Argentina

Landmine and UXO Problem

The Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom both acknowledge that the Malvinas/Falkland Islands are contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).^[1] Argentina contests the UK’s claim to the Malvinas, regarding the UK’s de facto jurisdiction and control as an illegal occupation.^[2] Argentina reports that it is mine-affected by virtue of its claim to sovereignty over the Malvinas.^[3] Upon ratification of the Convention, Argentina lodged a declaration reaffirming “its rights of sovereignty over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich and the surrounding maritime areas which form an integral part of the territory.”^[4]

Despite its assertion that the UK is in illegal occupation of the Malvinas/Falklands, Argentina signed with the UK on 11 October 2001 “an agreement by Exchange of Notes under the sovereignty formula…whereby they undertook to carry out a Feasibility Study on the clearance of landmines in the Falkland Islands.”^[5] The Argentine/UK bilateral approach continued with the creation of a Joint Working Party in 2001, a second Exchange of Notes in August 2006, and joint monitoring of a field survey by Cranfield University in December 2006. Argentina contributed 90 percent of the costs of the field survey. The Joint Working Group expected to produce a final report of the feasibility study before the end of 2007.^[6]

Argentina has not declared the existence of known or suspected mined areas elsewhere, although the Chilean border with Argentina is known to be contaminated on the Chilean side.^[7]

Mine Action

Argentina has a Humanitarian Demining Office under the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces. This office is in charge of dealing with relevant international treaties, including the Mine Ban Treaty, and CCW Amended Protocol II and Protocol V. In addition, Argentina has a Humanitarian Demining Center (Centro de Entrenamiento en Desminado Humanitario, CEDH) whose mission is to deliver training to national and international armed forces personnel.^[8] In spring 2006 the US Department of State delivered training on the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) and installed the system.^[9]

Summary of Efforts to Comply with Article 5

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Argentina must destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but no later than 1 March 2010.

In its Article 7 transparency reports and CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 reports, Argentina has asserted that the “illegal occupation” of the Malvinas/Falklands has “effectively prevented [it] from having access to the anti-personnel mines (…) in order to fulfill the obligations undertaken in the Mine Ban Treaty.”^[10] If it were agreed that Argentina has “jurisdiction or control” over the islands, Argentina would be required to clear all antipersonnel mines in mined areas on the islands by 1 March 2010.