This report is the product of a broad and complex system of individuals, campaigns and organizations. It was assembled by an experienced team of research coordinators and editors, with the support of a significant number of donors.
This fifth annual report of the Landmine Monitor system contains country updates written by 110 Landmine Monitor researchers from 90 countries, selected by the Landmine Monitor Core Group and research coordinators, who are cited separately in the List of Contributors. Landmine Monitor is indebted to everyone who contributed research to this report, especially those who provided updated reports at their own cost. We wish to thank the scores of individuals, campaigns, non-governmental and international organizations, mine action practitioners, and governments who provided essential information to our researchers and editors.
We are grateful to ICBL Coordinator Liz Bernstein, her dedicated staff, and the ICBL Working Group chairs for providing the ICBL entry and for their continued and crucial assistance in the release, distribution and promotion of the annual Landmine Monitor reports and fact sheets.
We would like to thank the United Nations agencies, regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and non-governmental organizations that submitted the reports on their activities that are included in the Appendices to this report. These contributing entities do not necessarily endorse the rest of the Landmine Monitor Report 2003 and they are in no way responsible for other material contained in this report. Likewise, Landmine Monitor does not necessarily approve, nor does it take responsibility for the accuracy of, material included in the appendices.
Responsibility for the coordination of Landmine Monitor’s reporting network lies with the five founding Core Group organizations and additional organizations and individuals:
The regional research coordinators undertook initial country report edits for Landmine Monitor Report 2003 from April to July 2003, while the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch provided the final editing from May to July 2003. The final editing team consisted of Stephen Goose (chief editor), Mark Hiznay, Mary Wareham, Stuart Maslen (consultant), and Jody Williams (ICBL Ambassador and member of the Advisory Committee of the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch).
Mary Wareham served as the overall coordinator for the production of the report. Various members of the Human Rights Watch staff provided editorial assistance and review. Arms Division associate Briana Wilson and HRW interns Jed Borod, Justin Koplow, Stephen LeCompte, and Christine-Anne Roy provided additional research and editorial assistance, and proof-read, formatted and provided production assistance. Human Rights Watch was responsible for the printing of Landmine Monitor Report 2003, while ICBL Webmaster Kjell Knudsen provided the online version of the report at www.icbl.org/lm/2003 Rafael Jiménez and Glenn Ruga provided design, while Jasmine Desclaux-Salachas and Michael S. Miller provided maps for the report and its executive summary.
We are grateful for the hospitality extended by the hosts of the meetings that were necessary to facilitate research and production of this report:
Last, but never least, we thank the donors to the Landmine Monitor initiative and this fifth report. Landmine Monitor's donors are in no way responsible for, and do not necessarily endorse, the material contained in this report. It was only possible to carry out this work with the aid of grants from:
We also thank the donors who have contributed to the individual members of the Landmine Monitor Core Group and other participating organizations.