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The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997, ratified it on 14 June 1999 and became a State Party on 1 December 1999. National legislation incorporating the treaty into Luxembourg law includes the necessary penal sanctions for violations.[1]
Luxembourg attended the Second Meeting of States Parties in September 2000. It participated in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in May 2001, but not in December 2000. Luxembourg voted in favor of the November 2000 UN General Assembly resolution in support of the Mine Ban Treaty, but reported to Landmine Monitor that it has not undertaken initiatives to promote universalization and effective implementation of the treaty.[2]
Luxembourg did not submit its initial transparency report required by Article 7 of the Mine Ban Treaty until 27 April 2001, when two Article 7 reports covering 1999 and 2000 respectively were submitted to the UN.[3]
Luxembourg is a party to Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), and attended the Second Annual Conference of States Parties in December 2000. Luxembourg co-sponsored proposals presented by the Netherlands for consideration of an additional CCW Protocol to deal with “explosive remnants of war.” According to official records, Luxembourg did not submit its annual report as required by Article 13 of Amended Protocol II.
Activities by nongovernmental organizations on the mine issue continued in 2000 and 2001. Handicap International (HI) Luxembourg organized a public awareness day on 16 September 2000, when the Luxembourg Army gave a demining demonstration. HI had several information stands, a shoe pyramid was raised to symbolize support for mine victims, and the film La vie de Vanna was shown. There was also a photo exhibition, mine victims from several countries were pictured in their daily environment by famous photographers, and commemorated by book prizes. [4] The Luxembourg-Europe Lion’s Club organized a fundraising event in the memory of mine victim Anita Payl, in order to support an orthopedic workshop in Mozambique. A check for BEF700,000 (US$15,435) was handed over to the director of HI Luxembourg.[5]
After destruction of its stockpile of 9,600 antipersonnel mines in 1997, the Army stated that it had retained 500 mines of each type (the Belgian M35 Bg, the US M2A1 and the US M16) for permitted training purposes.[7] However, the Article 7 reports for 1999 and 2000 indicate that 499 M35 Bg mines and 499 M16 mines have been retained for training purposes, but no M2 mines.[8]
The grand Ducal Regulation of 31 October 1995 regulates the import, export and transit of arms, ammunition and material that serve especially for military use and related technology. A list of products whose import, export and transfer are forbidden is included in the regulation. On 7 April 1997, a ministerial regulation included antipersonnel mines on the list.[9]
In addition to its contributions to the European Union, Luxembourg financed several mine projects related to demining and mine victim assistance in 2000:
In March 2001, LUF4 million (US$88,790) was provided through the ITF for rehabilitation of mine victims in Bosnia-Herzegovina.[12]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has an agreement with HI Luxembourg for a four-year plan of mine action funding. The total budget is LUF3,670,094 (US$81,467), from which LUF1,060,806 (US$23,547) was allocated for 2000 and LUF1,138,280 (US$25,267) for 2001. This plan includes demining and victim assistance in Cambodia, Kosovo, Laos, Mozambique, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Tibet, and West Africa.
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[1] Law of 29 April 1999. Article 3 includes penal sanctions ranging from eight days to five years imprisonment, and fines from LUF50,000 to 5,000,000 (approximately US$1,110 to US$111,000).
[2] Luxembourg response to Landmine Monitor 2001 Questionnaire, 25 April 2001, p. 2.
[3] Article 7 reports, submitted 27 April 2001, for calendar years 1999 and 2000.
[4] “Handicap International: deuxième journée nationale des lacets bleus,” Tageblatt (daily newspaper), 16 September 2000.
[5] “Lions Club Luxembourg-Europe: 700.000F pour un hôpital au Mozambique,” Tageblatt, 9 August 2000.
[6] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 685.
[7] Interview with Lt. Col. Ries, Deputy Chief of Staff, 22 March 1999.
[8] Article 7 reports, submitted 27 April 2001, Forms A and D.
[9] Luxembourg response to Landmine Monitor 2001 questionnaire, 20 April 2001, p. 3.
[10] Exchange rate used: US$1 = LUF45.05.
[11] Luxembourg response to Landmine Monitor 2001 questionnaire, 20 April 2001, p. 4.
[12] Ibid.
