, which were under the jurisdiction and control of Norway.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided that these should be removed by 1 March
2003, the Mine Ban Treaty’s four-year deadline for destruction of
stockpiled antipersonnel mines under Norway’s jurisdiction or control.
In its April 2003 Article 7 report, Norway stated, “The United States
has had a limited number of landmines, unlawful under the Convention,
pre-positioned in Norway. These mines were transported out of Norwegian
territory in 2002.”[15]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Landmine Monitor that the US antipersonnel
mines were removed in November 2002, and stressed that, as American property,
their transportation out of Norwegian territory was not a violation of the Mine
Ban Treaty.[16]
Joint military operations and “assist”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in May 2003 that Norwegian forces will
under no circumstances use antipersonnel mines, or contribute to such use, in
joint operations with States not party to the Mine Ban
Treaty.[17] The Ministry of
Defense in March 2003 said that the issue of joint operations with non-members
of the Mine Ban Treaty is not problematic for Norwegian forces, as under no
circumstances will Norway use antipersonnel mines. The prohibition in Norwegian
law against use also applies to soldiers operating outside Norway’s
borders.[18]
Antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes and antihandling devices
At the Standing Committee meetings in May 2003, Norway reiterated its
conviction that the treaty text negotiated in Oslo in 1997 established an
effect-oriented definition of antipersonnel mines which includes any mine that
functions as an antipersonnel mine. The delegation supported continued
discussion of antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes and antihandling devices
within the context of the Mine Ban
Treaty.[19]
Norway is a State Party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its
Amended Protocol II, and submitted a report as required by Article 13 of the
Protocol on 22 October 2002. Norway attended the Fourth Annual Conference of
States Parties to the Protocol in December 2002.
Mine Action Funding
During the Standing Committee meetings in May 2003,
Norway said that it is necessary to “mainstream mine action into the
general reconstruction and development programs of mine-affected
countries.” Norway said donor countries should be more active in the
World Bank and other lending institutions on behalf of mine
action.[20]
In 2002, Norway’s five-year commitment of US$120 million to mine action
activities came to an end. In September 2002, the Minister for International
Development gave assurances that Norway intends “to maintain the same
level of support in the coming
years.”[21]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Landmine Monitor that at the end of
2002, about $110.5 million of the pledge had been spent, and the outstanding
$9.5 million would be spent early in
2003.[22] Over the five years,
$24 million was donated in 1998; $21.5 million in 1999; $19.5 million in 2000;
$20 million in 2001; and, $25.5 million in
2002.[23]
The total funding for 2002 of NOK202,894,760 included allocations from both
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Agency for International
Development (NORAD). It also included expenditure on research and development
(NOK2,827,720, or $353,465). More than 20 percent of the total Norwegian
contribution was allocated directly to victim assistance
projects.[24]
A total of NOK159,725,717 ($20 million) in mine action assistance was
provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NORAD to country programs in
2002 and is summarized
below:[25]
Afghanistan – NOK17,967,000 ($2,245,875) comprising NOK2 million to
the UN Development Programme (UNDP) for children at risk; NOK12,367,000 to
Mines Advisory Group (MAG) for mechanical mine clearance equipment; and NOK3.6
million to UN Trust Fund/UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) for mine clearance.
Angola – NOK20 million ($2.5 million) to Norwegian People’s Aid
(NPA) for mine clearance and mine action.
Bosnia and Herzegovina – NOK15,650,000 ($1,956,250) comprising
NOK15,150,000 to NPA for mine action; and NOK500,000 to UNDP for mine action
coordination.
Burma – NOK829,000 ($103,625) to Trauma Care Foundation (Tromsø
Mineskadesenter) for mine injury management.
Central America (OAS) – NOK8,500,000 ($1,062,500) to the Organization
of American States (OAS) for mine action and mine clearance.
Colombia – NOK2 million ($250,000) comprising NOK1 million to UNICEF
for mine risk education and NOK1 million to Centro Integral de Rehabilitacion de
Colombia for victim assistance.
Croatia – NOK 16,131,010 ($2,016,376) comprising NOK15,150,000 to NPA
for mine clearance; NOK381,010 to UNDP and Croatian Mine Action Center (CROMAC)
for capacity building; and NOK600,000 to CROMAC for mine clearance.
Eritrea – NOK19,385,640 ($2,423,206) comprising, to UNDP, NOK6,100,000
for mine action capacity building and NOK6 million for mine action; NOK4
million to UNICEF for mine risk education and rule of law training;
NOK1,485,640 to HALO for mechanical mine clearance; and NOK1,800,000 to Danish
Demining Group (DDG) for mine clearance.
Ethiopia – NOK800,000 ($100,000) to the World Bank for emergency mine
action response.
Iraqi Kurdistan – NOK4 million ($500,000) comprising NOK2,500,000 to
NPA for mine action and NOK1,500,000 to Trauma Care Foundation for mine injury
management.
Jordan – NOK600,000 ($75,000) to Norwegian Demining Consortium
(NoDeCo) for mechanical mine clearance equipment.
Laos – NOK2 million ($250,000) to the UNDP for support of the national
mine action authority, UXO Lao.
Lebanon – NOK12,664,100 ($1,583,013) comprising NOK6,048,000 to NoDeCo
for mechanical mine clearance and equipment; NOK3,998,100 to MAG for equipment;
NOK2,500,000 to NPA for victim assistance; and NOK118,000 to the Royal
Norwegian Embassy, Damascus, for a tree-for-a mine program.
Mozambique – NOK18 million ($2,250,000) comprising NOK15 million to
NPA and NOK3 million to Handicap International (HI) France for mine clearance
programs.
Palestine – NOK437,000 ($54,625) to Trauma Care Foundation for victim
assistance.
Sri Lanka – NOK5,889,247 ($736,156) to NPA for mine action and
capacity building, including NOK5,300,000 for the 2003 mine program.
Sudan – NOK3 million ($375,000) to DanChurchAid for mine action in the
Nuba Mountains.
Africa – NOK5,520,000 ($690,000) comprising NOK5 million to NPA for
mine action, and NOK520,000 to the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian
Demining (GICHD) for sponsorship of Mine Ban Treaty meetings.
Asia – NOK2,970,000 ($371,250) comprised of NOK1,800,000 to UNDP for
supporting a Cambodia mine action center; NOK1 million to Trauma Care
Foundation for victim assistance; and NOK170,000 to HI France for a mine victim
seminar in Thailand.
Middle East – NOK555,000 ($69,375) to Landmine Survivors Network for
victim assistance.
Also, NOK2,680,000 ($335,000) went to GICHD for the study of mine detection
dogs and mechanical mine clearance; and NOK147,720 ($18,465) went to the
Norwegian Defense Research Insititute for Nordic Demining Research Forum
activities.
An additional NOK43,169,035 ($5.4 million) was dedicated in 2002 to funding
regional, thematic, and multilateral activities. The largest recipients were
the ICRC for victim assistance through the Norwegian Red Cross (NOK30,591,000 -
$3,823,875) and the ICBL (NOK5,575,000 - $696,875), including funding for
Landmine Monitor. A donation of NOK530,000 ($66,250) for the Implementation
Support Unit at the GICHD was also provided. Other recipients include PRIO,
World Health Organization, Trauma Care Foundation, and the Norwegian Red
Cross.
Mine Action
In 2002, Norwegian Defense Forces participated in
mine clearance operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan. In Kosovo, explosive
ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel are an integrated part of the Norwegian
battalion. In Afghanistan, some 20 Norwegian deminers participated in mine
clearance work in Kabul from February to December
2002.[26] In March 2003, the
Ministry of Defense reported that there were no plans for participating in mine
clearance operations in other areas in
2003.[27]
Nongovernmental Mine Action
Norwegian People’s Aid is one of the biggest non-governmental
humanitarian mine action agencies. It conducts manual, mechanical and canine
mine clearance, surveys (including national Landmine Impact Surveys), and mine
risk education. During 2002, NPA was active in eleven countries: Angola, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Ethiopia, Iran, Laos, Lebanon, Mozambique,
Northern Iraq/Kurdistan, and Sri
Lanka.[28] Details on
NPA’s operations can be found in the country reports in this edition of
Landmine Monitor Report.
The Norwegian Red Cross (NRC) runs three orthopedic workshops in Somalia in
cooperation with Somali Red Crescent Society, in Hargesia, Galkayo, and
Mogadishu. The NRC also runs two projects in Iraq, in Erbil and Mosul,
delegated from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The NRC
supports the ICRC mine victim support program and Special Fund for the Disabled
(SFD). The total budget for NRC in 2002 was approximately NOK41 million
($5,171,740). This also includes a NOK4 million budget for the workshops in
Mogadishu and Hargesia in Somalia supported by NORAD, and additional support for
the SFD’s work in Latin America, also supported by
NORAD.[29]
The Tromsø Mine Victim Resource Center and Trauma Care Foundation
continue their work in rural communities affected by epidemics and traumatic
injuries. The Center focuses on emergency and continuing medical care;
rehabilitation, prosthetics and assistive devices; employment and socio-economic
reintegration; and legislation and national planning. Trauma Care Foundation
currently works in Northern Iraq/Kurdistan, Iran, Burma, and
Cambodia.[30]
Research and Development (R&D)
Norway and other Nordic countries are involved in
ongoing cooperation to standardize “existing and future mine detection and
clearance equipment. The Norwegian Army together with the Norwegian Defense
Research Establishment are looking into possible development of sensor systems
in order to improve the technological mine detection
capacities.”[31]
The Norwegian Demining Consortium has produced a new demining machine, the
Compact 140 Minemouse (a mini-flail). In 2003, there are two Compact 230
Minecats (a midi-flail) operating in Iran, two in Lebanon, and one each in
Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jordan and
Afghanistan.[32]
In 2002, the Assistance to Mine Affected Communities (AMAC) project at the
International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) published, Assessing
Landmine Impact at the Field Level: A Training Manual. This was developed
in order to strengthen capacity building. It contains background material for
38 lectures on analytical and methodological aspects of community-level impact
assessment. The training manual is also available in
Portuguese.[33] The AMAC
project participated at the Standing Committee meeting in May 2003 and gave a
presentation on donor policies, opportunities for more active peace-building in
mine action, and possible
challenges.[34] In 2002, AMAC
received funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Casualties and Survivor Assistance
A deminer was killed in a mine incident in April
2002 while working for the Norwegian Army in Afghanistan. No other member of
the armed forces was involved in mine-related accidents in
2002.[35]
In 2002, as in previous years, Norway provided 20 percent of its total mine
action funding to projects working with landmine
survivors.[36]
[1] Email from May-Elin Stener, Advisor,
Department for Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs and Democracy, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, 26 February 2003. Included were 90,000 M14, 48,000 M2A1, and
22,000 M16 mines. [2] Letter from
Annette Bjørseth, Adviser, Ministry of Defense, 21 May
2002. [3] Article 7 Report, Form B, 30
April 2003. [4] Statement by Ambassador
Steffen Kongstad, Fourth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 16-20 September
2002. [5]
Ibid. [6] “Resources to achieve
the Convention’s Humanitarian Aims,” non-paper by Norway, Fourth
Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 16-20 September 2002.
[7] “Resources to achieve the
Convention’s Humanitarian Aims: A Preliminary Review,” Standing
Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 12 May
2003. [8] Intervention by May-Elin
Stener, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Standing Committee on General Status and
Operation of the Convention, 16 May 2003 (Landmine Monitor/ICBL
notes). [9] Article 7 Reports submitted
on: 30 April 2003 (for calendar year 2002), 30 April 2002 (for calendar year
2001), 11 June 2001 (for calendar year 2000), 23 August 2000 (for the period 26
August 1999–22 August 2000) and 26 August 1999 (for the period 1 March-26
August 1999). [10] Statement by
Ambassador Leif A. Ulland, First Committee, UN General Assembly, New York, 2
October 2002. [11] Letter from Merete
Fjeld Brattestad, Head of Section, and May-Elin Stener, Advisor, Department for
Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs and Democracy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 6
May 2003. [12] Email from Kristian Berg
Harpviken, International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, 23 May
2002. [13] Letter from Merete Fjeld
Brattestad and May-Elin Stener, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 6 May
2003. [14] “Norway needs
guidelines for oil dollars,” Agence France Presse, 25 June
2003. [15] Article 7 Report, Form B, 30
April 2003. [16] Letter from Merete
Fjeld Brattestad and May-Elin Stener, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 6 May
2003. [17] Ibid.
[18] Letter from the Ministry of
Defense, 21 March 2003. [19]
Intervention by Norway, Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation
of the Convention, Geneva, 16 May 2003. Landmine Monitor
notes. [20]
Ibid. [21] Statement by Hilde F.
Johansen, Minister for International Development, “The Future of
Humanitarian Mine Action: On the Fifth Anniversary of the 1997 Oslo Text
Negotiations,” Oslo, 12-14 September 2002. Similarly Amb. Kongstad told
the Fourth Meeting of States Parties that, “last week, my government
confirmed that Norway will continue to support the fight against the problems
caused by anti-personnel mines, both politically and financially, at a similar
level as in previous years.” [22]
Email from Gry Rabe Henriksen, Department for Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs
and Democracy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2003; Letter from Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2003. Dollar equivalents provided by Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. [23] Email from
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2003. According to its Article 7 report
for calendar year 2002, Norway contributed US$25,612,343 to mine action in 2002.
The difference is due to different conversion
rates. [24] Article 7 Report, Form J,
April 2003. [25] Emails from Gry Rabe
Henriksen, Department for Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs and Democracy,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4 and 5 March, and 11 June 2003. Exchange rate:
NOK1 = US$0.125 (average for 2002), Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange
Rates (Annual),” 6 January 2003, used
throughout. [26] Letter from the
Ministry of Defense, 21 March 2003. [27]
Ibid. [28] Emails from Norwegian
People’s Aid, 7 April, 13 May, 16 June
2003. [29] Email from Ole Trapnes,
Norwegian Red Cross, 16 April 2003. [30]
Intervention by Norway, Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and
Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 13 May 2003. Landmine Monitor
notes. [31] Amended Protocol II Article
13 Report, Form C, 22 October 2002. [32]
Email from Norwegian Demining Consortium, 14 April 2003. For more information
see www.nodeco-me.com [33] International
Peace Research Institute Oslo, “Annual Report
2002.” [34] AMAC,
“Humanitarian Mine Action and Peace Building,” Standing Committee on
Mine Clearance, Mine Awareness and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 14 May
2003. [35] Letter from Ministry of
Defense, 21 March 2003. [36] Letter from
Merete Fjeld Brattestad and May-Elin Stener, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 6 May
2003.