LM Report 2004

United Arab Emirates

Key developments since May 2003: The United Arab Emirates participated in a regional seminar on military and humanitarian issues surrounding the Mine Ban Treaty held in Amman, Jordan in April 2004, and in the Fifth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Bangkok in September 2003. On 8-9 December 2003, the Arab Network of Researchers on Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War held a workshop in Sharjah, the first regional landmines meeting to be held in the Gulf since December 1997. In December 2003, an Army representative for the first time stated that the UAE has no stockpile of antipersonnel mines. The UAE-funded “Operation Emirates Solidarity” in South Lebanon completed its third phase in May 2004 and a fourth is under consideration; as of June 2004, deminers had nearly 5 million square meters of land in South Lebanon.

Key developments since 1999: The UAE has voted in favor of every pro-ban UN General Assembly resolution since 1996. The UAE has stated that it has not produced or exported antipersonnel mines, and in December 2003, for the first time stated that it has no stockpile of mines. In May 2001, the UAE announced a contribution of up to $50 million to redevelop South Lebanon, including an unknown sum for demining, survey and mine risk education activities; “Operation Emirates Solidarity” commenced in October 2001 and as of June 2004, deminers had cleared nearly 5 million square meters of land.

Mine Ban Policy

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. The UAE has previously stated that it supports “the international effort to ban antipersonnel landmines.”^[1] The UAE has voted in favor of every pro-ban UN General Assembly resolution since 1996, including UNGA Resolution 58/53 promoting universalization and implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty on 8 December 2003. The UAE participated in the Ottawa Process leading up to the treaty, and has since attended two Meetings of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, in September 2000 in Geneva and September 2003 in Bangkok, as an observer. It has never sent representatives to attend the intersessional Standing Committee meetings held in Geneva. A representative of the UAE cited no blockages or reasons for not joining the treaty in his statement to a regional seminar on military and humanitarian issues surrounding the Mine Ban Treaty held in Amman, Jordan in April 2004.^[2]

On 8-9 December 2003, the Arab Network of Researchers on Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War, which provides the Landmine Monitor research for UAE, held a workshop on the landmines and ERW in Sharjah, under the patronage of H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan Pen Mohammad Al Qasemi, member of the UAE Supreme Ruling Council and Governor of Sharjah.^[3] More than 60 people participated in this workshop, which was the first regional landmines meeting to be held in the Gulf since December 1997. The ICBL used the workshop to call on the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council to support the humanitarian objectives of the treaty by joining it without delay.^[4] The workshop concluded with a statement that included a call for Arab countries to join the Mine Ban Treaty. It received widespread coverage from the major newspapers in UAE, Al-Ittihad, Al-Khaleej, and Al-Bayan, as well as from Al-Manal, a major regional magazine. During the workshop, the UAE Army presented a documentary film on their demining efforts in south Lebanon.^[5] On 15 January 2003, a symposium on humanitarian demining was held under the auspices of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Red Crescent Society.^[6]

On 1 March 2004, an article published in the Al-Ittihad newspaper criticized the United States’ new policy on landmines that was unveiled on 29 February 2004 for going against the actions taken by the majority of countries to eradicate mines.^[7]

The UAE has stated that it has not produced or exported antipersonnel mines.^[8] In December 2003, an Army representative stated for the first time that there are no landmines stockpiled in the country.^[9]

Mine Action

The UAE has contributed to international mine action programs in Egypt, Kosovo, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka.^[10]

In May 2001, the UAE announced a contribution of up to $50 million to redevelop the formerly occupied parts of South Lebanon, including an unknown sum for demining, survey and mine risk education activities.^[11] “Operation Emirates Solidarity” commenced after the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding between the UAE and Lebanon on 25 October 2001. Initially planned for two phases, the project completed its third phase in May 2004 and a fourth is under consideration.^[12] As of June 2004, deminers financed by the UAE had cleared over 62,000 mines and UXO in 92 South Lebanese villages with a total cleared area of nearly 5 million square meters.^[13]

The UAE is not mine-affected, but in January 2003 a servant of the deputy ruler of Dubai was killed and a driver and passenger injured when the vehicle they were traveling in to escort a UAE royal family hunting party hit a landmine in the Cholistan desert in Pakistan near the border with India.^[14]

The UAE Red Crescent Authority helps children who have sustained disabilities in wars and has built rehabilitation centers in Jerusalem, Nablis, and Beit Lahya.^[15]

[1] Letter from the Foreign Ministry, 5 October 2000. Translated by the UAE Embassy, Washington DC.
[2] Statement by Col. Juma'a Mubarak Al-Jnaibi, Amman Seminar on Military and Humanitarian Issues Surrounding the Ottawa Convention, Amman, 19-21 April 2004.
[3] The workshop was held through the cooperation of the Arab Network for Research on Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War, the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and the Canadian Department for Foreign Affairs.
[4] ICBL Press Release, “Gulf States Urged to Do More to Eradicate Landmines,” 8 December 2003.
[5] The film, “Emirates Solidarity in Lebanon,” was first shown on 6 May 2003, UAE Army Day, in a ceremony in Abu Dhabi. Al-Ittihad (daily newspaper), 14 May 2003, p. 10.
[6] The seminar was conducted at the Zayed Center for Coordination, see www.zccf.org.ae.
[7] Al-Ittihad (daily newspaper), 1 March 2004, p.25.
[8] Presentation by Ali Al-Hosni, UAE military officer, Workshop on the Risks of Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War, Sharjah, 8-9 December 2003; Letter from UAE Foreign Ministry, 5 October 2000.
[9] Presentation by Ali Al-Hosni, Sharjah Workshop, 8-9 December 2003.
[10] In 2002, UAE contributed $10,000 for mine action operations by FSD in Sri Lanka. Interview with Alex van Roy, Chief Technical Advisor, UNDP, 3 April 2003; Daily News, 29 October 2002, p. 13.
[11] UNDPI, “International workshop urges rapid demining in Lebanon,” 21 May 2001.
[12] See “MACC SL – OES Project,” www.maccsl.org/oesproject.htm, accessed 12 October 2004.
[13] “UAE deminers visit UN Mine Action Centre,” Asia-Pacific News Agencies, 5 June 2004.
[14] “Pakistani dies as jeep in UAE royal convoy hits landmine,” AFP (Multan), 26 January 2003; “Servant of UAE royal family killed, two others injured in Pakistan land mine accident,” AP, 26 January 2003.
[15] “Landmines continue to claim a staggering 15,000 lives ever year,” Khaleej Times, 9 December 2003.