Belarus

Mine Ban Policy

The Republic of Belarus acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 September 2003 and the treaty entered into force on 1 March 2004. Belarus has cited various articles of its criminal code as national implementation measures, as well as decrees specific to antipersonnel mines.^[1] Belarus has said that it did not produce or export antipersonnel mines after independence in 1992, and never used antipersonnel mines for protection of its borders or for other purposes.^[2]

Belarus submitted its fourth Article 7 transparency report on 30 April 2007, covering calendar year 2006.^[3]

Belarus attended the Seventh Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in September 2006, and the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in May 2006 and April 2007. At each of the meetings Belarus provided updates on stockpile destruction. Belarus has not engaged in the discussions that States Parties have had on matters of interpretation and implementation related to Articles 1, 2 and 3. Thus, Belarus has not made known its views on issues related to joint military operations with states not party to the treaty, foreign stockpiling and transit of antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes or antihandling devices, and the permissible number of mines retained for training.

Belarus is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its Amended Protocol II on landmines.^[4] It attended the Eighth Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in November 2006 and submitted the annual report required by Article 13 in August 2006. Belarus is not party to Protocol V on explosive remnants of war.

Representatives of the Belarus Campaign to Ban Landmines/Support Centre for Associations and Foundations (BCBL/SCAF) participated in the Belarus Landmine Destruction Trust Fund Project’s completion ceremony at the firing range near Borisov on 5 December 2006. In recognition of the role civil society played in the elimination of antipersonnel mines in Belarus, BCBL/SCAF was invited by the Ministry of Defense to push the button to destroy the last set of non-PFM-type antipersonnel mines (240 PMN-2 mines). This ceremony was widely publicized by local and international media.

Stockpiling and Destruction

Belarus declared a stockpile of 3,378,014 antipersonnel mines as of the end of 2006. This includes a total of 3,371,984 PFM-type mines that will be destroyed and 6,030 other antipersonnel mines that will be retained for training.^[5] The stockpile of PFM-type mines includes 1,790,064 PFM-1 blast mines in KSF-1 cassettes, 707,072 PFM-1S blast mines in KSF-1S cassettes, 413,712 PFM-1S blast mines in PFM-1S canisters and 461,136 PFM-1S blast mines in Uragan (Hurricane) 220mm rocket warheads.^[6]

Belarus’ original stockpile of antipersonnel mines inherited from the Soviet Union totaled approximately 4.5 million. Belarus destroyed approximately 300,000 antipersonnel mines between 1992 and 2003.^[7] In its first Article 7 report in June 2004, Belarus declared a total of 3,988,057 antipersonnel mines, including 3.37 million of the PFM-type.^[8] It subsequently declared a stockpile of 3,676,389 antipersonnel mines at the end of 2004, with the difference primarily being the reclassification of 200,847 OZM-72 mines and 110,766 MON mines as command-detonated munitions.^[9] Belarus declared a stockpile of 3,672,789 antipersonnel mines as of the end of 2005.^[10]

The deadline for Belarus to complete stockpile destruction is 1 March 2008. It appears unlikely that Belarus will be able to meet the deadline. From entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty in March 2004 until the end of 2006, Belarus destroyed 298,375 mines. Of this total, 294,775 mines were destroyed in 2006 (see below), and 3,600 mines in 2005.^[11]

Destruction of non-PFM Mines

On 14 November 2005 Belarus agreed with the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) and interested donor countries to implement a project to destroy all stockpiled antipersonnel mines other than PFM-type mines. This included hand-emplaced antipersonnel mines and non-PFM remotely delivered antipersonnel mines. On 8 February 2006, the Ministry of Defense signed a contract with NAMSA for the destruction of these mines. Canada was the primary financial contributor, donating over €225,000 ($282,668), including the funds required to purchase an emergency vehicle needed to ensure a safe worksite. Lithuania contributed $10,000. Belarus provided over €185,000 ($232,416) of in-kind support. NAMSA provided project management, technical oversight and auditing services.^[12]

The project was completed on 5 December 2006. A total of 294,775 antipersonnel mines were destroyed in this program: 45,425 PMN, 114,384 PMN-2, 12,799 POMZ-2, 64,843 POMZ-2M and 57,324 POM-2. A total of 217,133 mines were destroyed by open detonation: 216,893 at a Ministry of Defense range near Rechitsa and 240 at the firing range near Borisov. Additionally, 12,799 POMZ-2 and 64,843 POMZ-2M mines were disassembled at Belarusian industrial plants.^[13]

In 2006 Belarus also destroyed the victim-activated components of its 5,536 MON-type and 200,826 OZM-72 mines.^[14]

Destruction of PFM Mines

Since the publication of the Landmine Monitor Report 2006, a project funded by the European Commission (EC) to provide technical and financial resources to Belarus to destroy 3.37 million antipersonnel mines of the PFM-type underwent competitive tendering. However, the project was cancelled in December 2006 after an evaluation committee, with the participation of a representative from the government of Belarus, unanimously concluded that a technically compliant bidder could not be identified.^[15] The funds were therefore “decommitted” and the process to secure new EC funds and initiate a new project will need to begin all over again. The collapse of this project will likely result in Belarus not being able to fulfill its obligations under Article 4 of the Mine Ban Treaty to destroy all stockpiled antipersonnel mines by 1 March 2008.

In May 2006 one of the consortium partners, Stroyenergo, claimed that in cooperation with the National Academy of Sciences it had developed, produced and successfully tested on live ammunition a destruction method known as “Spider” to destroy PFM-type antipersonnel mines.^[16]

MON-type and OZM-72 Mines

Belarus declared in June 2004 its intention to keep in operational service 110,766 MON series (MON-50, MON-90, MON-100, MON-200) directional fragmentation munitions.^[17] Belarus also decided to convert 200,847 OZM-72 bounding fragmentation mines in its stockpile into omni-directional, command-detonated munitions.^[18] As of 3 April 2007 a total of 5,536 MON-type and 200,826 OZM-72 mines had been inspected and the victim-activated components (MUV-type tripwire fuzes) removed and destroyed.^[19]

Mines Retained for Research and Training

In April 2007 Belarus reported retaining 6,030 antipersonnel mines for research and training purposes.^[20] This number has remained constant since Belarus first declared in June 2004, indicating no mines are consumed (destroyed) in training activities.^[21] Belarus has said that it retains antipersonnel mines for training of mine detection dogs, testing of protective equipment and mine detectors, and the training of personnel.^[22] Belarus has not used the new reporting format for retained mines agreed by States Parties in 2005, and has not reported in detail on the intended purposes and actual uses of its retained mines as agreed by States Parties in 2004.

Landmine/ERW Problem

Belarus is primarily contaminated by explosive remnants of war (ERW), mainly unexploded ordnance (UXO) from World War II, World War I and even from the Napoleonic Wars. Occasionally, abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO) is found, though this was not the case in 2006 or the first quarter of 2007.^[23]

Government officials have claimed that huge areas―an estimated 353,405 square kilometers―still require clearance,^[24] as an unknown number of antipersonnel and antivehicle mines (of German and Soviet manufacture) and other ordnance from World War II battlefields remain, mainly in Brest, Minsk, Mogilev and Vitebsk regions.^[25] Belarus has not declared known or suspected mined areas in any of its Article 7 transparency reports.^[26]

The majority of affected areas are agricultural land and forests. In an estimated 85 percent of cases, mines/ERW are discovered during agricultural activities in the spring and autumn, as low temperatures and soil pressure bring wartime mines and ERW to the surface, even in areas where clearance operations have been previously undertaken.^[27] The following examples illustrate the mine and ERW problem in Belarus. On 2 August 2006 an artillery shell was discovered during reconstruction around a kindergarten in the town of Novomishki in Baranovichi district, Brest region; 59 children and 16 adults were in the building at the time.^[28] On 6 April 2007, 15 152mm artillery shells were found during farming in the village of Zavod, Zhlobin district, Gomel region. According to Ruslan Gabrilev, Press Secretary of the Gomel Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, “during the spring and autumn agricultural works World War II mines, grenades and artillery shells are found in the Gomel Region every day.”^[29]

Mine Action

Belarus does not have a national mine action authority or mine action center. Mine action is managed by the Ministry of Defense as per Order No. 73 (of 20 February 1997), divides the territory of Belarus into different zones, assigns explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams to each of the zones and determines how many EOD teams there should be, and how many personnel each team should have.^[30] Another Order, No. 120 (28 March 1995), focuses on technical issues and appropriate demining methods. Both orders were being updated as of April 2007.^[31]

There is no national strategic plan for demining operations in Belarus. Tasks are decided by the Council of Ministers on the basis of proposals from the Ministry of Defense. Priority is accorded to heavily populated areas and other areas to be used for agriculture or industry.^[32]

Demining standards, set by the Ministry of Defense, cover technical assessment of the risks posed by explosive ordnance and the decision on how and where disposal should take place (in situ or elsewhere) which is coordinated with local authorities.^[33]

Demining

Demining and EOD is conducted by Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior personnel. The Ministry of Defense conducts planned clearance operations whereas the Ministry of Interior responds to emergency requests for EOD in cities, towns and villages and is also responsible for the detection and clearance of unexploded air-dropped bombs.^[34] Demining specialists are trained by military units of the armed forces and the Ministry of Interior’s Demining Center.^[35] Suspected hazardous areas are not routinely marked or fenced until the presence of mines or ERW is confirmed.^[36]

For clearance, manual methods are used as well as machines. In 2006 the Ministry of Interior purchased from Poland the Ljublin-2 vehicle equipped with an explosive devices research laboratory.^[37] In 2005 the Ministry of Interior bought a MRK-27 robot that is used for EOD tasks. The Ministry of Defense has machines designed for military breaching of minefields that it no longer uses.^[38]

Clearance data is stored only in writing at the Ministry of Defense in a special register. Belarus does not use the Information Management System for Mine Action database.^[39]

In 2006 the Ministry of Defense received 643 calls and destroyed 6,917 explosive devices, including one antipersonnel mine and 14 antivehicle mines.^[40] The Ministry of Interior received 2,770 calls and destroyed 14,319 items of UXO, including 218 antivehicle mines.^[41] No abandoned explosive ordnance was encountered in 2006-2007.^[42]

As in previous years, Landmine Monitor was unable to obtain data on the amount of land cleared as this is not recorded.

No plans were made for clearance operations in 2007 as the government claims there is no funding available for planned, large-scale clearance.^[44]

Summary of Efforts to Comply with Article 5

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Belarus must destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but no later than 1 March 2014. Belarus has stated on many occasions that it has no known or suspected mined areas. According to the Ministry of Defense, no mined areas were cleared in 2005, 2006 or early 2007.^[45] Based on information available, Landmine Monitor does not consider Belarus mine-affected in the sense of Article 5 of the treaty.

Authorities have also told Landmine Monitor on several occasions that it is “an impossible goal” to clear all mines and ERW in Belarus within a 10-year period.^[46]

Mine Risk Education

In 2006, the Ministry of Defense continued the mine risk education (MRE) campaign started in 2004 in cooperation with local authorities and EOD teams in affected areas of Belarus, primarily in locations where clearance operations were to commence. Some 1,000 MRE meetings were conducted in 2006. Public information was disseminated through films, television and radio advertising and printed materials.^[47]

No MRE in schools was reported. In 2006 the Ministry of Education requested that UNICEF support the development of a secondary school curriculum expected to include MRE.^[48] However, in June 2007 UNICEF-Belarus reported that ministry representatives had said the issue is not relevant. Therefore, UNICEF will not include school-based MRE in its activities, despite perceiving a need for this.^[49]

International Mine Action Standards have not been applied to MRE in Belarus, and no national standards have been developed.^[50] Belarus did not include information on MRE in its Article 7 report for 2006.^[51]

Landmine/ERW Casualties

In 2006 two civilians were injured in two ERW incidents in Vitebsk region; both were male adults.^[52] This is a decrease from 2005 (four casualties) and 2004 (16). As in 2005, the incidents occurred during tampering with ERW for scrap metal and explosives (known as “black demining”).^[53]

From January to 5 June 2007 no casualties were reported.

The Ministry of Defense maintains and regularly updates a mine/ERW casualty database. Between 1944 and April 2007, 6,173 mine/ERW casualties were recorded (2,665 killed and 3,508 injured).^[54]

Survivor Assistance

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that international support is not needed for mine/ERW survivor assistance in Belarus, as medical, surgical, rehabilitation and reintegration services provided by Ministry of Health hospitals and healthcare institutions throughout the country are sufficient. ^[55] Belarus did not include information on mine/ERW casualties or survivor assistance in its Article 7 report for 2006.^[56]

The Belarus Prosthetic Rehabilitation Center (BPRC), based in Minsk and with branches in major cities, is the main source of prostheses and orthopedic devices. It also provides physiotherapy, pre- and post-prosthetic care and repairs and adjustments. In 2006 BPCR treated some 100 people per month in Minsk; separate data on mine/ERW survivors is not recorded. BCPR also increased local production of prosthetic parts which were previously imported. Most amputees receive prosthetic devices purchased by local authorities free of charge, but sometimes local authorities lack funds to meet the demand. In 2006 the Vitebsk and Grodno regions continued to have insufficient funds for prostheses.^[57] Reportedly BPRC lacked professionally trained, qualified prosthetic technicians. As in 2005, BPRC Individual Rehabilitation Program and Education Center activities were not fully implemented in 2006 due to funding restrictions; 40 people received vocational training at BPRC in 2006, significantly less than the 192 beneficiaries reported in 2004.^[58] Cooperation continued with the College Professional Rehabilitation of Handicapped in Dortmund Germany. Local employment centers contributed financial support for 14 participants in computer courses from December 2006 to March 2007.^[59]

There are national disability laws.^[60] The main agency responsible for the protection and social reintegration of people with disabilities is the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. National bodies also exist to coordinate disability issues.^[61] However, economic reintegration for survivors remains difficult. In October 2006 the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Belarusian Society of Disabled People held a round-table discussion addressing the lack of employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Belarus.^[62]

Benefits for people with disabilities reportedly do not meet their needs. Legislation mandating access to public facilities is not implemented.^[63] Two new state-funded programs providing housing benefits and access to public facilities for people with disabilities were introduced in 2006-2007.^[64]

As of 30 May 2007 Belarus was not a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or its Optional Protocol.

Funding and Assistance

Canada reported contributing C$13,953 ($12,304/€9,794) in 2006 to the UNDP for a treaty implementation workshop in Belarus.^[65] No mine action funding was reported to Landmine Monitor in 2006.