Key developments since May 2002:
Turkmenistan reported that it completed its stockpile destruction on 28 February
2003, destroying almost 700,000 antipersonnel mines in a seventeen-month period.
Turkmenistan is retaining 69,200 mines for training purposes, far more than any
other State Party. The ICBL has called this a violation of the Mine Ban
Treaty.
Mine Ban Policy
Turkmenistan signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3
December 1997, ratified it on 19 January 1998, and the treaty entered into force
for the country on 1 March 1999. There are no reports that Turkmenistan has
passed national legislation or other implementation measures, as required by
Article 9.
Turkmenistan
did not attend any Mine Ban Treaty-related meetings in 2002 or 2003, including
the Fourth Meeting of States Parties. On 22 November 2002, Turkmenistan voted
in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 57/74, supporting the
universalization and implementation of the treaty, as it had in previous years.
Turkmenistan submitted its initial Article 7 transparency measures report on 14
November 2001.[1] On 19 March
2003, it sent a cover letter to the UN, together with a “report of the
Government of Turkmenistan on the completion of the destruction of its land
mines except those left for training
purposes.”[2]
Turkmenistan stated that it does not produce antipersonnel landmines.[3] It is not believed to have
produced or exported landmines in the past. Turkmenistan has reported,
“There are no mined areas on the territory of
Turkmenistan.”[4]
Stockpile Destruction and Mines Retained
Turkmenistan reports that on 28 February 2003, it
completed destruction of its antipersonnel mine stockpiles. The treaty-mandated
deadline for completion was 1 March 2003.
In total, Turkmenistan reports destruction of 1,105,183 antipersonnel mines,
including 692,582 between 1 October 2001 and 28 February 2003. These landmines
were inherited from the Soviet Union upon its collapse in 1991.
Turkmenistan’s destruction program eliminated all of its stockpiles of
KSF-1, KPOM-2, PMN-3, POMZ-2M, POMZ-2, and PDM-6M mines. All destruction was
carried out by detonation.[5]
There was no known participation by outside observers for any of the destruction
process.
Turkmenistan’s Antipersonnel Mine Stockpile and Destruction,
1997-2003[6]
Mine Type
Mines Stockpiled as of 24 Dec 1997
Mines Destroyed:
24 Dec 1997 - 1 Oct 2001
Mines Destroyed:
1 Oct 2001 - 28 Feb 2003
Mines Retained for Training
KFS-1S
65,305
57,849
456
7,000
KFS-1
10,423
8,320
2,103
0
KPOM-2S
9,100
7,000
100
2,000
KPOM-2
17,800
17,800
0
0
PMN
31,454
96
31,158
200
PMN-2
182,657
80,173
92,484
10,000
PMN-3
29,993
29,993
0
0
OZM-72
620,845
130,754
470,091
20,000
MON-50
83,422
20,283
58,139
5,000
MON-90
5,842
103
739
5,000
MON-100
42,960
2
32,958
10,000
MON-200
14,410
56
4,354
10,000
POMZ-2M
52,072
52,072
0
0
POMZ-2
4,200
4,200
0
0
PDM-6M
3,900
3,900
0
0
Totals
1,174,383
412,601
692,582
69,200
Mines Retained under Article 3
Turkmenistan reported that it will retain 69,200 mines for training purposes.
This decision was roundly criticized in the international community and
engendered claims that Turkmenistan is “in violation of a core obligation
of the treaty.”[7]
Article 3 of the Mine Ban Treaty provides that “the retention or transfer
of a number of antipersonnel mines for the development of and training in mine
detection, mine clearance, or mine destruction techniques is permitted. The
amount of such mines shall not exceed the minimum number absolutely necessary
for the above-mentioned purposes.” It was understood from the Oslo
negotiations in 1997 that this requirement implied retention of hundreds or
thousands of mines, but not tens of
thousands.[8]
Turkmenistan’s 69,200 retained mines is more than four times the total
retained by any other State Party (Brazil is keeping 16,545). Only four States
Parties are retaining more than 10,000 mines, and only six more are keeping more
than 5,000.
At the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in May 2003, many States
Parties expressed concerns regarding Turkmenistan’s retention of such a
large quantity of mines. Six States Parties reiterated that only hundreds or
thousands of mines should be kept, not tens of thousands. Austria said
Turkmenistan’s decision “cannot be accepted as state practice, as it
would severely undermine the integrity of the Convention.”[9] New Zealand said such a large
stock “could be seen as kept for future use in
conflict.”[10] The ICBL
stated its belief that 69,200 is an “unacceptable number; we would contend
it is an illegal number. It is obviously NOT the minimum number absolutely
necessary, as required by the treaty; it could constitute an operational
stockpile.”[11]
Turkmenistan has not offered an official explanation as to why it chose to
retain so many mines, nor has there been any report of reaction to the
international criticism of the decision.
[1] Much of the information required by
Article 7 is not included in the report. The standard reporting forms were not
used. One page of text and two stockpile tables were
submitted. [2] Letter No. 037/2003 from
the Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations in New York
to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, 19 March 2003. The report
consists of a seven-sentence statement, with an attached list of antipersonnel
mines destroyed and retained. Translation provided to Landmine Monitor by the
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Hereafter,
“Report to the United Nations, 19 March
2003.” [3]
Ibid. [4] Ibid.
[5] Turkmenistan had initially
requested an extension of its destruction obligation until 2010, but no
provisions for such are made in the Mine Ban Treaty. See Landmine Monitor
Report 2002, pp. 499-500; Article 7 Report, 14 November
2001. [6] Report to the United Nations,
19 March 2003. [7] ICBL Statement on
Article 3, Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention,
Geneva, 16 May 2003, available at
www.gichd.ch. [8]
This common understanding regarding hundreds or thousands, not tens of
thousands, has been reiterated by numerous States Parties during Standing
Committee meetings in recent years. [9]
Austria Statement on Article 3, Standing Committee on General Status and
Operation, 16 May 2003, available at
www.gichd.ch. [10]
New Zealand Statement on Article 3, Standing Committee on General Status, 16 May
2003 (Landmine Monitor notes). [11] ICBL
Statement on Article 3, Standing Committee on General Status, 16 May
2003.