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Key developments since May 2000: Italy had destroyed more than 4 million stockpiled antipersonnel mines as of March 2001. In its fiscal year 2000, Italy committed about US$2 million for mine action programs, a significant reduction from the previous year’s contribution of US$6.45 million. In February 2001, the Italian Parliament approved the establishment of a national Trust Fund for Humanitarian Demining, but with drastically less funding than previously envisioned.
Italy signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, deposited its instrument of ratification with the United Nations on 23 April 1999, and became a State Party on 1 October 1999. Even before the Mine Ban Treaty, Italy had stringent national legislation banning antipersonnel landmines.[1]
Italy participated in the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2000,[2] as well as the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in December 2000 and May 2001. A large delegation attended the December 2000 Standing Committee meetings, including members of the ministries of foreign affairs and defense, and the Permanent Mission of Italy to the Conference on Disarmament (CD). At the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Ambassador to the CD Mario Maiolini underlined Italy’s commitment to the process, with over half of its stocks already destroyed, as well as its willingness to share this expertise with others. Ambassador Maiolini also stated that support for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty remains a main priority.[3] Italy voted in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 55/33V, which calls for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty.
Italy submitted its first transparency report as required by Article 7 of the Mine Ban Treaty on 29 March 2000, reporting progress on implementation up to 31 January 2000.[4] The second report for the calendar year 2000 was submitted on 30 April 2001.[5]
An important domestic initiative taken by Italy is the Comitato Nazionale per l’Azione Umanitaria Contro le Mine (National Committee for Humanitarian Mine Action), launched on 22 February 1999.[6] Guidelines for humanitarian mine action were produced in July 1999, but the work of the National Committee then seemed to come to a halt for more than a year, a fact that the Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines (ItBCL) repeatedly criticized. As the most active member of the National Committee, the ItCBL has tried to revive its activities by calling for a more international profile on landmine issues, especially regarding countries with which Italy has strong links (e.g. Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, and Libya). In September 2000, just before the Second Meeting of States Parties, the National Committee met at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the ItCBL urged progress on the creation of the Trust Fund for Humanitarian Demining. Since then, the National Committee has not met again.
In July 1999, the Green Party put forward a parliamentary bill to create the Trust Fund for Humanitarian Demining, with the intention that the fund be granted L50 billion (US$23.15 million[7]) annually beginning in fiscal year 2000, with an additional L20 billion (US$9.6 million) dedicated to mine clearance in the Balkans. The bill was approved by the Senate in January 2000 but not approved by the Chamber of Deputies until February 2001, and many changes were made. Funding of the trust was drastically reduced to L5 billion (US$2.3 million) for 2001, L19 billion (US$8.8 million) for 2002, L5 billion (US$2.3 million) for 2003. In addition to these reductions, the Trust Fund starts in 2001 instead of 2000, and the additional L20 billion for the Balkans was deleted. Although the establishment of the fund is required by Law 106/99 that ratified the Mine Ban Treaty, the purpose of the fund was widened from demining activities to “environmental decontamination in the areas affected by recent conflicts.”[8] As a result of these changes, the bill needed a new Senate reading, which was given on 21 February 2001. In view of these regrettable changes, the ItCBL has said it will try to ensure that the Trust Fund does not replace the annual commitments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mine action programs.
Italy is a State Party to Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and participated in the Second Annual Conference of States Parties in December 2000. Italy submitted its annual report as required by Article 13 of Amended Protocol II on 11 December 2000, in which it is stated that Law 374/97 “adopts a wide definition of APL which does not foresee an exception for anti-vehicle mines equipped with antihandling devices.”[9] In other respects, however, the ItCBL considers that the information provided in the report is inadequate. Form E is blank, indicating that Italy has engaged in no international technical information exchange, cooperation on mine clearance, technical cooperation and assistance in the reporting period.
Italy’s former role as a major producer and exporter of antipersonnel mines is described in detail in Landmine Monitor Report 1999.[10] Its first Article 7 report gave scant or incorrect information on “Status of programs for conversion or de-commissioning of antipersonnel mine production facilities.”[11] The second report provided complete information about Tecnovar and Valsella, but there is still a lack of information about the former producer Misar/SEI.[12]
With respect to transit of antipersonnel mines across national territory, the Italian delegation to the Standing Committee meetings in May 2001 said that Italy’s national legislation is clear on this. Italy cannot be involved in activities not compatible with the Mine Ban Treaty, and transit is allowed only for destruction.[13]
Destruction of Italy’s large stockpile of over 7.1 million antipersonnel mines[14] began in February 1999 and the national legislation requires that destruction be completed by November 2002 (in advance of the deadline set by the Mine Ban Treaty).[15] At the May 2001 meeting of Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, the Italian delegation detailed the rate and costs of stockpile destruction to date: by March 2001 a total of 4,086,057 antipersonnel mines had been destroyed at a cost of approximately US$1.20 per mine, and 3,034,324 mines remained to be destroyed. [16] At the May 2000 meeting of the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, the Italian delegation stated that all United States antipersonnel mines stockpiled in Italy had been removed.[17]
The second Article 7 report informs that the 8,000 retained antipersonnel mines, allowed by the Italian law for training purposes, are 819 warfare mines and 7,181 practice mines.[18] At the General Status Standing Committee meeting on 11 May 2001, Italy said that the quantity of 8,000 was “a maximum” which would be gradually reduced. But it claimed that it was “not a big issue,” on the basis that millions of antipersonnel mines were being destroyed.[19]
Information on antipersonnel mine stockpiles in Italy has come from the interministerial reports in 1998, 1999 and 2000,[20] the first and the second Article 7 reports (with data as of 31 January 2000 and as of 31 December 2000), and reports to the Standing Committee meetings in May 2000 and May 2001. Despite clarification of a number of issues, other questions remain to be answered,[21] such as the position of former mine producer Misar/SEI, which may not yet have met the legal obligations to report the quantity and nature of its antipersonnel mine stocks and deliver them to local authorities. When asked by ItBCL about this, the Ministry of Defense replied that its mandate does not include on-site inspections, so they can only rely upon voluntary disclosures.[22]
The Italian Parliament approved a new decree concerning stockpile destruction on 1 August 2000,[23] replacing the decree of 2 October 1998. This mandates the Baiano di Spoleto plant with destruction of PMC mines and M41 and OTO detonators, and the Noceto di Parma military plant with destruction of Valmara 69 mines, except their detonators, at an estimated one-fifth of the cost tendered by private companies. The task of destroying the remaining mines and components will be given to private companies.
During the Standing Committee discussion of antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling devices in May 2001, the Italian delegation agreed with a number of other states that this was best dealt with by the adoption of “best practices” on a voluntary basis with reporting back. The delegation pointed out that its national legislation already deals with the issue, namely that an antipersonnel mine is “any device which ... is designed or capable of being adapted to detonate as a consequence of the presence, proximity or contact of a person.” The delegation described this wording as solving the problem of what is meant by “intentional” and encouraged other States to follow its example.[24]
Although Italy is not mine-affected, a new type of ordnance threat arose in 1999 in Italian territorial waters as a result of the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. NATO planes returning from aborted bombing missions jettisoned their munitions in six designated areas of the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Italy. Included in these jettisoned munitions were cluster bombs, some of which subsequently injured Italian fishermen.[25] The number of munitions declared by NATO to have been jettisoned in the Adriatic totals 235, of which 202 were located.[26] Each cluster bomb contained hundreds of individual bomblets that can function as de facto antipersonnel mines. Detection and clearance activity in the Adriatic started on a very large scale on 17 May 1999.[27] At the request of the Italian Government, on 8 April 2000 NATO launched its own clearance activity in the Adriatic.[28]
In response to public protests, legislation was passed awarding compensation to fishermen and ship-owners for the damages incurred by the embargo on fishing due to clearance operations.[29] The cost of the naval clearance operations is not known, but the scale of the problem can be gauged by contrasting the amounts set aside for compensation with the much smaller amounts spent on mine action. Damages related to the fishing embargo are estimated at L60 billion (US$27.7 million); the government is putting aside an additional L25 billion (US$11.6 million) to compensate fish retailers.[30] In contrast, approximately L4.3 billion (US$1.99 million) was spent by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on humanitarian mine action in 2000.
Between April 2000 and March 2001, the Development Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs committed L4.3 billion (US$1.99 million) for mine action activities through multilateral and bilateral programs.[31] Official documents state that in 2000, mine clearance and rehabilitation programs totaled L13.939 billion (about US$7 million), but this figure includes funds pledged in 1999 whose programs continued in 2000.[32]
This mine action funding of L4.3 billion (US$1.99 million) is a serious decrease from the previous year when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs committed L13.941 billion (US$6.45 million) for mine action.[33]
The Development Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided Landmine Monitor with an update of various mine action programs detailed in Landmine Monitor Report 2000:[34]
Angola 1 – Uige Province: L4.3 billion (US 1.991 million). Program completed. The residual funds that risked being lost[35] were recovered and the program was able to continue through 2000, bringing effective mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance in seven key areas and completing six victim assistance and two mine awareness projects. Directly sponsored by the Development Cooperation Department through the local Italian Embassy and the Local Technical Unit (UTL) of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and carried out by a number of international NGOs, including Handicap International (HI), Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), University College for Aspirant Doctors and Missionaries (CUAMM), and Intersos.
Angola 2 – Huila (demining) L1.4 billion (US$648,000) and Cuando Cubango (orthopaedic center) L600 million (US$277,000). The European Union (EU) provided matching funds (Huila: US$926,000; C. Cubango: US$370,000). According to Intersos, operations will be completed by 17 August 2001.[36]
Angola and Croatia – L1 billion (US$462,962) to the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS). The funds were only disbursed after a considerable delay (March 2000), so the projects were started very late and in Croatia they are still in progress. Some of the data reported in Landmine Monitor Report 2000 has changed: 1) in Angola, the Italian contribution to UNMAS, which passed through UNICEF to local agencies and NGOs and through the UN Development Program (UNDP) to HI, was mainly used for mine awareness and data collecting, rather than for victim rehabilitation; 2) in Croatia, Slavonskij Brod: Appalti, Bonifiche, Costruzioni did not win the contract, and UNDP is directly managing the contribution. This followed an agreement between UNMAS and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in August 2000, and the transfer of money to UNOPS in September 2000. A first set of demining operations ended in December 2000 while a second set is to be started soon.
Sudan - Nuba Mountains – L13 million (US$6,018) through UTL. Program completed.
Yemen – Taiz – L1.2 billion (US$556,000) through UTL. A further contribution was pledged in 2000.
Cambodia and Afghanistan – Battambang and Anabah – L1.5 billion (US$694,444) to the World Health Organization (WHO), but this is still blocked. Agreement with WHO was signed, providing for participation of the Italian NGO Emergency, but the contribution was blocked in 1999 by WHO bureaucracy.[37]
Afghanistan – L186 million (US$86,111) to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA). Program completed.
Mozambique – Maputo, Sofala and Manica Provinces – L2.28 billion (US$1.055 million) to UNABS and UNOPS. Disbursed in 1999 as part of an Italy/UNOPS/UNDP joint project for human development in Mozambique, which is still in progress. A second contribution was envisaged for the year 2000, but postponed to 2001.
Chad – Tibesti, Borku, Ennedi – L400 million (US$185,185) to UNDP. This project was refinanced in 2000 and officially started on 12 August 2000. The German government provided matching funding to extend operations until March 2001. The scheduled visit to monitor progress did not take place.
Uganda – Gulu – L60 million (US$28,000) to UNICEF. Program completed.
ICRC – L1 billion (US$526,000) following the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Special Appeal for Mine Action 1999-2003. A similar contribution was pledged in 2000.
The mine action activities financed, in the period April 2000 to March 2001, by the Development Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through multilateral and bilateral programs, are described below:[38]
Afghanistan – Kabul – L1.5 billion (US$695,000) to UNDP for support to a surgical assistance center through the NGO Emergency. This project replaces the 1999 program in Afghanistan and Cambodia, which is blocked due to WHO bureaucracy. The contribution was intended for surgical assistance in the Kabul center, with specific attention to mine victims. Italy also organized a humanitarian flight with medical and surgical equipment, which has already been received by the NGO Emergency.[39]
Chad – Tibesti, Borku, Ennedi – L400 million (US$186,000) to UNDP (and then to UNMAS/UNOPS/the German NGO Help) – for demining. The program officially started on 12 August 2000. The German government provided matching funding to extend operations until March 2001. The Italian contribution (US$425,000 between 1999 and 2000) has been used entirely to fund a contract for mine and UXO clearance in Faya Largeau, Chad’s number one demining priority. Some 48 tons of unexploded ordnance have been destroyed, 140,000 square meters of minefields as well as 16 kilometers (16 million square meters) of road have been cleared. The road was to be completely cleared by the end of March 2001.[40]
Ethiopia/Eritrea[41] - Areas along the boundary between the two countries – L500 million (US$231,000) to UNMAS[42] (through UNOPS) as a contribution in support of an emergency program of humanitarian demining. The project envisages mine and UXO clearance along the boundary between Ethiopia and Eritrea and in some internal contaminated areas. Priority areas have been identified and action plans have been developed. Data are being collected.
Kosovo – L500 million (US$231,000) to UNMAS (through UNOPS) as a contribution in support of an NGO emergency program of humanitarian demining. The project envisages clearance of mine and UXO (including cluster bombs) by international NGOs in support of agricultural activities and economic resumption, by providing access to productive areas and facilities. Local deminers are being trained as well, to develop local expertise in clearance operations.
Lebanon[43] – L50 million (US$23,148) to the Lebanese Ministry of Defense for demining. Five metal detectors have been purchased and delivered to the Lebanese government.
Yemen – Taiz – L350 million (US$162,000) through the local Italian Embassy and UTL for surgery programs at the Taiz Orthopaedic Center. The 1999 program for technical assistance by an Italian surgeon was resumed in the year 2000 and completed.
ICRC – L1 billion (US$463,000) to ICRC. Mine awareness, victim assistance, data collection and study, activities to promote adherence to the Mine Ban Treaty.[44] These funds were disbursed in October 2000 and earmarked for the ICRC Special Appeal for Mine Action 1999-2003.
In addition, it was announced on 6 March 2001 by the Organization of American States that Italy will donate US$100,000 to the OAS mine clearance program in Central America.[45]
The Libyan representative at the UN General Assembly on 28 November 2000 reported that “an agreement has been made between Libya and Italy, whereby the two countries would cooperate to clear mines in Libyan territory and establish a joint fund in order to undertake rebuilding of the areas affected by mines.”[46]
Intersos is the only Italian NGO implementing integrated mine clearance/mine awareness projects. Its Mine Action Unit (MAU) holds training courses in mine clearance–including both humanitarian and technical aspects–for international and local personnel in Italy and in the theaters of operation. In Kosovo, Intersos clearance activities started in June 1999 and in Angola in November 1999 and continued in 2000.
Intersos operations in Kosovo in 2000 included minefield clearance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) tasks with funding from the Italian “Mission Rainbow,” under the coordination and technical control of the UNMACC in Pristina. Four minefields and part of a fifth major minefield have been cleared, totaling more than 250,000 square meters. More than 40 EOD tasks have also been accomplished for disposal of various kinds of UXO, to free up houses, roads and productive land. In summer 2000, the Intersos MAU was also tasked by the UN Mine Action Coordination Center (UNMACC) with the clearance of cluster bombs, which are the primary cause of UXO incidents in Kosovo. This project is funded by the International Trust Fund (ITF) to the value of US$300,000. As of February 2001, almost 500,000 square meters, close to a school and a main road, had been cleared of cluster bombs and other UXO.[47]
In Angola, an Intersos mine clearance project in Huila province, co–financed by the EU and the Italian government for a total of €1.7 million, is continuing clearance of a minefield near the town of Matala. This has involved a large number of EOD interventions and joint operation with UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in support of internally displaced persons, which is the most mine–affected population group in the province. In December 2000, the MAU was also charged by Italy with a new battle area clearance intervention in the city of Menongue in Cuando Cubando province. This was completed in February 2001, with complete clearance of UXO and permanent marking of the mined area.[48]
The clearance project in Bosnia, in the Stup district of Sarajevo, partly funded by ItCBL, will continue in 2001 with contributions from the Province of Venice (L50 million, US$23,150) and other local municipalities.
Appalti, Bonifiche, Costruzioni (ABC) is a private commercial company that has been involved in mine clearance in Croatia since 1999. Recently it has been tasked by the Croatian Mine Action Center with mine clearance in the Lika region, a project funded by the World Bank. The local partner is ABCD DOO of Zagreb.[49] Mine Action Service (MAS), another private company based in Italy and operating in Croatia, provides technical advice and coordination of mine clearance activities, in cooperation with ABC and ABCD DOO.[50]
The Italian Army held mine clearance courses totaling 33 days in Bosnia–Herzegovina from 1999-2000, for the armed forces of both Entities. In addition, courses on the supervision, control and support of demining have been carried out over a total of 196 days. The Italian Army has destroyed a total of 509 antitank and 70 antipersonnel mines in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In Kosovo, 321 areas of different sizes have been cleared of landmines, with a total of 620 antitank and 1,574 antipersonnel mines destroyed. Ten more demining courses were planned for December 2000.[51]
In Albania mine awareness has been carried out in several small towns and rural centers.[52] In 2000 UNICEF Italy collected funds for mine awareness.[53] In Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo in 2000, Intersos organized mine awareness activities alongside mine clearance, using local operators trained according to the UN guidelines. In Kosovo, they hold awareness sessions in houses, schools and social centers in villages near the clearance sites, totalling more than 50,000 contacts. In Angola awareness activities are held in collaboration with the local NGO Club de Joven.[54]
Italian NGOs are involved in programs offering assistance to landmine survivors in a number of countries. The NGO AVSI (Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale) is carrying out a three-year program which started in July 1998, providing medical rehabilitation for war victims in northern Uganda, covering the districts of Gulu, Kitgum, Apac, Lira, Adjumani, Arua, Moyo and Nebbi. Partners of AVSI are: the Ministry of Health’s rehabilitation section, Lacor Hospital, district and missionary hospitals, the District Director of Health Services, and the Persons With Disability Association. Funding totals Euro411,982 (US$370,000), contributed by the EU, Republic of San Marino, Bolzano province, Comune di Varese, the Development Cooperation Department of the Italian Ministry of Affairs; UNICEF, Austrian Cooperation Department and by AVSI. The objective was medical rehabilitation assistance to 250 amputee war victims, and the program’s achievements from July 1998 to December 2000 were: identification of 765 amputees; provision of artificial limbs and functional training for 252 amputees; follow-up and social reintegration of the patients fitted with prostheses; return to school of 15 child victims of war; strengthening of collaboration with local counterparts; organisation of training for community health worker in Kitgum, Lira and Apac; sponsorship of one month training for three orthopedic technologists from Gulu orthopaedic workshop; production and distribution of 5,000 posters on mine awareness in Gulu and Kitgum. A number of constraints on the program have also been identified.[55]
Also in 2000, the Italian NGO CESVI (Cooperazione E Sviluppo – Cooperation and Development) concluded a humanitarian project in Kosovo, which consisted in rehabilitating a department of Peja Hospital to use it as an orthopedic laboratory, equipping it and training technicians and medical doctors. The laboratory will be employed for the production of prostheses for mine victims and amputees in general and for other orthopedic operations, especially in children. Sources of funding were: the Italian “Mission Rainbow” – L550 million (US$275,000); Teatro la Scala di Milano – L53 million (US$24,000); and Societa’ del Quartetto – L33 million (US$15,000).[56]
In Angola, Intersos is implementing a project supporting a center for prosthetic and rehabilitation of landmine victims in Cuando Cubando province. The project, started in 1999, includes the construction and equipping of premises, training of local personnel in rehabilitation activities and prostheses production. Specific attention is also paid to the social and economic reintegration of the disabled, through vocational training. In 2000 the center became fully operative and production of prostheses started. The total budget for the project is Euro800,000 (US$720,000), financed by the EU, Italian government and Intersos. Another project has been implemented in support of the surgical department of the provincial hospital in Menongue and the prosthetic center.[57]
The Italian Red Cross operates through the ICRC, with a specific agreement to support its Kabul center in Afghanistan (engaged in surgery and rehabilitation) and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia (engaged in training, for all African countries, of local personnel to assist mine victims). At the national level there is a special commission for fundraising for the ICRC, which collected about L240 million (US$110,000) in 1999 and a similar amount in 2000.[58]
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[1] Law 374/97, Norme per la Messa al Bando delle Mine Antipersona (Provisions Prohibiting Antipersonnel Mines), approved on 29 October 1997.
[2] On 7 September 2000, before the Second Meeting of States Parties (SMSP), the Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines organized a press conference to present the full Italian report from the Landmine Monitor Report 2000. Representatives of the government, members of parliament, and the embassies of several countries affected by landmines attended the event.
[3] Statement by Ambassador Mario Maiolini, Permanent Mission of Italy to the Conference on Disarmament, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, 7 December 2000.
[4] Article 7 report, submitted 29 March 2000, for the period to 31 January 2000.
[5] Article 7 report, submitted 30 April 2001 for calendar year 2000.
[6] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 668-669.
[7] Exchange rate used throughout this report: US$1:L2,160.
[8] “Istituzione del Fondo per lo Sminamento Umanitario” [Institution of Fund for Humanitarian Demining], Article 6, Law 58, 7 March 2001.
[9] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 report, submitted 11 December 2000, Form F.
[10] Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 717-729.
[11] Article 7 report, submitted 29 March 2000, Form E; see Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 670.
[12] See Article 7 report, submitted 30 April 2001 for calendar year 2000.
[13] Oral remarks to the Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 11 May 2001.
[14] The Italian government (and Landmine Monitor) had previously reported the stockpile at 6,529,833 antipersonnel mines, but Italy revised the number to include more than 590,000 “training mines similar to real ones.” Remarks of Italian delegation to the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 7 December 2000.
[15] Report of the Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 18 December 2000, p. 2.
[16] Oral remarks by Italian delegate (Col. Memmo) to the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 10 May 2001. He indicated that the figures did not include Valmara 69 mines, as they required a different destruction method and facilities had not yet been constructed. He estimated cost of destruction of V-69 mines at $7-8 each.
[17] Oral remarks by Italian delegation to the Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 23 May 2000. The Ministry of Defense confirmed this assertion on 15 September 2000 in responding to a question from the Italian journalist Alberto Chiara (see Alberto Chiara, “Mine USA in Italia? un Giallo” [US Mines in Italy? a Thriller], Famiglia Cristiana, 24 September 2000). In this article, Chiara mentions an unidentified source at the Ministry of Defense, according to whom Defense Minister Sergio Mattarella asked US Defense Secretary William Cohen during a meeting in Germany on 5 February 2000 to have NATO mines removed from Italy.
[18] Article 7 report, submitted 30 April 2001, Form D.
[19] Oral remarks to Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention, 11 May 2001.
[20] The interministerial reports to parliament on the implementation of Law 374/97 (which requires reporting every six months) are provided after considerable delay. The third interministerial report to parliament dealing with the first and second semesters of 1999 was released on 27 June 2000; attached was the second edition of the “Register of Mines” reporting on the stockpile situation to 30 September 1999. Compared with previous data, the second edition of the register contains a number of changes in the stated inventory of inert material (mines and components): in Army stocks, an increase of 472 mines, 600,000 detonators and 120,413 igniters; in Valsella stocks, a decrease of 1,207 mines; in Tecnovar stocks, a decrease of 1,047 mines. Registro Delle Mine [Register of Mines], 2nd Edition, 30 September 1999, released 27 July 2000. See also Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 671.
[21] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 670-674.
[22] Interview with Col. Giuseppe Cornacchia, General Staff, Ministry of Defense, Rome, 19 January 2001.
[23] Disciplina Della Distruzione Delle Scorte Di Mine Antipersona (Regulation of the Destruction of AP Mine Stockpiles), Minister of Defense, 1 August 2000.
[24] Oral remarks to the Standing Committee on General Status and Operation of the Convention, 11 May 2001.
[25] Information provided by “Capitaneria di Porto di Chioggia–Ufficio pesca” (Harbour Master’s Office–Fishing Bureau).
[26] Information provided by Col. Cornacchia in the television broadcast Telanch'io on Rai 2, 20 March 2000; the same information is contained in the “Risposta Orale Ministro della Difesa ad interrogazione del Senatore Sarto” [Oral responses of Minister of Defense to the questions of Senator Sarto], No. 3-03064, No. 3-03177, and No. 3-03271 (Ex 4-16724).
[27] In the first phase alone, at least fifteen minesweepers operated in the Adriatic for over three months. From then until 15 July 1999, nine of the Italian Navy’s twelve minesweepers and two NATO Navy formations were employed in the operation. Thereafter, up to 31 August 1999, some of these forces were also involved in clearing the central and southern Adriatic, retrieving the 102 bombs left in that part of the sea. The second phase initially involved four minesweepers, but from October 1999, after more explosives of the cluster type were accidentally located by fishing boats in the northern and central Adriatic, clearance activity was re-started in areas already covered. “Oral responses of Minister of Defense to the questions of Senator Sarto;” “La Marina bonifica l’Adriatico: pescati 32 ordigni Nato” [The Navy demines the Adriatic: Catches 32 NATO explosive devices], Il Messaggero, 30 July 1999, p. 6.
[28] “Dispaccio,” ANSA, Rome, 10 April 2000.
[29] Government bill, 31 May 1999, No. 154, converted with amendments into Law No. 249, 30 July 1999. See also “Oral responses of Minister of Defense to the questions of Senator Sarto.”
[30] “Pesca, 25 miliardi ai commercianti” [Fish, 25 million to retailers], Il Messaggero, 6 August 1999.
[31] Letter to ItCBL by Senator Rino Serri, State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 12 April 2001; interview with Vincenzo Oddo and Giancarlo del Grosso, Office VI (Emergency), Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome, 16 March 2001.
[32] See Statement of Ambassador Mario Maiolini, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 7 December 2000; Fax to ItCBL from Gian Carlo Del Grosso, Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 23 February 2001; Article 13 report, Form B; OSCE Report, 18 December 2000, Annex.
[33] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 675-679.
[34] Letter to ItCBL by Senator Rino Serri, State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 12 April 2001; interview with Vincenzo Oddo and Giancarlo del Grosso, Office VI (Emergency), Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome, 16 March 2001.
[35] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 676.
[36] Interview with Stefano Calabretta, Intersos, Rome, 9 March 2001.
[37] This project has been replaced by a new one providing for surgical assistance in Kabul.
[38] On the whole, multilateral programs are the most frequent choice, even for those offices supposed to work through bilateral channels (Emergency and Territorial Offices). According to Vincenzo Oddo: “Italy is well able to develop effective bilateral initiatives, as witnessed by the 1999 demining and victim assistance program in Angola. Unfortunately, these kinds of efforts are not given the proper emphasis, for example by organizing visits of monitoring delegations and by issuing monitor reports. Although it is clear that much time and money is wasted along the way, as occurred in Chad (four transfers occurred before the money could actually be spent), the multilateral procedure is often preferred, because it is ‘easier’ and does not require direct involvement on the part of our staff. This is mostly due to the Cooperation Department’s scarcity of means and personnel.” Interview with Vincenzo Oddo, Expert, Office VI (Emergency), Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome, 16 March 2001.
[39] An additional contribution of L2 billion has already been allocated for 2001, to support the surgical centers in Kabul and Panshir Valley.
[40] Contribution Report to the Italian Government, Haut Commissariat National au Deminage, Chad Mine Action Program, p. 2.
[41] The Italian government has also pledged L5 billion (US$2.315 million) for war victim assistance in Eritrea (Asmara), which includes mine victims, as well as L1 billion (US$463,000) for an emergency program in Senegal (Casamance) that among other things provides for mine awareness operations. These funds were not included in the list because it cannot be considered as specific mine action nor is it possible to tell what part of them is to be used for mine-related operations.
[42] This is the second time the Italian Government has pledged a contribution to UNMAS, confirming the policy started in 1999. According to Rosa Stevan of the Multilateral Cooperation Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is not sure whether this policy will be continued in 2001. Telephone interview with Rosa Stevan, Office II (Multilateral Cooperation), Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome, 21 March 2001.
[43] A further contribution of US$231,000 has been pledged for 2001, for demining and victim assistance in Lebanon.
[44] ICRC Special Appeal Mine Action 1999-2003.
[45] “Italy Contributes to OAS De-Mining Program,” OAS press release, 6 March 2001.
[46] “Despite ‘Real Victories’ in Landmine Action, Assembly Acknowledges Magnitude of Remaining Challenges,” Press Release GA/9833, United Nations, 28 November 2000.
[47] Interview with Stefano Calabretta, Intersos, Rome, 20 February 2001.
[48] Ibid.
[49] Fax from ABC, Florence, Italy, 23 February 2001.
[50] Fax from Mario Sepe, MAS, Florence, Italy, 26 February 2001.
[51] Article 13 report, 11 December 2000, Form F; Report to the OSCE, 18 December 2000, pp. 1-2.
[52] Report to the OSCE, 18 December 2000, p. 1.
[53] Fax from Cristina Gattamorta, UNICEF’s Italian National Committee, 15 February 2001.
[54] Interview with Stefano Calabretta, Intersos, Rome, 20 February 2001.
[55] Email from Alberto Repossi, Program Officer for Africa, AVSI, Milano, 22 February 2001.
[56] Email by Nadia Comi, CESVI, Milan, 21 February 2001, and <www.cesvi.it>.
[57] Interview with Stefano Calabretta, Intersos, Rome, 20 February 2001.
[58] Telephone interview with Maria Letizia Zamparelli, Studies and Planning Special Activities Service, Italian Red Cross, Rome, 11 February 2001.
