LM Report 2004

Palau

The Republic of Palau has not acceded to Mine Ban Treaty, but in February 2004 the country’s director of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, Isaac N. Soaladaob, told the Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, “Palau is taking every step to make sure it will soon join this Convention.”^[1] In July 2003, the Minister of State, Temmy L. Schmull, told Landmine Monitor that accession was under consideration, but “there are implications to our nationals serving in the US Armed Forces.”^[2] There is a close economic, political, and military dependence between Palau and the United States, a non-signatory, as defined by the Compact of Free Association.

Palau is not believed to have ever produced, transferred, stockpiled, or used antipersonnel mines. It was absent from the vote on UN General Assembly Resolution 58/53 on 8 December 2003, as it has been for similar pro-ban resolutions in previous years. A representative from Palau participated in the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in September 2003 as an observer. In February 2004, Soaladaob said, “[A]s small as we are the Republic of Palau was the site of one of the fiercest battle[s] during World War II in the Pacific and the issues of unexploded ordnance and abandoned explosives are of great concern.... Palau believes that there are many unexploded ordnance out in remote terrains of Palau, but does not have the capability to find and safely remove them.”^[3]

[1] Statement by Palau, Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 9 February 2004.
[2] Email from Temmy L. Schmull, Minister of State, 7 July 2003.
[3] Statement by Palau, Standing Committee on the General Status, 9 February 2004.