Author(s):
Chayer Amelie <amelie@icbl.org> .
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Record-breaking progress in implementing the Mine Ban Treaty was made in 2009, according to Landmine Monitor 2010. The report was released on 24 November 2010 in Geneva. “Progress made in the past year toward eliminating antipersonnel mines shows that the Mine Ban Treaty is working,” said Mark Hiznay of Human Rights Watch, Landmine Monitor’s Final Editor. “Sustained action by governments and civil society, including stable funding, is the key to ensure this progress continues until we completely eliminate the weapon.”
Use
The Monitor identified only one government laying antipersonnel mines: Myanmar. Antipersonnel mine use by non-state armed groups was confirmed in six countries (Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Yemen.) This is the lowest level of recorded use since the Monitor began reporting in 1999. For the first time, Russia was not identified as an active user.
Production
The Monitor identified 12 producers of antipersonnel mines.the smallest total ever recorded. Of the 12, as few as three were actively manufacturing mines (India, Myanmar, and Pakistan.) Following official declarations of non-production, Nepal was removed from the list of producers.
Casualties
In 2009, 3,956 new casualties to landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) were recorded, the lowest annual total since monitoring began in 1999 and 28% lower than in 2008.
Due to incomplete data collection, the actual number of casualties was certainly higher than recorded.
Contamination
A total of 66 states and seven other areas were confirmed or suspected to be mine-affected. This is a decrease of three states.
Mine Action
Mine action programs cleared at least 198km2 of mined areas in 2009, by far the highest annual total ever recorded by the Monitor. At least 359km2 of former battle areas were cleared. Programs in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Croatia, Iraq, and Sri Lanka accounted for more than 80% of the total recorded clearance. Mine/ERW risk education continued to be conducted in many affected locations, with new projects being initiated in Algeria and Pakistan.
Victim Assistance
In 2009, there was some improvement in quality and/or accessibility of victim assistance services in 11 countries or other areas, but a decline in nine others. While coordination improved in some places, the vast majority of countries did not provide assistance based on data assessing the number of survivors and their needs. Survivors or their representative organizations participated in victim assistance implementation in under half of affected countries, mostly through non-governmental peer support networks. Only 15 international donors reported supporting victim assistance, totaling US$38 million.only 9% of the global total of funding for mine action.
Support for Mine Action
Donors and affected states devoted about $622 million to mine action in 2009, the third highest level of international funding ever. Contributions from the top five mine action donors (the United States, European Commission, Japan, Norway, and Germany) accounted for 61% of all funding. The top five recipient states (Afghanistan, Iraq, Cambodia, Sudan, and Sri Lanka) received almost 50% of all international mine action contributions in 2009. National contributions from affected states increased from $144 million in 2008 to $173 million in 2009, with Croatia and Angola accounting for 56% of the total.
