The number of reported new landmine and UXO casualties dropped in 2004; however, the number of landmine survivors continues to grow as new casualties are reported in every region of the world.[1] In 2004 and through August 2005, Landmine Monitor finds that there were new landmine and UXO casualties reported in 58 countries, eight less than reported in Landmine Monitor Report 2004. Landmine Monitor also registered mine/UXO casualties in eight areas not internationally recognized as independent states that it monitors because of their mine-affected status, one more than in Landmine Monitor Report 2004.[2] In calendar year 2004, new landmine/UXO casualties were recorded in 56 countries and seven areas. In early 2005, mine/UXO casualties were also reported in El Salvador, Zimbabwe and Taiwan.
Bold: Non-States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty
Italic: Areas not internationally recognized as independent states
Compared to last year’s Landmine Monitor Report, there are four new countries with reported casualties from mine-related incidents—Belarus, Djibouti, El Salvador and Venezuela—as well as Taiwan. There are 12 countries that have reported landmine/UXO casualties previously, but not since the end of 2003: Bolivia, Chile, Indonesia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, FYR Macedonia, Malawi, Namibia, Niger, Perú and Ukraine.
In 2004-2005, Landmine Monitor has also identified another 13 countries with no new landmine casualties, but with casualties caused exclusively by unexploded ordnance from previous conflicts, including: Bangladesh, Chile, Estonia, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Namibia, Panama, Perú, Poland, Tanzania and Ukraine.
Progress has been made since the Mine Ban Treaty entered into force. The number of reported new mine/UXO casualties has dropped significantly in some heavily affected countries. However, landmines continue to claim too many new casualties in too many countries. While acknowledging that it is not possible to know with absolute certainty, it is likely that there are between 15,000 and 20,000 new landmine/UXO casualties each year. Based on the information gathered for Landmine Monitor Report 2005, it is clear that:
In 2004-2005, mine/UXO casualties were still occurring in every region of the world: in 17 countries and one area in sub-Saharan Africa, in 14 countries and four areas in Europe and Central Asia, in 13 countries and one area in the Asia-Pacific region, in nine countries and two areas in the Middle East and North Africa, and in five countries in the Americas. Landmine Monitor found that 33 of the 58 countries and areas that suffered new mine casualties in 2004-2005 had not experienced any active armed conflict during the research period. In many cases, the conflict had ended a decade or more ago; for example, in Cambodia, Mozambique and Vietnam. For all of the countries added to the list in 2004-2005, the reason for inclusion was new casualties from previous conflicts, rather than the onset of a new conflict.
In 2004-2005, mine/UXO casualties also included nationals from 24 countries, plus Palestine, who were killed or injured while abroad engaged in military conflict, demining operations, peacekeeping, or other activities. The 24 countries were Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, France, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Mauritania, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe.
In 2004 and through August 2005, mine accidents during clearance operations or in training exercises caused casualties among deminers and soldiers in 26 countries (Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, DR Congo, Croatia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Serbia and Montenegro, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Vietnam and Yemen) and four areas (Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Somaliland and Taiwan).
Comprehensive data on landmine/UXO casualties continues to be difficult to obtain, particularly in countries experiencing ongoing conflict, or with minefields in remote areas, or with limited resources to monitor public health services. The sources used to identify new casualties include databases, government records, hospital records, media reports, surveys, assessments and interviews.
Landmine Monitor identified over 6,521 new landmine/UXO casualties in calendar year 2004, including at least 1,262 children (19 percent) and 239 women (four percent). [3] Twenty-five percent of the reported casualties were identified as military personnel. [4] A Survey Action Center analysis of Landmine Impact Surveys in 13 countries since 2000 indicates that 96 percent of all “recent” casualties were civilian, 24 percent were children under 15 years-of-age and 12 percent were female.[5]
It is important to remember, however, that the 6,521 figure represents only the reported casualties and does not take into account the many casualties that are believed to go unreported. In many countries, civilians are killed or injured in remote areas away from any form of assistance or means of communication, and in some countries, casualties are not reported for military or political reasons.
Governments are now placing greater emphasis on the importance of accurate and up-to-date data on mine casualties and mine survivors in order to better understand the needs of survivors and to ensure that limited resources are used most effectively where the needs are greatest. In an increasing but still limited number of mine-affected countries, mine incident and casualty data is collected and stored using the Information Management System for Mine Action or other comparable databases. Of the 58 countries and eight areas reporting new mine casualties in 2004-2005, 33 countries and six areas report using IMSMA, or other comparable databases to record casualty data. Of those, only 20 countries and three areas were able to provide Landmine Monitor with full year data or data collected in all mine-affected regions. Even in countries with a functioning data collection system, it is likely that not all mine casualties are reported. IMSMA has the capacity to record mine casualty data; however, a lack of human and financial resources reportedly sometimes prevents this system from being used effectively. The principal collectors of mine casualty data are mine action centers, the ICRC, national Red Crescent and Red Cross societies, UNICEF, and some NGOs. Landmine Impact Surveys are also a good source of information on “recent” casualties and survivors. However, the reality continues to be that in many mine-affected countries data collection is incomplete, and in some cases seriously lacking. In many countries, there is a strong likelihood of significant underreporting and also of inaccurate or duplicated data.
The number of reported new casualties declined in 2004 from 2003 in many mine-affected countries, in some cases significantly, such as in Angola, Lebanon and Sri Lanka. In some cases, significant decreases in reported new casualties would appear to be the result of a decrease in capacity to undertake comprehensive data collection, such as in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Uganda. In other cases, conflicts, as in Burma, DR Congo and Iraq, and instability and insecurity, as in Sudan, impede data collection and information sharing.
Where an increase in casualties in 2004 was reported this appears to be largely the result of improved data collection, as in Armenia, Burundi, Chad, Guinea-Bissau and Jordan, as well as in Somaliland. In Colombia, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia and Turkey, improved data collection as well as increased tensions and expanded conflict appear to have contributed to significantly higher numbers of reported mine casualties in 2004. Others factors such as population movements, increased agricultural activities, and a growing trade in scrap metal have contributed to increases in reported casualties in countries such as Cambodia and Laos, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh.
Following are some of the findings for calendar year 2004 from countries and areas with mine casualty databases. They are listed in order from those with the most recorded casualties to the least, and indicate the change from 2003.
In other mine-affected countries, only limited data on landmine/UXO casualties is collected from government ministries and agencies, international agencies and NGOs, hospitals, media reports, surveys, and country campaigns of the ICBL. In some cases, available data is well below the estimates of the number of people killed or injured by landmines each year.
In 2005, landmine/UXO casualties continue to be reported in every region of the world, including:
The number of new casualties is only a small indicator of the landmine problem. More important is the number of mine survivors that need and have a right to assistance. While the number of reported new landmine casualties is dropping in many mine-affected countries the number of landmine survivors continues to increase.
The exact number of mine survivors globally is unknown. Through Landmine Impact Surveys and increased data collection more information is becoming available. Landmine Monitor has identified more than 247,750 mine survivors recorded in 97 countries[6] and eight areas. While some incidents date back to the end of the Second World War, the vast majority of survivors were injured from the mid-1970s onwards. This figure does not include estimates of up to 100,000 or more mine survivors in Afghanistan, or of foreign soldiers injured during the Vietnam War in the 1970s, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, or the first Gulf War in 1990. It is unknown how many of these recorded survivors are still living. Given the high number of casualties that likely have never been recorded, it is reasonable to assume that there are somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 mine survivors in the world today.
Many countries with no new reported landmine casualties nevertheless have landmine survivors that continue to require assistance. In addition to the 58 countries where mine/UXO incidents were reported in 2004-2005, Landmine Monitor has identified another 63 countries with mine/UXO survivors including 17 non-affected countries with nationals injured abroad in mine incidents and accidents, and two with known survivors but no available statistics.[7] Almost two-thirds of the countries in the world–121 countries–are affected to some extent by the landmine/UXO problem and the issue of survivors.
Mine Ban Treaty States Parties have agreed to promote a comprehensive integrated approach to victim assistance that rests on a three-tiered definition of a landmine victim. This means that a “mine victim” includes directly affected individuals, their families, and mine-affected communities. Consequently, victim assistance is viewed as a wide range of activities that benefit individuals, families and communities.[8] Throughout Landmine Monitor Report 2005 the term “survivor assistance” is used in the country reports to describe activities aimed at the individuals directly affected by a landmine incident. The use of the term “survivor” is intended to emphasize this distinction.
Furthermore, States Parties have recognized that mine survivors are part of a larger community of persons with injuries and disabilities, and that victim assistance efforts should not exclude persons injured or disabled by other causes. The Final Report of the First Review Conference noted that “the impetus provided by the Convention to assist mine victims has provided an opportunity to enhance the well-being of not only landmine victims but also all other persons with war-related injuries and persons with disabilities.”[9] Landmine Monitor provides information on facilities available to persons with disabilities regardless of the cause of disability and where possible identifies the number of mine survivors accessing these services.
Knowledge of the problems faced by mine survivors and the facilities and programs available to assist them is increasing. Many landmine survivors do not have access to some of the most basic needs: food security, access to water, adequate housing, roads, a way to earn an income, healthcare, and access to the lifelong rehabilitation services that many need. Mine survivors and other persons with disabilities are among the most impoverished groups in every society.
The needs of landmine survivors are long-term, in many instances lasting a lifetime. Often having a disability means not being fully included in society, and traditionally assistance was addressed in a medical or charitable way, providing segregated services for people with disabilities. This approach did not involve a focus on the rights and capacities of people with disabilities to contribute as active members of society. As a consequence, people with disabilities organized themselves in Disabled People’s Organizations to promote a rights-based and social approach to disability, with the aim to change society so that it is inclusive. “Nothing about us without us” is the catch-cry of this movement and is the guiding principle for the debate on disability. The most common approach to the disability issue is the twin-track approach, based on mainstreaming disability issues into all levels of society and development, while not losing sight of certain special needs of people with disabilities.
States Parties have also recognized that assistance to mine survivors must be considered in the broader context of development and underdevelopment. They have agreed that mine victim assistance should be integrated into poverty reduction strategies and long-term development plans to ensure sustainability and to avoid unnecessary segregation of survivors.[10]
The Mine Ban Treaty requires, in Article 6, Paragraph 3, that “Each State in a position to do so shall provide assistance for the care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration, of mine victims....” Many mine survivors are benefiting from the increased attention given to the issue of victim assistance by States Parties and others. Nevertheless, many mine survivors are still not able to access the facilities needed for their complete rehabilitation and reintegration, and many local and international NGOs report that a lack of funding, especially long-term funding, is limiting their operations and sustainability of programs. There is a greater understanding about the extent of the problem, and that existing programs are far from meeting the needs. It would appear that additional outside assistance continues to be needed in providing for the care and rehabilitation of mine survivors.
The Final Report of the First Review Conference reiterated the six key components of landmine victim assistance: data collection; emergency and continuing medical care; physical rehabilitation and prosthetics; psychological support and social reintegration; economic reintegration; and disability laws and public policies.[11]
A detailed analysis of efforts and capacities of mine-affected States to address the needs of landmine survivors, and persons with disabilities in general, is beyond the scope of the research undertaken for Landmine Monitor. Based on a purely quantitative analysis of the information available in the Landmine Monitor Report 2005, it would appear that most countries have facilities to address some of the needs of landmine survivors.
However, Landmine Monitor has found that in at least 51 of the 58 countries with new mine casualties in 2004-2005, and in six areas, one or more aspects of survivor assistance are reportedly inadequate to meet the needs of mine survivors and other persons with disabilities. Even when services exist, they are often long distances from mine-affected areas, making them inaccessible to many survivors, are too expensive for survivors to afford, or are bureaucratically off-limits to one group or another. Assistance in the area that has been identified as the top priority for many mine survivors–economic reintegration–continues to be lacking in the majority of countries.
Research collected by Landmine Monitor in 2004-2005 identifies the same key problems noted in previous years:
At the First Review Conference, States Parties acknowledged “the value and necessity of accurate and up-to-date data on the number of new landmine casualties, the total number of survivors and their specific needs, and the extent/lack of and quality of services that exist to address their needs....”[12] In mine-affected country reports in Landmine Monitor Report 2005, information is provided on the facilities that have been identified as assisting landmine survivors and other persons with disabilities. Many facilities have been asked to report on how many people were assisted in the previous year, and how many were landmine survivors. Landmine Monitor was not always able to get this information and some facilities do not keep records on the cause of injury, as all persons with disabilities are treated equally. Some facilities reported not having the capacity to record any form of data. However, considerable information about landmine casualties is available. The problem is that it is not collected in a systematic or centralized way so that the data can be verified, aggregated and effectively analyzed. Nevertheless, while acknowledging that the data is far from complete, it does give an indication of where additional attention may be needed in landmine survivor assistance.
The information on survivor assistance activities in Landmine Monitor Report 2005 is not exhaustive, and it is likely that information on the activities of some local and international NGOs providing services and activities undertaken by governmental agencies is not included. Landmine Monitor would welcome more input from governmental and nongovernmental agencies and organizations on their survivor assistance activities for future editions of this report. Nevertheless, through the research undertaken, Landmine Monitor has attempted to provide an indication of the progress and problems faced in addressing the needs of mine survivors. Following are examples of some of the key findings and developments in 2004 and early 2005.
Emergency and continuing medical care includes first aid and management of injuries in the immediate aftermath of a landmine explosion, surgery, pain management, acute hospital care, and the ongoing medical care needed for the physical recovery of the mine survivor. In 2004, Landmine Monitor identified more than 2,266 landmine/UXO casualties in hospital records, including 66 casualties in Africa, 321 in Americas, 1,236 in Asia-Pacific, 348 in Europe and Central Asia, and 295 in Middle East and North Africa. Landmine Monitor also identified more than 1,296 doctors, surgeons, nurses, first aid providers and community health workers received training: 103 local healthcare providers in Africa, 470 in Americas, 613 in Asia-Pacific, 75 in Europe and Central Asia, and 35 in Middle East and North Africa.
Physical rehabilitation includes the provision of services for rehabilitation, physiotherapy and the supply of prosthetics/orthotics and assistive devices, such as wheelchairs and crutches, to promote the physical well-being of mine survivors with limb loss, abdominal, chest and spinal injuries, loss of eyesight, or deafness.
In 2004, Landmine Monitor identified more than 140,128 people with disabilities receiving physical rehabilitation services, including at least 6,978 landmine/UXO survivors: 27,206 people (703 survivors) in Africa; 8,990 (380 survivors) in Americas; 72,369 (4,791 survivors) in Asia-Pacific; 22,772 (846 survivors) in Europe and Central Asia; and 8,791 (258 survivors) in Middle East and North Africa. Landmine Monitor also identified more than 489 rehabilitation specialists, including prosthetic/orthotic technicians, physical therapists, doctors and nurses who received training in 2004: 157 rehabilitation specialists in Africa; 16 in Americas; 124 in Asia-Pacific; 192 in Europe and Central Asia; none were identified in Middle East and North Africa. This does not include rehabilitation specialists who receive regular on-the-job training.
Psychological support and social reintegration includes activities that assist mine survivors, and the families of those killed or injured, to overcome the psychological trauma of a landmine explosion and promote their social well-being. These activities include community-based peer support groups, associations for the disabled, sporting and related activities, and professional counseling.
Landmine Monitor identified at least 14,214 people with disabilities that benefited from psychosocial support and social reintegration activities, including at least 5,926 survivors: 3,560 people (492 mine/UXO survivors) in Africa; 569 (503 survivors) in Americas; 4,233 (956 survivors) in Asia-Pacific; 1,630 (968 survivors) in Europe and Central Asia; and 4,222 (3,007 survivors) in Middle East and North Africa.
Economic reintegration is generally understood as being assistance programs “that improve the economic status of mine victims...through education, economic development of the community infrastructure and the creation of employment opportunities.”[13] The majority of mine survivors, and other persons with disabilities, are among the poorest in mine-affected countries and the lack of access to employment opportunities is a common concern. As noted by the World Rehabilitation Fund and UNDP, for many mine survivors their most important issue is “not the medical rehabilitation services, but assistance in helping them to resume their roles as productive community members and contributors to their families’ well being.”[14]
Landmine Monitor identified 29,929 disabled people assisted with vocational training and/or other income generation activities in 2004, including at least 7,190 mine/UXO survivors: 10,156 people in Africa (at least 1,017 survivors); 506 in Americas (at least 140 survivors); 16,406 in Asia-Pacific (at least 5,569 survivors); 1,163 in Europe and Central Asia (at least 232 survivors); and 1,698 in Middle East and North Africa (at least 232 mine survivors).
States Parties have recognized the need for legislation and actions “that promote effective treatment, care and protection of all disabled citizens.”[15] Landmine survivor assistance, as with assistance for all persons with disabilities, is more than just a medical and rehabilitation issue; it is also a human rights issue. Landmine Monitor has identified over 50 mine-affected countries or areas with legislation or measures explicitly protecting the rights of people with disabilities; in other countries people with disabilities are protected by common law. However, in many instances these laws are not fully implemented or enforced.
States Parties have recognized the need to develop plans of action to address the needs and rights of mine survivors and other persons with disabilities, and to integrate planning into broader development or poverty reduction strategies.[16]
Research undertaken by Landmine Monitor indicates that while progress is being made, there is still much work to be done. Most mine-affected countries continue to experience similar problems as in previous years, though to varying degrees, and several key challenges remain that need to be addressed to ensure that the growing number of mine survivors receive adequate and appropriate assistance.[17] These include:
The Mine Ban Treaty is the first multilateral disarmament treaty in history to call for assistance to the victims of the banned weapon. The First Review Conference in November-December 2004 provided an opportunity to further raise awareness on the rights and needs of mine survivors and other persons with disabilities, and to encourage States Parties to allocate sufficient efforts and resources to facilitate the full rehabilitation, reintegration and participation of mine survivors and other people with disabilities. While progress has been made in assistance to landmine survivors, States Parties identified a number of key challenges to be addressed in the period 2005-2009 to fulfill the promise to mine survivors that the treaty implied.
The States Parties at the First Review Conference acknowledged that all States have a responsibility to assist mine survivors. However, 24 States Parties were identified as having significant numbers of mine survivors, and the “the greatest responsibility to act, but also the greatest needs and expectations for assistance” in providing adequate services for the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of survivors. The 24 which will be “a more focused challenge” for States Parties in the period 2005-2009 include Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Perú, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uganda and Yemen.[18] In 2004-2005, 23 of the 24 states reported new mine casualties,[19] accounting for 57 percent (3,729 of 6,521) of casualties recorded by Landmine Monitor in 2004, and 39 percent of identified mine/UXO survivors in 97 countries.
With respect to victim assistance, the Nairobi Action Plan for the period 2005-2009 aims to “enhance the care, rehabilitation and reintegration efforts” through actions for both mine-affected and non-affected States Parties:[20]
The Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration (SC-VA) has been an integral mechanism in advancing understanding and identifying needs in relation to mine victim assistance among the States Parties. Mine survivors, the ICBL, ICRC and numerous NGOs have worked closely with States Parties to advance the important work of the SC-VA. In 2005, the SC-VA has increased it efforts in order to ensure the successful implementation of the Nairobi Action Plan over the next five years.
Since December 2004, Nicaragua and Norway have served as co-chairs of the SC-VA and Afghanistan and Switzerland have served as co-rapporteurs (they are expected to become co-chairs in December 2005).
In early 2005, the co-chairs developed a questionnaire, with assistance from the Implementation Support Unit, and in consultation with key stakeholders including the ICBL, to assist the 24 most affected States Parties in developing a plan of action in relation to mine victim assistance. The questionnaire called for responses to four key questions: what is the situation in 2005 in each of the six main thematic areas of victim assistance; what does the state wish the situation to be (objectives) in each of the six thematic areas by 2009; what are the plans to achieve these objectives in each of the six thematic areas by 2009; and what means are available or required to implement these plans. The co-chairs sent the questionnaire to the 24 States Parties in March 2005 with the aim of these States Parties producing objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART).[21] Two regional workshops were organized by the co-chairs in the Americas (Managua, Nicaragua, 26-27 April 2005) and in Africa (Nairobi, Kenya, 31 May-2 June 2005) to allow the relevant states to share experiences and develop their answers to the questionnaire. The workshop in the Americas was attended by Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Perú, and in Africa by Angola, Burundi, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Senegal, Sudan and Uganda.
At the intersessional meeting of the SC-VA in June 2005, 18 of the 24 States Parties receiving focused attention provided updates on their plans, progress and priorities for mine victim assistance, and their problems in meeting the needs: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Croatia, El Salvador, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Perú, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uganda and Yemen. One state not party to the Mine Ban Treaty, Lebanon, also shared its experiences. Three States Parties reported on their policies and initiatives to support mine-affected states in providing funding and other assistance to mine victims in 2005: Australia, Canada and Japan.[22]
As of 26 September 2005, 16 of the 24 States Parties had provided some information on their victim assistance objectives for 2005-2009. The co-chairs have continued to provide follow-up and the necessary assistance in the development of SMART objectives with the 24 States Parties, with the intention of producing a compilation of objectives for the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb in November-December 2005.[23] The next phase in the process will be turning objectives into concrete plans of action that will ensure that mine survivors and other persons with disabilities receive adequate and appropriate care.
The ICBL’s Working Group on Victim Assistance (WGVA) continued to participate actively in the 2005 SC-VA meetings. The co-chairs (Handicap International and Ugandan landmine survivor Margaret Arach Orech), the Landmine Monitor thematic research coordinator on victim assistance, Landmine Survivors Network, and mine survivors from Cambodia and Sri Lanka worked together to keep members and States Parties informed on aspects of progress and problems in the implementation of Article 6.3. In June 2005, the WGVA and its member NGOs presented three documents aimed at increasing the level of knowledge on survivor assistance: “101 Great Ideas for the Socio-Economic Reintegration of Mine Survivors” (with support from Australia, Canada and Norway); “National Frameworks Relating to Persons with Disabilities in Heavily Mine-Affected Countries;” and “Landmine Victim Assistance in 2004: Overview of the Situation in 24 States Parties” (supported by Australia).
As of 31 August 2005, a total of 35 States Parties had submitted the voluntary Form J with their 2005 Article 7 reports to report on victim assistance activities or mine action funding more generally: 20 mine-affected States Parties (Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mozambique, Perú, Serbia and Montenegro, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Zimbabwe); and 15 non-affected States Parties (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, and Sweden). In addition, one mine-affected States Party (Yemen) provided victim assistance information in Form I of its Article 7 report. Sri Lanka submitted a voluntary Article 7 report with Form J to report on its disability policy and other issues.[24]
On 28 November 2004, a Survivors Summit, organized by Landmine Survivors Network, was convened in Nairobi bringing together 45 survivors from 30 countries and key government representatives to discuss survivors’ needs and submit a declaration to the States Parties meeting for the First Review Conference. The survivors also participated in the marathon Running for a Mine-Free World, on bicycles (a mine survivor won the bicycle race), on foot, or in wheelchairs. The Survivors Summit Declaration was presented to the president of the conference. The Declaration acknowledged the work that has been done but called on all governments to do more to ensure the rights and needs of mine survivors and other persons with disabilities are met, and that survivors are included in decision-making processes.[25]
From 29 March to 2 April 2005, mine survivors from Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan met in Kampala, Uganda, for the first Landmine Survivors Exchange program, in cooperation with the Interfaith Action for Peace in Africa Initiative. A second survivor meeting was held in Uganda from 29-31 August 2005 for landmine survivors from Uganda, Eritrea, Sudan and Rwanda supported by Austria.
On 9-10 May 2005, Landmine Survivors Network organized the Approaches to Recovery and Reintegration of Survivors of War-Related Injuries conference. Survivors from 37 countries gathered in Washington DC to discuss recovery and resilience after injury from landmines or UXO. Participants exchanged stories on how peer support, the use of sports in rehabilitation, and economic opportunities for people with disabilities can affect an individual’s overall recovery.
Negotiations continue on the draft text of the Comprehensive and Integral Convention on Protection and Promotion of Human Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. The Working Group tasked with developing the draft text is comprised of 27 governmental representatives and 12 NGO representatives, particularly organizations of, and for, persons with disabilities. The Working Group prepared a draft text, which was discussed at the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee in 2004 and 2005. The Sixth Session was held from 1 to 12 August 2005 and the Seventh is scheduled for January 2006. Negotiations are expected to be concluded by the end of 2006. The proposed Convention has had a significant impact on putting disability rights on government agendas.[26]
On 16-17 March 2005, a conference was convened in Amman, Jordan, entitled The Arab Parliamentary Symposium on Legislating Issues in the Arab World. Members of Parliament and ministries dealing with the issue of disability in 12 Middle Eastern countries, together with disability experts and EU and NGO representatives, discussed implementation of the proposed Disability Convention, the need to enact and review legislation on disability, and the need to support coordination and cooperation between governments and disability organizations in order to activate the Arab Decade for Persons with Disabilities.
[1] For the purposes of Landmine Monitor research, casualties include the individual killed or injured as a result of an incident involving antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines, improvised explosive devices, dud cluster munitions, and other unexploded ordnance. When it was clear that a device was command-denoted these incidents were excluded. From the information available in many countries it is not always possible to determine with certainty the type of weapon that caused the incident. Where this level of detail is available, information is included in the country report. If only incidents caused by UXO are identified in a particular country, then that country is not included in the table.
[2] These include Abkhazia, Chechnya, Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh, Palestine, Somaliland, Taiwan and Western Sahara.
[3] In comparison, 8,270 new mine/UXO casualties were identified in 2003. However, the number of reported new casualties should be viewed as a minimum, as some heavily mine-affected countries were not able to provide statistics for the full year or for the whole country, for example, Iraq, where 261 casualties were recorded compared to 2,189 last year. Some reports refer to several people killed or injured without giving a specific figure; these reports and any with estimates are not included in the total. Furthermore, the figures for mine casualties involving women and children should also be viewed as a minimum; the gender and age of casualties is often not identified in reports.
[4] This is a significant increase from less than 14 percent military casualties reported last year. Landmine Monitor does not believe this is indicative of a change, overall, in the impact of the landmine problem on civilians, but rather is reflective of the information that is available. In mine-affected countries where the media is the main source of information, it is predominantly military casualties which the media report. In Colombia, for example, where a data collection mechanism has been established and the country is experiencing armed conflict, 71 percent of 863 recorded casualties in 2004 were military personnel (63 percent in 2003, 49 percent in 2002). Reported mine/UXO casualties in Colombia account for 13 percent of casualties recorded by Landmine Monitor in 2004. Therefore, the high percentage of military casualties in Colombia impacts on the overall global percentage of military to civilian casualties. In contrast, in Cambodia, a country at peace, only one percent of 898 casualties were military.
[5] Email to Landmine Monitor (HI) from Mike Kendellen, Director for Survey, Survey Action Center, 7 September 2005. LIS results from Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Mozambique, Somalia, Thailand and Yemen. “Recent” casualties refer to casualties in the 24 months prior to the date of survey.
[6] In addition to the mine-affected countries, mine and UXO survivors have been identified in: Bolivia, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Estonia, Hungary, Kenya, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Nigeria, Panama, Republic of Congo, Suriname, Tanzania and Timor Leste.
[7] Mine survivors from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Italy, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States, have not been included in the total of 247,750 mine survivors identified in 97 countries.
[8] United Nations, Final Report, First Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, Nairobi, 29 November-3 December 2004, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 27.
[9] Final Report of the First Review Conference, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 27.
[10] Final Report of the First Review Conference, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 28.
[11] Final Report of the First Review Conference, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 28.
[12] Final Report of the First Review Conference, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 29.
[13] Jack Victor, Steven Estey and Heather Burns Knierim, “Guidelines for the Socio-economic Reintegration of Landmine Survivors,” World Rehabilitation Fund and United Nations Development Programme, August 2003, p. 1.
[14] Jack Victor, Steven Estey and Heather Burns Knierim, “Guidelines for the Socio-economic Reintegration of Landmine Survivors,” World Rehabilitation Fund and United Nations Development Programme, August 2003, p. 1.
[15] Final Report of the First Review Conference, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, pp. 31-32.
[16] Final Report of the First Review Conference, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 32.
[17] For more information see Handicap International, “Lessons Learned Workshop: A Review of Assistance Programs for War Wounded and other Persons Living in Mine-Affected Countries,” Paris, 25-28 May 2004, www.handicap-international.org; see also Handicap International, “Landmine Victim Assistance in South East Europe,” Brussels, September 2003, www.handicapinternational.be/downloads/ITFVAStudyfinalreport.pdf
[18] “Final Report of the First Review Conference, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 33. Ethiopia was added to the list of focus countries after ratifying the Mine Ban Treaty in December 2004.
[19] Perú did not report any new mine casualties in 2004 through June 2005.
[20] For more details see Final Report of the First Review Conference, APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, pp. 99-101.
[21] “Efforts to assure that the 24 States Parties to the Convention which have reported significant numbers of landmine survivors develop 2009 victim assistance objectives in time for the 2005 Sixth Meeting of the States Parties: Update to interested stakeholders, 26 September 2005,” sent in email to Landmine Monitor (HI) from Kerry Brinkert, Manager, Implementation Support Unit, 26 September 2005.
[22] More information on the SC-VA, including texts of presentations, is available at www.gichd.ch.
[23] “Efforts to assure that the 24 States Parties to the Convention which have reported significant numbers of landmine survivors develop 2009 victim assistance objectives in time for the 2005 Sixth Meeting of the States Parties: Update to interested stakeholders, 26 September 2005,” sent in email to Landmine Monitor (HI) from Kerry Brinkert, Manager, Implementation Support Unit, 26 September 2005.
[24] Eight other States Parties submitted Form J to report on other issues: Belarus, Cyprus, DR Congo, Denmark, Estonia, Slovakia, Spain and Thailand. Poland also submitted a voluntary Article 7 Report including Form J which reported on its mine action activities.
[25] The full text of the declaration is available at www.icbl.org/news/survivor_summit_declaration.
[26] For more information see www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ ; see also www.rights.com for all.