Update 4 - Stockpile Destruction, 21 September 2006

MAIN POINTS OF DISCUSSION

States Parties provided information on implementing Article 4 of the Mine Ban Treaty and fulfilling their obligation to destroy all stockpiled antipersonnel mines under their jurisdiction or control as soon as possible but no later than four years after entry into force.

ICBL PRESENTATION

Following presentations by States Parties, ICBL head of delegation Steve Goose made an intervention commending the accomplishments of States Parties as well as describing lingering ICBL issues and concerns.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR ICBL

A number of States Parties reported concrete progress in destroying stockpiled antipersonnel mines, including:

• Latvia announced the completion of the destruction of its 2,490 stockpiled mines on 2 August 2006. This accomplishment is well ahead of its deadline since Mine Ban Treaty entered into force for Latvia on 1 January 2006 and provides a positive example of fulfilling article 4 obligations “as soon as possible.”
• Serbia as destroyed more than one million antipersonnel mines andrevealed that its stockpile destruction program will be competed one year prior to its March 2008 deadline. The dissolution of Serbia and Montenegro will not affect cooperation in stockpile destruction and fulfillment of article 4 since all antipersonnel mine stockpiles in Montenegro will be destroyed in Serbia.
• Afghanistan reaffirmed its commitment to destroy all known stockpiles of antipersonnel mines immediately. It announced the destruction of over 400,000 stockpiled mines since time of the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in late 2005. That brings its national total of stockpiled mines destroyed to over 460,000. Afghanistan retains 2,833 antipersonnel mines for research and training purposes.
• Angola confirmed its intent to meet its stockpile destruction deadline of 1 January 2007 with the support of the EC and UNDP. This is a positive development given that in May 2006 it was seeking an extension of its deadline, even though this is not permitted by the treaty. Phase 5 of its national stockpile destruction program is slated to commence on 25 September 2006. Angola also noted the difficulties of having widely scattered stockpiles.
• Cyprus announced that it will complete its stockpile destruction program by July 2007 with the destruction of the remaining 15,548 antipersonnel mines. A total of 14,352 antipersonnel mines have already been destroyed.
• DR Congo confirmed its May 2006 announcement of having destroyed all stockpiles “under control of military and specialized structures” prior to its November 2006 deadline. It committed to destroying any other stocks subsequently discovered.
• Belarus announced that all of the documents to support the EC funding of the destruction of over 3 million PFM type antipersonnel mines should be signed in January 2007.
• Ukraine stated that the first destruction of PFM type mines in a similar EC funded project will occur in the “nearest future.”
• Bosnia and Herzegovina announced that it intends to destroy over 15,000 MRUD (Claymore) type directional fragmentation mines on humanitarian grounds, since they cannot be assured to function only in a command detonated mode. These are inherently dual use munitions capable of being activated by either on the command of the user or the victim.
• FYR Macedonia and Moldovareported on the destruction of all antipersonnel mines retained under Article 3 for research and training purposes. They join 16 other States Parties who once stockpiled mines but have chosen not to retain any live mines for research or training.

CONCERNS FOR ICBL

While there was no concrete “bad news” from this session, there are some lingering concerns:

• Burundi did not provide the meeting with an update on the status of its stockpile destruction efforts. Its deadline is April 2008.
• Ethiopia for the first time tacitly acknowledged possessing stockpiles of antipersonnel mines. It reports that its military is currently preparing a declaration of types and quantities of stockpiles. It also noted that it will seek assistance to upgrade its capacity and fulfill its obligation. It must complete stockpile destruction by June 2009. Its initial transparency report, due by 28 November 2005, has not been submitted.
• While Sudan confirmed its commitment to fulfill its obligations and aims to complete destruction of 9,485 stockpiled mines by the end of 2006, it also intends to retain 5,000 mines. It did not mention an additional 5,000 mines being retained in south Sudan.
• Guyana has yet to officially confirm the presence or absence of stockpiles through the submission of an Article 7 transparency report. Landmine Monitor estimates that it stockpiles 20,000 antipersonnel mines. Its stockpile destruction deadline is February 2008.
• Although not thought to possess stocks, Bhutan, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Sao Tome, have not declared the presence or absence of stockpiles through the timely submission of their article 7 transparency reports. In the case of Equatorial Guinea, this report was due in August 1999 and it is well past its stockpile destruction deadline of August 2003.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Stocks were not kept under usual standards,” Representative of DR Congo, 21 September 2006

MORE INFORMATION

ICBL Statement on Stockpile Destruction at the 7MSP, 21 September 2006