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Key developments since May 2001: Finland’s Parliament approved the goal of adhering to the Mine Ban Treaty by 2006. Finland donated approximately $4.5 million to mine action programs in 2001. In addition, it had mechanical mine clearance projects in Cambodia, Mozambique, and Kosovo during the reporting period.
Finland remains the only country in the European Union (EU) that has not signed or acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. The goal of joining the treaty by 2006 was confirmed in a governmental report on foreign and security policy approved by Parliament in December 2001.[1] The report reiterated that Finland supports an internationally effective worldwide ban on antipersonnel mines and participates in EU efforts to achieve the treaty’s objectives. The report added that Finland does not produce or export antipersonnel mines, that its stockpile is kept in safe storage, and that antipersonnel mines “will not be used unless a threat of war exists against Finland.”[2] The report also explained:
Finland has refrained from acceding to the Ottawa Convention because it does not at the moment have the economic or technical means to undertake to destroy the mines banned by the Convention and replace them with other means within the four years specified in the Convention. Giving up anti-personnel landmines without acquiring alternative systems would significantly diminish Finland’s defense capability.
The working group [in the Ministry of Defense] is studying the issue... with a view to Finland acceding to the Convention in 2006 and destroying anti-personnel landmines by the end of 2010 without compromising Finland’s credible defense capability. The working group will submit its interim report to the Government Committee on Foreign and Security Policy by the end of 2003. Accession to the Convention and examining alternatives to anti-personnel landmines will be discussed in the report due in 2004 concerning the entire Finnish defense system.[3]
The report was discussed by the Defense, Economic Affairs, and Foreign Affairs committees. The Foreign Affairs Committee pointed out that more than 140 countries have signed the treaty and that it is important for Finland to support implementation of the mine ban worldwide. The Committee demanded that the next defense review, brought forward to 2004, should consider in detail the question of Finland joining the Mine Ban Treaty. The Economic Affairs Committee was concerned about the lack of alternatives for antipersonnel mines. The Defense Committee supported the government’s position, but during discussion some committee members advised a longer timeframe for joining the treaty or excluding it from the next defense review. During parliamentary discussions of the report arguments against joining the treaty in the near future were either based on economic concerns (the cost of alternative weapons) or on perceptions that giving up mines represents a move away from a “people’s army” toward a more modern and expensive professional army.[4]
The Finnish Campaign to Ban Landmines lobbied on the mine issue throughout the defense review process during 2001. The campaign wrote letters, talked to individual decision-makers, organized a demonstration and the Landmine Monitor Report 2001 was distributed in Parliament. The Campaign Coordinator expressed concern at the slow timetable and that “the emphasis of the government’s future work was put on the Defense Ministry, whereas previously it has been on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”[5]
Finland attended as an observer the Third Meeting of States Parties in September 2001 in Managua, Nicaragua. The delegation made no statement or intervention, but a statement was delivered on behalf of European Union countries by Belgium.[6] Finland also attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings of the Mine Ban Treaty, in January and May 2002.[7]
On 29 November 2001, Finland voted in favor of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 56/24M calling for States to join the Mine Ban Treaty without delay.
Finland is party to Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW). Finland submitted its report as required by Article 13 on 24 October 2001. This provides some new information on mine action funding and assistance.[8] Finland participated in the Third Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II and the Second CCW Review Conference in December 2001.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes Finnish policy on mine action funding as being “based on humanitarian aspects. We give support to the countries which have most mines. These countries are at the moment Afghanistan, Angola and Cambodia. There are security problems in Angola so we give the support through the Finnish Red Cross. In Bosnia we support prosthesis production. If there is a country where there are not many mine victims, we will not give a lot of support.”[10]
From 1991 to the end of 2001, Finland allocated FIM164,537,840 (€27,672,022, or US$24,849,476) for mine action. The countries receiving most financial and other assistance during this period were: Cambodia – FIM58,136,190 (€9,777,361, or $8,780,070); Mozambique – FIM40,110,000 (€6,745,711, or $6,057,649) and Afghanistan – FIM27,550,000 (€4,633,367, or $4,160,763).
In 2001, Finland’s funding of mine action programs totaled FIM30 million (€5,045,409, or $4,530,777), which was allocated as follows:
Included in the expenditure for 2001 was FIM200,000 (€33,638, or $30,207) to the Ministry of Defense for training a stand-by unit. During 2001, this funding was allocated in equal thirds to manual mine clearance; mechanical mine clearance; and mine survivor assistance, mine risk education, and provision of specialist personnel.
In addition to its financial contributions to mine action, Finland has had mechanical mine clearance projects in three countries, which by the end of 2001 had cleared 650,000 square meters of land in Cambodia since 1998 (project ending 28 February 2002), 550,000 square meters in Mozambique since 1999 (project ending 31 August 2002) and 440,000 square meters in Kosovo since 1999 (project ended in August 2001). There were two mechanical mine clearance units, with RAISU demining machines, in each of the three countries. When the current projects have finished, this type of assistance will be reduced, as the machines are not designed for continuous, heavy use.[11]
In 2002, Finland planned to allocate a further FIM30 million (€5,045,409, or $4,530,777), distributed as follows:
Included in the total for 2002 are non-earmarked funds of €177,315 ($159,229) promised to the Mine Advisory Group for Angola. Funding in 2002 is allocated 50 percent for manual mine clearance (with Afghanistan as the main focus), 10 percent mechanical mine clearance, and 40 percent mine survivor assistance, mine risk education, and provision of specialist personnel.
Finland reported to the UNMAS mine action investment database spending a total of $11,455,800 from 2000-2002, including $10,160,800 on country programs and $1,295,000 on regional and thematic programs.[12] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Unit for Humanitarian Assistance hopes to maintain future mine action funding at the level of FIM30 million (€5,045,409, or $4,530,777) per year.[13]
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[1] “Suomen ja turvallisuus- ja puolustuspolitiikka 2001, Valtioneuvoston selonteko eduskunnalle 13.6.2001” (Finland’s Foreign and Security Policy 2001, Government Report to Parliament 13.6.2001), section 1, part 2: Finland’s Security and Defense Policy, available at: www.puolustusministerio.fi. For previous statements of Finland’s position on the treaty, see Landmine Monitor Report 2000, pp. 812-815, and Landmine Monitor Report 2001, pp. 872-873.
[2] Ibid. Finland’s CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report of 24 October 2001 also repeats previous statements that Finland does not produce, export or import antipersonnel mines.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Information provided in interview by Laura Lodenius, Finnish Campaign to Ban Landmines, Helsinki, 10 January 2002.
[5] Interview with Laura Lodenius, Finnish Campaign to Ban Landmines, Helsinki, 10 January 2002.
[6] The delegation included Lars Backstrom and Riitta Korpivaara, Director and First Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Sirpa Maenpaa, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Finland in Managua. For the EU statement, see report on Belgium in this edition of the Landmine Monitor.
[7] The delegations included Riitta Korpivaara, First Secretary, Mikko Hautala, Attaché, Olli Sotamaa, Counselor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Harri Maki-Reinikka, Counselor, Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
[8] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, submitted on 24 October 2001.
[9] Unless otherwise indicated, all data in this section is from: Interview with Counselor Olli Sotamaa, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Helsinki, 24 January 2002; and “Humanitaarinen miinanraivaus Suomessa vuosina 1991-2002” (Updated paper on Humanitarian Mine Action in Finland during the years 1991-2002), 30 April 2002. Exchange rate at 11 April: €1 = FIM5.946, and at 29 April 2002: €1 = US$0.898. For 2002, funding is given only in €.
[10] Interview with Counselor Olli Sotamaa, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Helsinki, 24 January 2002.
[11] Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, Development Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Raisujen raivaustulokset” (“Raisu clearing output”), 17 January 2002. See also, CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, submitted on 24 October 2001.
[12] “Current and Planned Donor Activity for Finland,” UNMAS Mine Action Investments database, available at www.mineaction.org, accessed 11 April 2002.
[13] Interview with Olli Sotamaa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Helsinki, 24 January 2002.
