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Key developments since May 2000: As of 1 April 2001, Sweden had destroyed 2.3 million antipersonnel mines since entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty. It planned to retain 11,120 antipersonnel mines for permitted training purposes. It has reported rendering Claymore-type mines “useless” as antipersonnel mines. Sweden contributed some US$8 million in 2000 to mine action, continuing a downward trend in funding.
Sweden signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December 1997, ratified it on 30 November 1998 and became a State Party on 1 May 1999. National implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty was achieved through additions to existing legislation, which entered into force at the same time.[1] Legislation prior to the Mine Ban Treaty obliged destruction of all antipersonnel mines by the end of 2001, earlier than the deadline allowed by the Mine Ban Treaty.[2]
At the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2000, the Swedish delegation was led by its Ambassador to the United Nations, Henrik Salander. Sweden attended all the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional Standing Committee meetings in December 2000 and May 2001. Sweden submitted transparency reports as required by Article 7 of the Mine Ban Treaty on 29 October 1999,[3] 14 June 2000[4] and 30 April 2001.[5] The second Article 7 report updated information on destruction of stockpiled antipersonnel mines. The third report included information on mines being retained for training for the first time.
At the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in November 2000 Sweden voted in favor of Resolution 55/33V, which calls for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, as it had with similar resolutions in previous years. The issue of accession to the Mine Ban Treaty is usually part of the agenda when Swedish officials plan dialogue with countries not party to the treaty.[6]
Sweden participated in the technical consultation on antivehicle mines with antihandling devices, which was held in March 2001 by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Sweden also attended a technical seminar of the destruction of the PFM1 “Butterfly” mines in Budapest on 1-2 February 2001.
Sweden was chief sponsor of UNGA Resolution 55/37, which calls upon States that have not already done so to adhere to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) Amended Protocol II without delay. On 20 October 2000, in the UNGA First (Disarmament) Committee, Ambassador Salander spoke in support of Resolution 55/37 and expressed the hope that the Second CCW Review Conference in December 2001 would “further strengthen the protection of civilians and improve the humanitarian situation after conflicts had ended...and discuss the issue of whether other categories of weapons should be regulated.”[7]
Sweden is a State Party to CCW Amended Protocol II, and attended the Second Annual Conference of States Parties to Protocol II in December 2000. Following its chairing of the First CCW Review Conference in 1995-1996, Sweden also chaired the first meeting, on 14 December 2000, of the Preparatory Committee for the Second Review Conference. Along with many other countries, Sweden co-sponsored a “non-paper” calling for structured discussion of the issue of “explosive remnants of war” at the Second CCW Review Conference in December 2001.
The annual report required by Article 13 of CCW Amended Protocol II was submitted on 23 October 2000. This reports in detail on Sweden’s compliance with Amended Protocol II, legislation and information exchange, and more briefly on the funding of mine action programs in the 1999/2000 reporting period.[8]
Sweden has stated for several years that any efforts in the UN Conference on Disarmament to deal with antipersonnel mines “must be designed to promote the objective of the total elimination of these mines [and]...must be pursued in support of and be consistent with the [Mine Ban Treaty].”[9]
The Swedish government has a positive view of the Landmine Monitor and finds the report extremely useful, for example in planning dialogue with States that are not party to the Mine Ban Treaty.[10]
Sweden has not produced antipersonnel mines since 1974; however, this does not apply to Claymore-type mines.[11] In its first two Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 reports, Sweden did not include details of antipersonnel mines produced but only of those currently possessed.[12] In its third Article 7 report, however, it provided technical information on Truppmina 9, 10 and 11, Trampmina 41 and 49B, Betongmina 43T, Splittermina 48, and Granatmina 43 (8cm), 42T (8cm), and 43T (10cm).
Regarding the legality of joint military operations involving non-signatories of the Mine Ban Treaty where antipersonnel mines are used, and/or transited across Swedish territory, Sweden is awaiting the outcome of the discussions in the Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention.[13] Sweden is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but does currently participate in joint peacekeeping operations with States that are not party to the Mine Ban Treaty, such as the US.[14]
Although comprehensive numbers have not been reported, it appears that when Sweden began stockpile destruction in 1998 it had about 3.2 million antipersonnel mines.[15] National legislation in 1996 requires completion of destruction by the end of 2001. In December 2000, an official of the Armed Forces had estimated that it would be completed in early 2001.[16]
The third Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report showed that, as of 1 April 2001, Sweden had destroyed 2,335,069 antipersonnel mines since entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty, and there were 24,200 antipersonnel mines still in stockpiles.[17] Of these, 13,080 antipersonnel mines would be destroyed in 2001, and the remaining 11,120 antipersonnel mines would be retained in accordance with Mine Ban Treaty Article 3.[18] This was the first time that Sweden revealed the number of mines it intends to retain for training. Previously, it had said “that the duty to report the number of retained mines as per Article 3 becomes operative after existing stockpile has been destroyed; prior to this point, mines used for permitted development purposes form part of the existing stockpile.”[19]
Sweden reported that all Claymore-type antipersonnel devices had been “reconstructed and rendered useless as antipersonnel mines” and that Sweden planned to do the same with Claymore-type antivehicle mines.[20] The Armed Forces Headquarters (HQ) had previously stated that on 2 March 2001 they issued an order for a ban on the use and distribution of the tripwire and the fuze for the Claymore-type FFV013 and FFV013R. The Armed Forces were already considering possible further restrictions on the mine to ensure compliance with the intention of the Mine Ban Treaty.[21]
Claymore-type directional fragmentation mines had been considered by Sweden to be antivehicle mines and had not previously been referred to in its Article 7 reports (although independent databases classify the types held by Sweden as antipersonnel mines). The Defense Materiel Regulation had stated previously that the Truppmina 12 mine would be modified to prevent victim/tripwire-activation by November 2000.[22]
In October 2000, it was reported, “Supporting international humanitarian mine clearance efforts and making them more efficient and assisting the mine victims and the countries concerned, are matters of high priority for the Swedish Government. Swedish assistance for these purposes, initiated in 1991, are channeled mainly through the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) to the UN and a few demining NGOs. It currently amounts to a total of approximately SEK579 million (approximately USD60 million), excluding substantial contributions for rehabilitation of mine victims as part of our general contributions to ICRC. Of this amount some SEK76.7 million (approximately USD7.9 million) refer to 2000.”[23]
Mine action funding of SEK76.7 million (US$7.9 million) in 2000 continues a downward trend from SEK94.5 million in 1999 and SEK129.5 million in 1998.[24]
Main Recipients of SIDA Mine Action Funding in 2000[25]
|
Country
|
SEK (million)
|
US$ (million)
|
Implementing agency
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Afghanistan
|
17.4
|
1.8
|
UNOCHA
|
|
Angola
|
11.5
|
1.2
|
NPA
|
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
2.7
|
0.3
|
ITF
|
|
Cambodia
|
16
|
|
UNDP TF, CMAC
|
|
Cambodia
|
7.5
|
Total 2.4
|
CMAC, mine dog project
|
|
Iraqi Kurdistan
|
9.7
|
1.0
|
MAG
|
|
Kosovo
|
4.3
|
0.4
|
UNMACC
|
|
Mozambique
|
5
|
|
NPA
|
|
Mozambique
|
2.5
|
Total 0.8
|
HI
|
|
International coordination
|
0.1
|
0.01
|
GICHD/Ottawa sponsorship
|
|
Total
|
76.7
|
7.9
|
|
Most of these programs have been running with Swedish support for several years. The new entries for year 2000 are the support to the Slovenian International Trust Fund, and sponsorship for the Ottawa process. Excluded from this data is the Swedish share of EU mine assistance.[26]
In addition, Sweden contributes a considerable amount each year to the ICRC. From 1990-2000, “through general support to ICRC throughout the world SIDA supports rehabilitation of mine victims and mine awareness activities with SEK212 million [US$21.9 million].”[27] SIDA has not specified how much of this was intended for mine victims.
The government charged SIDA to evaluate previous mine action projects and to propose strategies for future Swedish aid to mine action. Initial proposals were expected by 1 July 2000, although full evaluation of earlier projects and final proposals would take longer.[28] This preliminary report and analysis was presented, after which SIDA requested the Assistance to Mine-Affected Communities Project (AMAC) at the Peace Research Institute in Oslo (PRIO) to carry out an evaluation of SIDA’s contributions to humanitarian mine action programs.[29]
The preliminary report found that the experience of supporting nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has been positive. Since support has been channeled to leading mine action NGOs, such as Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), Mines Advisory Group (MAG), and Handicap International (HI), each of which has several donors, transparency and follow-up are currently satisfactory. The report affirms that the organizations are characterized by professionalism and a view of mine action as part of social development that is broader than many commercial companies. The preliminary report also stated that, “SIDA’s opinion is that victim assistance is a part of the public health sector, not a part of mine action. A number of actors share that opinion, but the time is not right to split up the concept of humanitarian mine action in this respect.... SIDA should foremost support mine clearance at the expense of mine awareness, survey and victim assistance...because: regardless of other mine action activities, mine clearance is the activity that finally gets rid of the mines and creates possibilities to move freely and to use the land; SIDA and Sweden has been involved with personnel in mine clearance and might have a comparative advantage in this area; and the technical projects conducted in Sweden are focused on mine clearance and might, under favorable conditions, speed up the pace of the mine clearance.” [30]
The preliminary direction of SIDA’s continuing support to mine actions was reported as:
During 2000, the SRSA continued the work with the UN MACC in Kosovo with three personnel for quality control and information management, financially supported by SIDA. SRSA works in cooperation with SWEDEC (Swedish EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal - and Demining Center). SRSA also has one person seconded to GICHD.
SRSA financially supported research on chemical analysis based on mass spectrometry conducted by the Total Defense Research Establishment (FOI) with SEK2.4 million (US$250,000).
SRSA supported tests of three Swedish mechanical mine clearance systems, Scan-Jack, Oracle and Mine-Guzzler. All three systems have been tested in cooperation with CROMAC in Croatia during 2000. SRSA’s support was SEK1 million for these tests. SRSA also supports the development of a biosensor detection system and has purchased a prototype of the system from Biosensor Applications. Support for the biosensor system amounts to SEK1.5-2 million (approximately US$200,000).[32]
Sweden is a lead nation in the Western European Union Demining Assistance Mission (WEUDAM) in Croatia. During 2000, Sweden contributed forty-five personnel for mine clearance in Lebanon through UNIFIL, and is providing support to the humanitarian demining effort by the Baltic States, including naval demining.[33]
In Kosovo, Swedish personnel are involved in support of the demining effort, mainly in the areas of quality control of mine detection dogs and IT support for the IMSMA database.[34]
Sweden has also set up a Mine Awareness Training Team (MATT) in Kosovo. From August 1999 to June 2000 approximately 9,000 persons from different units received mine awareness training from the Swedish team. From spring 2000, the Swedish MATT was responsible for mine awareness training of all KFOR personnel in the area controlled by the British Brigade.
On behalf of the Swedish Immigration Board and the Swedish Red Cross, SWEDEC conducted mine awareness training for approximately 200 Albanians who where repatriating from Sweden to Kosovo during 2000. SWEDEC also gave a mine awareness course for Swedish humanitarian organizations. A new testing track for mechanical demining systems was established at SWEDEC in the summer of 2000.
The first tests by the Swedish Demining Unit (SDU) concept initiated in 1999 was completed in 2000, with mixed results. The conclusion was that an improved policy is needed for the use of dogs within the armed forces. Investigations of the possibility of forming a pool of mine-seeking dog teams resulted in plans to have eight dogs ready during 2001 and seven more in 2002.
Development of the information system EOD IS continues and has been approved within the Armed Forces, with a plan to support the Swedish battalion in Kosovo with this system during 2001.[35]
Sweden also takes part in several cooperative efforts. At the European level, cooperation under the “Ispra umbrella” has been an important forum for Swedish participation. At the Nordic level there are networks between the defense research establishments of the Nordic Countries. The Nordic countries have carried out a joint survey of available resources for ammunition and mine clearance to identify suitable areas for cooperation. A Nordic cooperation forum with mine coordinators has been established. Sweden participates in the Nordic Demining Research Forum and in the work of the European Commission in ARIS (Action for Research and Information Support in Humanitarian Demining). Sweden also participates in the International Test & Evaluation Program. Within the European framework, Sweden takes part of the work on standardizing mine action conducted by the WEU and NATO through the Partnership for Peace. Sweden states that it also finds the work of CODUN within the EU of greatest importance.[36]
The Biosensor project was launched in 1995 to develop an “artificial dog’s nose” sensor system to detect presence of the explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT) in vapor form for humanitarian demining. More than SEK13 million (US$1.35 million) has been invested since then. Shareholders include Metallica Venture Capital, Skandia Insurance, Swedish Red Cross, Swedish Church, Korsnäs and private investors. In December 2000, the European Commission decided to support the Biosensor with two projects worth a total of SEK2.95 million: the BIOSENS project will allow sampling techniques to be improved, the range of detectable explosives to be expanded and the hardware to be made portable; the DEMAND project will support the development of a Biosensor technology systems within a multi-technology mines detector. The EU financial support of the BIOSENS project will be disbursed over a period of three years. The SRSA has ordered and received a prototype of the mines detector, at a purchase price of SEK130,000, and is planning to conduct extensive field trials. Biosensor Applications expects to offer a mine detector during 2002.[37]
Bofors has developed the Mine-Guzzler demining vehicle for humanitarian civil operations. The Mine-Guzzler is completely based on commercial components for easy maintenance, repair and accessibility of spare parts.[38] It is operational and ready for serial production as soon as there are buyers. The Mine-Guzzler has been tested with positive results in Croatia and in Egypt. This development is wholly financed by Bofors Defense and totals some SEK50-60 million (US$5-6 million). The company has currently no intention of conducting demining operations itself but concentrates on developing and producing cost-effective equipment.[39]
The PICE Multi-Sensor (PMS) combines the abilities of metal detectors with those of ground penetrating radar. PMS is man-portable and needs no external cables. PMS is under development by a consortium with partners from several European countries, supported financially by the Esprit Programs for Humanitarian Demining and the European Commission. Members of the consortium are SAAB (Sweden), FOI (Sweden), SWEDEC (Sweden), ATM (Sweden), Schiebel (Austria), SINTEF (Norway), NPA, and the National Technical University (Greece). The objective for the development is to produce a PMS demonstrator and verify its performance and potential to detect landmines.[40] To date the PICE partners have put some SEK40 million (US$4.14 million) into the project. EU support amounts to SEK28 million (US$2.9 million). Another SEK5.9 million (US$600,000) has been received from SIDA. The Total Defense Research Establishment (FOI) is expected to contribute SEK12 million (US$1.25 million) from its own budget and from other official sources. The PICE consortium plans to have an operational detector by the year 2005 assuming the necessary financing,[41] which SAAB estimates to be a further SEK100 million (US$10.35 million).[42]
Countermine Technologies is the parent company for three subsidiary companies, whose activities include development and production of demining equipment and the conduct of demining operations. In 2000, the subsidiary company TerraFirma in Croatia received its first three demining orders; two were from CROMAC and worth SEK3.5 million (US$360,000); the third order was from the ITF and worth SEK2 million (US$200,000). The three missions were conducted during the first three months of 2001.[43] Countermine technologies has developed and produced several other demining products, including the Oracle, developed in cooperation with Caterpillar Inc. and funded by Eureka.[44]
The mechanical demining machine Scanjack, developed by the Scandinavian Demining Group, was tested and certified for humanitarian mechanical mine clearance in Croatia in November 1999. At the start of 2000, SDG formed a subsidiary in Croatia in order to start a demining operation using Scanjack. Since April 2000, the machine has been in full operation clearing nearly 1,000,000 square meters by the end of December 2000.[45] The development costs were SEK10-12 million (US$1.1 million), supported by SEK2 million from the EU and SEK 2.5 million from Swedish local and regional authorities. No financial support has been received from the EU or Swedish authorities since September 1999.[46]
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[1] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 726, and Article 7 report, submitted 30 April 2001.
[2] Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) Amended Protocol II Article 13 report, 23 October 2000, Form D.
[3] Article 7 report, submitted 29 October 1999, for the period 1 May-30 September 1999.
[4] Article 7 report, submitted 14 June 2000, for the period 1 September 1999-1 April 2000.
[5] Article 7 report, submitted 30 April 2001, for the period 1 April 2000-1 April 2001.
[6] Interview with Anna Hammarlund, Desk Officer, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 16 January 2001.
[7] “Disarmament committee hears introduction of five draft resolutions, including text on assurance for non-nuclear weapon states,” UN press release GA/DIS/3185, 20 October 2000.
[8] Interview with Anna Hammarlund, Desk Officer, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 16 January 2001.
[9] Report to the OSCE, 15 December 2000, p. 1.
[10] Interview with Anna Hammarlund, Desk Officer, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 16 January 2001.
[11] See Landmine Monitor Report 1999, pp. 657-659.
[12] Article 7.1h. and Article 7 reporting format Form H1.
[13] Interview with Per Almqvist, Håkan Bengtsson and Susanne Karlsson, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Stockholm, 25 January 2000.
[14] Email from Anna Hammarlund, 16 February 2001.
[15] Based on Sweden’s Article 7 report and Defense Materiel Administration, letter to SPAS (ref; Plan 13 301:7558/00), 24 February 2000. Information calculated as follows: Sweden reportedly destroyed 315,000 antipersonnel mines in 1998. Between May 1999 and January 2000 (nine months) 1,152,774 antipersonnel mines were destroyed. No figures are available for the period January 1999 to April 1999 (four months) but if the same rate of destruction is assumed as for the rest of 1999 (128,000 antipersonnel mines per month), then 512,000 antipersonnel mines were destroyed in that period. This totals 1,980,000 mines destroyed. In January 2000, there were 1,206,495 in stock, giving an initial total stock of 3,186,000 antipersonnel mines.
[16] Interview with Lt. Col. Olof Carelius, Armed Forces HQ, Geneva, 6 December 2000.
[17] Article 7 report, 30 April 2001.
[18] Article 7 report, submitted 30 April 2001, Form B.
[19] Article 7 Report, 14 June 2000; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 728-729 for fuller discussion of this point.
[20] Article 7 report, submitted 30 April 2001, Form B.
[21] Email from Lt. Col. Olof Carelius, Armed Forces HQ, 8 March 2001.
[22] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p. 729.
[23] Report to the OSCE, 15 December 2000, p. 2.
[24] “SIDA support to mine action 1990-2000,” SIDA Fact Sheet, October 2000, and Report to the OSCE, 15 December 2000, p. 1.
[25] “SIDA support to mine action 1990-2000,” SIDA Fact Sheet, October 2000, and Report to the OSCE, 15 December 2000, p. 1. Exchange rate used of US$1:SEK9.66. Abbreviations used: UNOCHA – United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan; NPA – Norwegian People’s Aid; ITF – International Trust Fund for Mine Clearance and Victim Assistance; UNDP TF - UN Development Program Trust Fund; CMAC – Cambodian Mine Action Center; MAG – Mines Advisory Group; UNMACC – UN Mine Action Coordinating Center, Pristina; HI – Handicap International; GICHD – Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining.
[26] “SIDA support to mine action 1990-2000,” SIDA Fact Sheet, October 2000; Sweden’s general contribution to the EU is usually estimated as 2.7 per cent of the EU budget, which approximates to SEK4.5 million (US$465,000) for EU mine action.
[27] “SIDA support to mine action 1990-2000,” SIDA Fact Sheet, October 2000.
[28] Interview with Per Almqvist, Håkan Bengtsson and Susanne Karlsson, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 25 January 2000 and telephone interview with Per Almqvist, 11 May 2000.
[29] Interview with Lars Johansson, Desk Officer, SIDA, Stockholm, 24 January 2001.
[30] “Preliminary report and analysis of the Swedish support to mine action and a basis for preliminary direction of the continuing support,” SIDA, Dnr: 2000-02787.
[31] “Preliminary report and analysis of the Swedish support to mine action and a basis for preliminary direction of the continuing support,” SIDA, Dnr: 2000-02787.
[32] Email from Anders Berg, SRSA, 15 March 2001.
[33] Report to the OSCE, 15 December 2000, p. 4.
[34] Ibid.
[35] Swedish Armed Forces Annual Report 2000, Specific accounts: The development in the field of EOD- and mine clearance for international peace support and humanitarian operations.
[36] Report to the OSCE, 15 December 2000, p. 2.
[37] Email from Henrik Westander, Consultant for the Biosensor project, 17 January 2001.
[38] <www.boforsdefence.se>, accessed on 15 March 2001.
[39] Email from Allan Carlsson, Sales Director, Bofors Defense, 15 March 2001.
[40] PICE brochure, sent by email, 4 January 2001.
[41] Email from Anders Flogvall, Project Co-ordinator, SAABTech, 6 February 2001.
[42] “Utveckling och produktion av PICE Multisensor” (Development and Production of PICE Multisensor), SAABTech, Document Id: PM319292X, 15 December 2000.
[43] “Delårsapport januari-september 2000” (Report for January-September 2000), Countermine Technologies.
[44] <www.countermine.com>, accessed on 1 February 2001.
[45] Information document dated 8 January 2001 from Scandinavian Demining Group AB.
[46] Email from Lennart Berglund, Chief Executive Officer, Scandinavian Demining Group AB, 9 February 2001.
