Table of Contents

Country Reports

LM Report 2005

Armenia

Key developments since May 2004: In a poll conducted by the Armenian National Committee of the ICBL in April-May 2005, only 39 percent of respondents supported the government’s position not to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. In August 2004, the UN Development Programme launched a major, 36-month project with the European Commission, UNDP and government of Armenia funding. A Landmine Impact Survey completed in August 2005 identified 102 suspected hazardous areas totaling 321,680,000 square meters and affecting 60 communities. In 2004, 50,000 square meters were cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance; in 2005 to September, a further 50,000 square meters were cleared. Reported mine casualties increased significantly in 2004.

Mine Ban Policy

Armenia has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. It has shown its support for a global ban on antipersonnel mines by voting in favor of each annual UN General Assembly resolution supporting universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty since 1997, including UNGA Resolution 59/84 on 3 December 2004.

However, officials have stated that Armenia cannot join the treaty in the foreseeable future because of the country’s security issues and the fact that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has yet to be resolved. Armenia has said that all countries of the region must accede simultaneously.^[1]

In April-May 2005, the Armenian National Committee of the ICBL polled 250 people in the three border regions of Tavush, Syunik and Gegharkunik, in order to gauge public opinion toward the Mine Ban Treaty. Only 39 percent of the respondents supported the government’s position not to accede. This compared to 42 percent in a similar survey in 2002. When asked to select one of three reasons why Armenia should not join the treaty, 47 percent said because neighboring countries have not yet joined (31 percent cited this in 2002), 32 percent said because mined borders are among the most important factors in providing security (37 percent in 2002) and 21 percent said because the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not been resolved (32 percent in 2002).^[2]

Armenia did not attend the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in Nairobi in November-December 2004, or the meetings of the intersessional Standing Committees in Geneva in June 2005.^[3]

The Armenian National Committee of the ICBL participated in the First Review Conference, and held a press conference in Yerevan afterwards attended by representatives of four government ministries. It also staged several other public events. The committee continued to disseminate information about the global mine ban, and translated, published and distributed the text of the Mine Ban Treaty.^[4]

Armenia is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons or any of its protocols.

Production, Transfer, Stockpiling and Use

Armenia has stated that it has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.^[5] It inherited a stockpile from the Soviet Union, but its size and composition is not known.

There have been no confirmed reports of use of antipersonnel mines in Armenia in this reporting period. In August 2005, Armenia told Landmine Monitor that its military last used antipersonnel mines in April 1994 and that no other forces have used antipersonnel mines on Armenian territory since 1994.^[6] However, the mines placed along the border during the 1988-1994 conflict with Azerbaijan are still viewed as essential to Armenia’s defense, and there is no intention to remove them until peace is established. The Ministry of Defense monitors and maintains the minefields.^[7]

Landmine and UXO Problem

Landmines were laid in large numbers on the border with Azerbaijan and in adjoining territory during warfare that lasted from 1988 to the cease-fire agreement in May 1994. Mines were used extensively by both countries’ armed forces, as well as by the armed forces of the then-Soviet Union and by self-defense units (residents of villages and towns along the border) established to protect border communities.^[8]

Of the 11 regions (marz) in Armenia, it is believed that the five regions bordering Azerbaijan (Tavush, Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Ararat) have a mine problem. According to the government, there are between 50,000 and 80,000 mines.^[9] The UN Development Programme (UNDP) referred to 30,000-50,000 antipersonnel landmines on the 840-kilometer border with Azerbaijan.^[10] Affected areas include agricultural land, pasture and woodlands, as well as social infrastructure (roads, bridges, rivers, reservoirs and other water points).^[11]

Known minefields along the international border are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense, which monitors and maintains them and provides fencing and warning signs.^[12] In February 2004, the commander of the Engineering Corps told Landmine Monitor that the existing minefields do not represent any danger to the civilian population; all of the minefields are guarded and have registration numbers and documentation.^[13] The Ministry of Defense reiterated in August 2005 that it has recorded all known minefields and closed them off with barbed wire, as well as marking with warning signs.^[14]

According to military officials, no landmines were placed on the Armenian borders with Turkey, Iran and Georgia during and since the Soviet era.^[15]

Mine Action Program

Armenia’s mine action program began in 2000 with an agreement with the United States on military cooperation for mine clearance. The Armenian National Center for Humanitarian Demining was established in March 2002 at Echmiadzin. US funding equipped the center, trained army deminers in humanitarian mine clearance, and also gave training in mine risk education, information management, survey and the use of mine detection dogs. In mid-2005, the center had 150-160 staff and 18 dogs, and demining teams were reported to be equipped with detectors and personal protective equipment.^[16] By this time, the US had contributed a total of US$9,366,000 to support the Armenia mine action program.^[17] The national demining center is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense.

Proposals to establish the Inter-Ministerial Commission on Mine Clearance were expected to be approved by the government before the end of 2005. The new commission will be responsible for setting priorities for clearance; it will include the governors of Syunik and Tavush regions, representatives of the ministries of defense, agriculture, health, migration and refugees, as well as the State Committee on Emergencies.^[18]

On 29 July 2004, the Minister of Defense and the UNDP signed an agreement for a 36-month project on mine action in Armenia. The project’s aim is to enhance national capacity for mine clearance and rehabilitation/reconstruction projects. UNDP reported that the project was launched on 12 August 2004. It included a mine action program with four components: a Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), a pilot technical survey in Syunik region, mine risk education in five affected regions (Ararat, Vayots Dzor, Syunik, Gegharkunik, and Tavush), and a mine victim assistance plan.^[19]

The project was fully staffed on 1 February 2005 and 16 staff had completed a six-week training on LIS and IMSMA.^[20] The total budget for the program is €1,540,000 ($1,915,452).^[21] For the period 12 August 2004 to 31 May 2005, the project’s budget was $600,000.^[22]

Partner organizations to the demining center include the Vietnam Veterans of America Federation (VVAF), Armenian National Committee of the ICBL, RONCO, Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, and Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS).^[23] The UNDP project was evaluated by the European Commission (EC) after six months, and its results were reported by the project coordinator to have been “good” or “excellent.”^[24]

Survey and Assessment

The Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) was completed by the end of August 2005. Survey staff made 318 visits to 97 communities.^[25] The LIS found landmines located in five of the 11 regions of Armenia. It identified 102 suspected hazardous areas covering an area of 321,680,000 square meters, and affecting 68,737 people in 60 communities. The survey calculated that four communities received a high impact score, 31 communities were medium impact, and the remaining 25 communities were low impact. Antipersonnel mines were found in 55 communities, antivehicle mines in 53 and UXO in 13 communities.^[26]

VVAF’s Information Management and Mine Action Program (iMMAP) provided technical training, support and assistance in survey instrument design, survey protocol development and data analysis for the Armenia LIS, including technical field visits by VVAF’s iMMAP staff.  Support also included advice and assistance in survey management techniques and procedures, quality control and  completion of the final report.^[27]

UNDP plans to initiate technical surveys in the LIS-identified mine impacted areas. It was expected that in 2006 only the four high impact areas would be surveyed, due to lack of funding.^[28]

Mine and UXO Clearance

The Armenian National Center for Humanitarian Demining conducts clearance in areas outside the military zones on the border with Azerbaijan. The center reports that, in 2004, 50,000 square meters of land were cleared in the Tavush and Syunik regions.^[29]

In the first half of 2005, mine clearance was carried out in the villages of Shurnukh and Shikahogh in Syunik region. Clearance started in June 2005 after completion of the LIS in the region, and 50,000 square meters were cleared using LIS data to select clearance sites.^[30] By the end of the clearance season, usually October, it is estimated that an additional 25,000 square meters will have been cleared.^[31]

Mine clearance is largely performed manually with assistance from mine detection dogs. There is also some use of mechanical equipment.^[32]

No demining accidents were reported in 2004 and 2005 through July.^[33]

Mine Risk Education

To raise the visibility of the landmine issue, the Armenian National Committee of ICBL held regular press conferences and seminars for local journalists and journalists from countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2004-2005. The electronic and print media gave greater coverage to the landmine issue during 2005.^[34]

In March-April 2005, the committee undertook a survey of 250 people in three mine-affected border villages in Tavush, Syunik and Gegharkunik regions. This sought to determine the level of knowledge of the mine threat in these communities, and identify trusted sources of information for future delivery of mine risk education (MRE). The survey found that only 17 percent considered they had sufficient knowledge of landmines, although levels of awareness of the danger had increased in recent years in Syunik and Gegharkunik. In some areas, children had received MRE from teachers, either during school lessons or as extracurricular sessions.^[35]

The survey also found that MRE had been received by adults, with women in particular targeted in Gegharkunik region. Nearly all those surveyed wished to improve their knowledge; the majority thought children should be prioritized for MRE. Most people said that their main source of information was television, while NGOs and the Armenian National Center for Humanitarian Demining were also viewed as trusted providers of information. It was unclear from the survey who had been responsible for the provision of MRE, other than schools and teachers, and the quality of MRE provided.^[36]

Funding and Assistance

The US was the only donor country to report funding for mine action in Armenia to Landmine Monitor in 2004. The US reported contributing $67,151 through the Department of Defense.^[37] In 2003, the US temporarily suspended its support to the Armenian demining program, and then decreased the funding allocation by two-thirds.^[38]

The International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) reported channeling $159,157 of US funds to Armenia for mine action in 2004. This funding was for activities related to the US donation of an ML-1 flail machine to the national demining program in 2003, and a mine dog detection program. The ITF provided $13,140 for the training of operators, mechanics and supervisors from the Armenian National Center for Humanitarian Demining in February and March 2004. Contributions provided through ITF by the Humpty Dumpty Institute, Children of Armenia Fund and US matching funds were used to finance the acquisition and training of six mine dog detection teams for the national demining center in a two-year funded program in 2003. Six dogs, together with their local handlers, completed their training by the end of May 2004.^[39]

The UNDP three-year program budget of €1,540,000 ($1,915,452) was reported to be funded by the government (€30,000; $37,314), the EC (€1.4 million; $1,741,320) and by UNDP itself (€110,000; $136,818). A further $210,000 is provided by the US Department of State for direct consultancy fees in the form of parallel funding.^[40]

Support to Mine Action

In 2005, a detachment of 12 specialists from the national demining center took part in humanitarian demining in Iraq, as a part of the Polish peacekeeping contingent. The first team returned from Iraq on 20 July 2005, following the arrival of a second team on 14 July 2005. The new team will operate within the Multi-National Division and will clear roads of mines.^[41]

Landmine Casualties

In 2004, at least 15 people were injured in mine/UXO incidents; all were men and the majority of survivors were under 21 years old.^[42] There are no official statistics available on the number of landmine casualties in Armenia, and the Ministry of Defense does not provide information on landmine casualties among military personnel. The survivors identified by the Armenian National Committee of the ICBL in 2004 represent a significant increase from the eight new mine survivors identified in 2003. The LIS identified 14 mine casualties in the 2003-2005 period.^[43]

The total number of landmine/UXO casualties in Armenia is not known. The LIS identified a total of 394 mine casualties.^[44] The Armenian National Committee of the ICBL is compiling and verifying a database on survivors. As of May 2005, the database contained information on 403 survivors, including both soldiers and civilians injured in mine/UXO incidents in 11 provinces of Armenia since 1990; at least 10 survivors are children and six are women.

Survivor Assistance

Armenia has a wide network of healthcare facilities with a generally adequate material-technical base and qualified personnel for specialized medical assistance, including for producing prosthetics, and for rehabilitating and reintegrating landmine survivors. However, military mine casualties have greater access to better equipped facilities than do civilian casualties. Medical services are provided free to persons with disabilities within the framework of existing laws, but in reality access to free quality care for civilians is problematic.^[45]

In 2004, three surgeons from the Armenian Ministry of Defense were sponsored by the International Committee of the Red Cross to attend a war-surgery seminar in Moscow.^[46]

In April-May 2005, Armenian National Committee of the ICBL conducted a detailed survey of 250 people in the border regions of Syunik, Tavush and Gegharkunik, together with 34 mine survivors attending the Interorto orthopedic center in Yerevan and medical personnel from these areas, to better understand the availability of assistance for mine/UXO casualties.^[47] The survey studied the accessibility and quality of medical assistance, including emergency, specialized and rehabilitation assistance, availability of resources, and capacity of medical institutions to provide adequate care.

Emergency care is generally provided at district hospitals or in some cases by a medical assistant at the first aid post in a village. In rural areas there is reportedly a lack of qualified medical personnel to deal with traumatic injuries, and a lack of modern technical equipment. Survivors needing more specialized care are transferred to facilities in Yerevan. The doctors surveyed indicated that 40 to 50 percent of mine/UXO survivors are transferred to Yerevan for ongoing care. Specialized medical facilities in Yerevan include: Center of Traumatology, Orthopedics, Burns and Radiology; R. Eolian Center of Hematology; A. Mikaelian Institute of Surgery; Research Institute of Hydrotherapy and Physical Medicine; St. Gregory the Illuminator Medical Center; Stress Center; Center for Post-Traumatic Rehabilitation for Spinal Injuries; Armenia National Medical Center; and the Malayan Center of Ophthalmology. Military facilities include two hospitals in Yerevan, the Central Clinical Military Hospital and Yerevan Garrison Hospital, and field military hospitals in Vanadzor, Tavush and two other border regions.

The main facility for providing prostheses is Interorto Ltd. (formerly the Yerevan Prosthetic-Orthopedic Enterprise), which was established in 2004 as a result of restructuring of the healthcare sector. Interorto provides prostheses and other rehabilitative services free of charge, and produces an average of 800 prostheses and other orthopedic devices per year. It has assisted 2,400 people with disabilities, including 378 landmine survivors.

The Department of Technical Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, affiliated with the Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics, also provides prostheses. However, survivors must pay for prostheses as the center does not receive state funding for services.

Of the 34 mine survivors interviewed, 12 were in need of prostheses. According to doctors in Tavush region, less than 10 percent of mine survivors have access to psychosocial rehabilitation. Opportunities for socioeconomic reintegration also appear to be limited. Only five of the 34 survivors (15 percent) are currently employed.

There are 47 NGOs in Armenia that provide assistance to persons with disabilities; however, only two operate in the border regions.^[48] On 13 May 2005, a roundtable discussion, “Landmine accident victim assistance: the issues of socio-psychological reintegration of the disabled persons into the society,” was held with representatives from Armenian National Committee of the ICBL, disability NGOs (including Pyunik, Paros, Unison, Salvation and Haytur), and the health NGO Skarp-I. The discussion highlighted numerous problems and made recommendations for improving assistance to mine survivors and other persons with disabilities. Recommendations include improving medical equipment and training of healthcare personnel in border areas, providing vehicles to improve accessibility to services, establishing rehabilitation centers in border areas, implementing programs for psychological support and socioeconomic reintegration, raising pensions and allowances, equalizing benefits of military and civilian casualties, and amending disability legislation.

The Armenia Demining Project, initiated by the Ministry of Defense and UNDP in August 2004, includes the establishment of a database and targeted survivor assistance.^[49]

Disability Policy and Practice

Armenia has legislation to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, including mine survivors.^[50] The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is responsible for the coordination of disability issues; however, it reportedly lacks the resources to fulfill its responsibilities.^[51] On 2 March 2004, Armenia amended the law protecting disabled military serviceman so that each serviceman now receives a monthly provision of 3,000 AMD (about $7) or slightly more for the families of those killed. On 1 April 2005, the Law on Pension Provisions of the Citizens of the Republic of Armenia increased the baseline pension of civilians to 4,000 AMD (about $9). Pension entitlements are based on the degree of disability. However, pensions for both military personnel and civilians are reportedly inadequate to provide a minimum standard of living.^[52]

The Armenian National Committee of the ICBL survey revealed that the majority of persons with disabilities are not well informed about their rights and the benefits available under the legislation.

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[1]For example, press conference by Varuzhan Nersissian, Head, Department of Conventional Arms Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UN House, Yerevan, 18 December 2003. See also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 918.
[2] The Armenian National Committee of the ICBL conducted this survey in its role as Landmine Monitor researcher.
[3] Armenia participated in intersessional meetings in February 2004 and May 2002, and the Meeting of States Parties in September 2002.
[4] Email from Jemma Hasratyan, Coordinator, Armenian National Committee of the ICBL, to Landmine Monitor (HRW), 16 August 2005.
[5] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Head of Engineering Corps, Ministry of Defense, Yerevan, 25 February 2004; Armenia response to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Questionnaire on Anti-personnel Mines, 3 February 2003, p. 2.
[6] Email from Arman Akopian, Director for Arms Control and International Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Steve Goose, Landmine Monitor Ban Policy Coordinator, 24 August 2005. This reiterates previous statements; for example, in February 2004 the Commander of the Engineering Corps told Landmine Monitor that no new antipersonnel mines have been emplaced since 1994. Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, Yerevan, 25 February 2004.
[7] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, Yerevan, 25 February 2004.
[8] See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, p. 762.
[9] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 920.
[10] UNDP, “By demining border areas, UNDP and the Ministry of Defense will help promote security in hard-hit regions of Armenia,” Press Release, 24 September 2004.
[11] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, 25 February 2004. See also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 919-920.
[12] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, Yerevan, 27 January 2003.
[13] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, Yerevan, 25 February 2004.
[14] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, Yerevan, 12 August 2005.
[15] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, Yerevan, 12 August 2005; similar statements have been made by defense ministry officials at press conferences and other events.
[16] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, and Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Project Coordinator, Geneva, 19 September 2005.
[17] Email from Harry Murphey McCloy Jr., Senior Demining Advisor, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, US Department of State, 27 September 2005.
[18] Interview with Armen Grigoryan, UNDP, Geneva, 19 September 2005.
[19] UNDP, “Second Progress Report on the Armenian De-mining Project (January to June 2005),” submitted to the European Commission by UNDP Armenia, 15 July 2005, p. 3.
[20] UNDP, “Second Progress Report on the Armenian De-mining Project (January to June 2005),” 15 July 2005, p. 5.
[21] Presentation by Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) 8th International Meeting of National Mine Action Directors and UN Advisors, Geneva, 19 September 2005. Average exchange rate for 2004: €1 = $1.2438, used throughout this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2005.
[22] Information provided by Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, 12 August 2005.
[23] Interviews with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, and Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, Geneva, 19 September 2005. RONCO’s partnership pre-dates the UNDP project.
[24] Information provided by Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, 12 August 2005, and in Geneva, 20 September 2005.
[25] Interview with Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, Geneva, 19 September 2005.
[26] Presentation by Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, UNMAS 8th International Meeting of National Mine Action Directors and UN Advisors, Geneva, 19 September 2005.
[27] Email from Bill Barron, Director, iMMAP, VVAF, 27 September 2005.
[28] Presentation by Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, UNMAS 8th International Meeting of National Mine Action Directors and UN Advisors, Geneva, 19 September 2005.
[29] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 19 September 2005.
[30] Email from Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, 27 September 2005.
[31] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 19 September 2005. According to Col. Adoyan, a much larger area was cleared in the first half of 2005 than in 2004, because demining teams worked in mountainous areas in 2004 and had moved to valley areas in 2005.
[32] Information provided by Lt. Col. Arthur Baghdassarian, Head of Armenian National Center for Humanitarian Demining, Echmiadzin, 11 August 2005.
[33] Interview with Col. Vostanik Adoyan, Ministry of Defense, Geneva, 19 September 2005.
[34] “Landmine awareness and mine clearance needs of residents of villages in 3 borderline regions,” report provided to Landmine Monitor by the Armenian National Committee of ICBL, 3 June 2005.
[35] “Landmine awareness and mine clearance needs of residents of villages in 3 borderline regions,” 3 June 2005.
[36] “Landmine awareness and mine clearance needs of residents of villages in 3 borderline regions,” 3 June 2005.
[37] US Department of State, Bureau of Resource Management, “FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations,” 15 February 2005, pp. 154-158; Defense Security Cooperation Agency, “Humanitarian and Civic Assistance (HCA) and Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) Programs of the Department of Defense: Fiscal Year 2004,” February 2005, p. 6; US Department of State, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, “Demining Program History,” provided to Landmine Monitor by email on 20 July 2005.
[38] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 921.
[39] ITF, “Contribution to the Landmine Monitor 2005,” email from Iztok Hočevar, Head of International Relations Department, 22 July 2005.
[40] Presentation by Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, UNMAS 8th International Meeting of National Mine Action Directors and UN Advisors, Geneva, 19 September 2005.
[41] Information provided by Lt. Col. Arthur Baghdassarian, Armenian National Center for Humanitarian Demining, 11 August 2005.
[42] Unless otherwise stated, all information in this section is from the database on mine survivors compiled by the Armenian National Committee of the ICBL. For more information, see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 922.
[43] Email from Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, 27 September 2005.
[44] Email from Armen Grigoryan, UNDP Armenia, 27 September 2005.
[45] For information see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 922-923; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2002, pp. 611-612.
[46] ICRC, “Annual Report 2004,” Geneva, June 2005, p. 195.
[47] Unless otherwise stated, all information in this section is from the survey results compiled by the Armenian National Committee of the ICBL. “Landmine awareness and mine clearance needs of residents of villages in 3 borderline regions,” report provided to Landmine Monitor by the Armenian National Committee of the ICBL, 3 June 2005.
[48] Goris Regional Union of the Disabled in Syunik, and Lussashogh for parents of disabled children in Tavush.
[49] “By demining border areas, UNDP and the Ministry of Defence will help promote security in hard-hit regions of Armenia,” UNDP Armenia Press Release, 24 September 2004, www.undp.am.
[50] For full details, see Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 798.
[51] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – 2004: Armenia,” Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Washington, 28 February 2005.
[52] For more information, see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 923.