LM Report 2004

Slovakia

Key developments since May 2003: In 2004, Slovakia reported it is planning to destroy its stockpile of 8,954 PT-Mi-P antivehicle mines equipped with tilt-rod fuzes. It said it has taken “appropriate measures to ban the use of antivehicle mines which are activated by sensitive fuses and which are able to function as antipersonnel mines.” These include antivehicle mines with tilt rods, tripwires and the RO-3 antihandling device. In 2003–2004, Slovak soldiers were clearing mines in Eritrea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Key developments since 1999: Slovakia became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty on 1 August 1999. The government believes that existing penal codes provide sanctions for any violations of the treaty. Slovakia served as co-rapporteur then co-chair of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction from May 1999 to September 2001. Slovakia started destruction of its stockpile of 187,060 antipersonnel mines in August 1999, and completed in 2000, well in advance of the treaty deadline. At the end of 2003, Slovakia retained 1,481 antipersonnel mines, a significant decrease from the 7,000 it originally intended to retain. In March 2000, Slovakia reported the voluntary destruction of its stocks of the PT-Mi-K antivehicle mine with an anti-lift firing mechanism. It is also destroying its antivehicle mines with tilt rods, and has banned antivehicle mines with tripwires and the Ro-3 antihandling device. Slovakia ratified CCW Amended Protocol II in November 1999.

Mine Ban Policy

The Slovak Republic signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified it on 25 February 1999, becoming a State Party on 1 August 1999. Previously, Slovakia took part in all preparatory meetings of the Ottawa Process, and was a full participant at the treaty negotiations in Oslo in September 1997.

The government regards implementation legislation as unnecessary and states that existing penal codes provide sanctions for any violations of the treaty.^[1] Slovakia submitted its annual Article 7 transparency report on 11 May 2004, and used voluntary Form J to report on mine action carried out by its armed forces. It has submitted five previous Article 7 reports.^[2]

Slovakia has attended all annual Meetings of States Parties and intersessional meetings since 1999. Slovakia served as co-rapporteur then co-chair of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction from May 1999 to September 2001.

At the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in September 2003, Slovakia described universalizing the treaty as the first priority.^[3] At the UN General Assembly on 2 October 2003, the representative of Slovakia encouraged “those countries that have not signed or ratified the Ottawa Convention to do so quickly. The terror from landmines, despite their limited military utility, continues to spread along with the appalling humanitarian consequences of their use in actual conflicts.”^[4] In December 2003, Slovakia voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 58/53, which calls for universalization and implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. Slovakia has voted for every pro-ban UN General Assembly resolution since 1996.

Slovakia said at the Fifth Meeting of States Parties that after universalization, the next priority should be reaching “a common understanding of all definitions that are presently not unambiguous enough” in the treaty. It said that “it is first of all victims of effects of indiscriminate weapons who have absolute right to be presented with the removal of the confusion about what the Convention bans and what it does not. Lives and health of many depend on this.”^[5]

In particular, Slovakia has carefully considered the issue of antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes and antihandling devices. In March 2000, it reported the voluntary destruction of its stocks of the PT-Mi-K antivehicle mine which had an anti-lift firing mechanism.^[6] During 2003, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs carried out a study of which antivehicle mines may be prohibited or permissible by the Mine Ban Treaty. As a result, Slovakia has adopted a “Best Practice Policy for Antivehicle Mines” which involves taking “appropriate measures to ban the use of antivehicle mines which are activated by sensitive fuses and which are able to function as antipersonnel mines.” These include “antivehicle and antitank mines activated by trip wire running over the blocked stage of terrain or activated by tilt rod.” The Ministry added that “Slovakia has also taken best practice measures banning the use of antihandling/explosive device Ro-3 together with mines.”^[7]

In 2004, Slovakia was planning to destroy its stockpile of 8,954 PT-Mi-P antivehicle mines equipped with the Ro-9 sensitive fuze and tilt rod which can function as an antipersonnel mine. One hundred of these mines will be kept for pyrotechnics training and development of demining technologies. The Ministry said that, during 2004, technical manuals and military rules have been revised regarding “restrictions on the use of antivehicle mines equipped with sensitive fuses able to function as antipersonnel mines.”^[8]

Regarding another prominent issue of interpretation and implementation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that Slovakia “is fully aware of its obligations under the Ottawa Convention, including those under Article 1. This applies also to a case of Slovak Armed Forces participation in joint military operation with non States Parties to the Ottawa Convention.”^[9]

Slovakia is a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its Amended Protocol II. It attended the Fifth Annual Conference of States Parties to the Protocol in November 2003 and submitted the annual report required by Article 13 of the Protocol in December 2003. It has attended annual conferences and submitted reports in previous years. In other CCW work, Slovakia continued to work with others on proposals to improve regulation of antivehicle mines, in particular the “irresponsible use” of those mines.^[10] Slovakia supported the negotiation of the new Protocol V on explosive remnants of war.^[11]

Production and Transfer

The former Czechoslovakia was a significant producer and exporter of armaments, including mines, but when the country divided none of the mine production facilities were located on Slovakian territory.^[12] Slovakia introduced a moratorium on the transfer of antipersonnel mines in 1994, which remained in place until entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty.

Stockpiling and Destruction

On achieving its independence, Slovakia inherited a stockpile of antipersonnel mines produced by the former Czechoslovakia. When stockpile destruction started in August 1999, the stockpile totaled 187,060, composed of two types of mines.^[13] The destruction program was completed on 31 August 2000. Slovakia has encouraged other States Parties to complete their antipersonnel landmine destruction programs and promoted cooperation between countries. It offered the use of its own “environment-friendly technology for destruction of stockpiled mines...[to] help some countries with huge stockpiles to expedite their own plans in fulfilling their obligations.”^[14]

When Slovakia opted to retain mines for permitted purposes under Article 3 of the Mine Ban Treaty, it announced that 7,000 mines would be retained.^[15] In July 2001, Slovakia announced that the quantity retained would be reduced to 1,500, and that they were being retained for “the development of demining technology and for training in mine destruction.”^[16]

At the end of 2003, Slovakia retained 1,481 antipersonnel mines. Five PP-Mi-Šr II mines were destroyed during 2003 in the development of demining technology.^[17] During 2002, 14 mines of the same type were used to test a demining machine and a military vehicle.^[18] In 2000–2001, none of the retained mines were used. During 2004, the plan was to use 60 mines for training and development of demining technology.^[19]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in March 2003 that it does not possess (and its original stockpile did not include) Claymore-type directional fragmentation mines.^[20]

Mine Action Assistance

Since 2001, the Slovak contingent with the United Nations mission in Eritrea has included six mine clearance teams (approximately 60 men). They use Slovak-manufactured Bozena and Belarty machines, and also manually verify areas cleared by indigenous teams.

In mid-2003, three Slovak mine clearance teams deployed to Iraq. They also use Bozena machines with manual verification.^[21] It was reported in February 2004 that the Ministry of Defense proposed training 15 Iraqi soldiers in mine clearance, at the UN peacekeeping training base at Nitra. The cost was estimated at 1.14 million crowns (approx. $35,000).^[22]

In June 2004, a 17-man Slovak demining unit deployed to Afghanistan.^[23] Previously, in 2002, a Slovak unit conducted mine clearance in Afghanistan.^[24]

Slovakia has also participated in peacekeeping operations which include mine clearance and mine risk education in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1993–1996), Croatia (1993–1998), and Kosovo (1999–2002).^[25] It was reported that in May 2004, Slovakia proposed carrying out mine clearance in Chile.^[26]

In May 2002, Slovakia donated a Bozena demining machine (value $185,000) to the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance for use in Croatia.^[27] In 1999, Slovakia donated $35,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross fund for mine victim assistance, and in 1996 donated $10,000 to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action.^[28]

Landmine/UXO Problem and Casualties

Slovakia states in its Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 and CCW Article 13 reports that it is not mine-affected. However, unexploded ordnance (UXO) from World War II is found occasionally. Slovakia has not responded to Landmine Monitor requests for information on UXO found in 2003, although media reports suggest that 289 items of UXO were uncovered in 27 incidents.^[29] In the first half of 2002, 97 pieces of UXO were found in western Slovakia.^[30]

Slovak authorities report no casualties from mines or UXO in Slovakia during 2003.^[31] In May 2002, according to a press report, a nine-year-old boy died and his 12-year-old brother was seriously injured by UXO.^[32]

There were no mine/UXO-related casualties to Slovak forces serving abroad during 2003 and 2002.^[33] In July 2001, a Slovak military observer was killed by an antivehicle mine in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.^[34]

[1] Initially, amendments to the penal code were considered. See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 711, and Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 435. It was decided in 2002 that the existing penal codes “satisfactorily cover” the requirements of Article 9 of the Mine Ban Treaty. Letter from Karol Mistrík, Head of Disarmament Section, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 14 March 2003.
[2] See Article 7 reports submitted: 11 May 2004, but dated 1 April 2004 (for calendar year 2003); 1 April 2003 (for calendar year 2002); 30 April 2002 (for calendar year 2001); 25 July 2001 (for calendar year 2000); 12 June 2000 (for the period 1 December 1999–30 April 2000); 9 December 1999 (for the period 3 December 1997–30 November 1999).
[3] Statement by Juraj Macháč, Directorate of International Organizations and Security Policy, Fifth Meeting of State Parties, Bangkok, 16 September 2003.
[4] Statement by Klara Novotna, Ambassador of Slovakia to the UN in New York, UN General Assembly, New York, 2 October 2003.
[5] Statement by Slovakia, Fifth Meeting of State Parties, 16 September 2003.
[6] Letter from Amb. Mária Krasnohorská, Director of the Department of OSCE, Disarmament and Council of Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bratislava, 16 March 2000. See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 714, and Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 773.
[7] Letter from Karol Mistrík, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 8 April 2004.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid, 14 March 2003.
[10] Ibid, 8 April 2004.
[11] Ibid, 14 March 2003.
[12] See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 646.
[13] Article 7 Report, Forms B, D and F, 9 December 1999. The two types were AP-S-M (164,501) and AP-C-MI (22,559), designated in later Article 7 reports as PP-Mi-Šr II and PP-Mi-Na 1, respectively.
[14] Statement of Jan Figel, Second Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 11–15 September 2000.
[15] Article 7 Report, Form D, 9 December 1999.
[16] Article 7 Report, Form D, 25 July 2001. The mines retained were PP-Mi-Šr II (1,000) and PP-Mi-Na 1 (500). See Landmine Monitor Report 2001, p. 772.
[17] Article 7 Report, Form D, 11 May 2004; letter from Karol Mistrík, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 8 April 2004.
[18] Article 7 Report, Form D, 1 April 2003; letter from Karol Mistrík, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 14 March 2003.
[19] Letter from Karol Mistrík, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 8 April 2004.
[20] Ibid, 14 March 2003.
[21] Article 7 Report, Form J, 11 May 2004; CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form E, December 2003 (day not stated); letter from Karol Mistrík, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 8 April 2004; email from Henrik Markus, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1 June 2004.
[22] “Slovakia proposes training Iraqi deminers,” TASR (news agency), 20 February 2004.
[23] Email from Henrik Markus, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1 June 2004.
[24] Slovakia Response to OSCE Questionnaire, 11 December 2002, pp. 2–3; CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form E, 18 October 2002.
[25] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form E, December 2003 (day not stated).
[26] “Deputy Foreign Minister discussed a mine clearing contract in Chile,” SITA, 6 May 2004.
[27] Letter from Karol Mistrík, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 14 March 2003.
[28] Interview with Col. Jaroslav Tomas and Major Frantisek Zak, Verification Center, Ministry of Defense, Bratislava, 27 April 2000.
[29] Landmine Monitor analysis of media reports, emailed 14 July 2004.
[30] See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 437.
[31] Letter from Karol Mistrík, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 8 April 2004.
[32] See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 437.
[33] Email from Henrik Markus, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1 June 2004.
[34] See Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 437.