Kazakhstan

Key developments since May 2005: An official told Landmine Monitor that Kazakhstan is preparing to destroy its stockpile of antipersonnel mines, most of which are expired.

Mine Ban Policy

The Republic of Kazakhstan has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. In October 2005, it reiterated its position that, “Kazakhstan fully supports the objectives and humanitarian nature of the Ottawa Convention and remains committed to principles of non-discriminatory, universal and global ban on anti-personnel landmines.... At the same time, as many other countries Kazakhstan believes that [the antipersonnel mine] issue involves not only humanitarian aspects, but also legitimate security requirements of Member-States. Kazakhstan is prepared to become a party to the Ottawa Convention [Mine Ban Treaty] when proper conditions are created.”^[1]On 8 December 2005, Kazakhstan abstained from voting on UN General Assembly Resolution 60/80, calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty; it has abstained from similar UNGA resolutions each year since 1997.

Kazakhstan sent a Geneva-based diplomat to observe the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005. It did not attend the meetings of the intersessional Standing Committees in Geneva in June 2005 or May 2006.

Kazakhstan is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons or its Amended Protocol II on landmines.

Production, Transfer, Stockpiling, and Use

Kazakhstan declared in October 2005, “Kazakhstan does not produce anti-personnel landmines and strictly observes the rules of their stockpiling. Furthermore the Government of Kazakhstan bans export and transit of landmines.”^[2]A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously stated that Kazakhstan has had an export moratorium, including a prohibition on transit, in effect since 1997.^[3]The moratorium is of unlimited duration.^[4]

In March 2006, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Landmine Monitor that, “Kazakhstan is preparing to destroy its stockpile of antipersonnel mines. Most of these antipersonnel landmines are expired. Certain activities are being carried out in this regard.”^[5]Previously, in April 2005, an official said that Kazakhstan was preparing to develop a two-year destruction program.^[6] In April 2004, the First Vice Minister estimated that it could cost US$3 million to destroy Kazakhstan’s antipersonnel mine stockpile.^[7]

The size of Kazakhstan’s antipersonnel mine stockpile is not known, but a 1998 media report estimated that the government had between 800,000 and one million antipersonnel mines[.]88 Adil Urmanov, “Blind Weapon,” Delovaiya Nedeliya, 12 June 1998, p. 8. Kazakhstan has stated that it “adheres to the established requirements with regard to stockpiling of antipersonnel mines, thus promoting safety.”^[9]

Government officials have at times acknowledged the use of landmines in border areas and at other times denied the existence of minefields in Kazakhstan.^[10]In December 2004, Kazakhstan stated that it “has no minefields subject to clearing,” but also said that antipersonnel mines “are in restricted use only as safety measures being installed years ago to promote security.”^[11]

Students at high schools and universities undergo military training, which includes information about landmines and how to identify them. For example, the Private Law College Adilet in Almaty has practice exam questions about the identification of antivehicle and antipersonnel landmines.^[12]

Funding and Assistance, Landmine/UXO Casualties

Since August 2003, Kazakhstan has deployed a 27-member demining platoon as part of coalition peacekeeping forces in Iraq. One press report notes that Kazakh forces have cleared over three million mines and explosive devices and that one engineer has been killed and several wounded during the deployment.^[13]According to another press report, on 9 January 2005 “a remote-controlled mine blast” killed a Kazakh deminer in Wasit province; eight Ukrainian military personnel were killed and seven were injured in the same incident.^[14]Other media reports state that one Kazakh deminer was killed in Iraq and several injured as of September 2005.^[15]

Kazakhstan has a law to protect the disabled, but the government has not enforced it, in part due to lack of funds.^[16]At least 11 international NGOs provide assistance to the disabled in Kazakhstan.^[17]

[1] Kazakhstan Explanation of Vote on UN General Assembly First Committee Draft Resolution L.56, undated but 28 October 2005, provided to Landmine Monitor by the Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, New York, 31 January 2006. Kazakhstan has said in the past that defense of its extensive borders might require use of landmines under certain circumstances, and that no alternatives are available. See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 769.
[2] Kazakhstan Explanation of Vote, 28 October 2005.
[3] Statement by Madina Jarbussynova, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 3 December 2004. The statement cites the “Regulations on Prohibition of Antipersonnel Mines Export,” issued 6 August 1997. See also, Letter from President Nursultan Nazarbayev to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, 5 July 2004, which mentions the ban on transit.
[4] Interview with Serik Zhumabayev, International Security Section, Department of International Organizations and International Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 19 February 2006; interview with Arman Baissuanov, Chief of International Security Section, Department of International Organizations and International Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 26 April 2005.
[5] Interview with Serik Zhumabayev, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 28 March 2006.
[6] Interview with Arman Baissuanov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 26 April 2005.
[7] Interview with Kairat Kuatuly Abuseitov, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 12 April 2004.[]

[9] Statement by Madina Jarbussynova, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 3 December 2004.
[10] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 770. Kazakhstan’s President stated in July 2004, “I would like to emphasize that there are no mined fields in Kazakhstan requiring their demining.” Letter from President Nursultan Nazarbayev to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, 5 July 2004. In April 2004, a Foreign Ministry official told Landmine Monitor that landmines in Kazakhstan “are supposed to be used in border passages.” He asserted that, “there is not humanitarian damage” because the border passages “are not residential and are not pastures. The military ensures that the population is not affected.” Interview with Arman Baissuanov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Astana, 12 April 2004.
[11] Statement by Madina Jarbussynova, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, First Review Conference, Nairobi, 3 December 2004.
[12] See Adilet College website, www.adilet.kz.
[13] “Kazakhstan finishes rotation of peace mission in Iraq,” Xinhua, 10 September 2005.
[14] “The commander of a Ukrainian battalion in Iraq and 9 other military was killed by a remote-controlled land-mine blast while performing their EOD duties,” UNIAN, 10 January 2005; CNN, “Forces: U.S. & Coalition/Casualties,” edition.cnn.com, accessed 16 May 2006.
[15] “Kazakhstan finishes rotation of peace mission in Iraq,” Xinhua, 10 September 2005.
[16] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Kazakhstan,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.
[17] Mobility International USA, www.miusa.org, accessed 1 May 2006.

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