Mine ban policy overview

Policy

The Republic of Belarus acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 September 2003, becoming a State Party on 1 March 2004. It has cited various articles of its criminal code as national implementation measures, as well as decrees specific to antipersonnel mines.[1] Belarus submitted its tenth Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report on 26 March 2013.

Belarus attended the Twelfth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in December 2012, where it provided an update on the progress of its joint stockpile destruction project with the European Union (EU) and on remaining technical challenges in fulfilling its destruction obligation. However, Belarus gave no timetable for beginning or completing the project.[2] Belarus also attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in May 2013.

Belarus is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its Amended Protocol II on landmines. It submitted an annual report as required by Article 13 on 26 March 2013. Belarus is also a party to CCW Protocol V on explosive remnants of war, and it submitted a national report pursuant to Article 10 on 26 March 2013.

Belarus has said 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.[3]

Stockpiling and destruction

Belarus’ original stockpile of antipersonnel mines, inherited from the former Soviet Union, totaled approximately 4.5 million. It completed the destruction of non-PFM types at the end of 2006.[4]

Belarus failed to meet its deadline of 1 March 2008 to destroy all stockpiles of antipersonnel mines it owns, possesses, or has under its jurisdiction or control.[5] Belarus conducted an inventory of its stockpile in 2010–2011, and the Ministry of Defence revised the number stockpiled down to 3,356,636 PFM-1 mines remaining to be destroyed.[6] This change was reflected in Belarus’ 2011 and 2012 Article 7 reports.[7]

Belarus has repeatedly stated that it requires international assistance in order to destroy its remaining antipersonnel mines.[8] Attempts to provide assistance through projects financed through the European Commission (EC) collapsed in 2006 and 2008 for various reasons.[9]

A new program was “re-launched” by the EU on 30 June 2010, with a period of performance stipulated at 28 months.[10] On 30 December 2010, the EU officially announced that on 21 December the contract was awarded to the Spanish company Explosivos Alaveses SA (EXPAL) for a total value of €3,900,000 (US$5,171,790).[11]

The joint destruction project by Belarus and EXPAL requires:

1.      Installation and commissioning of a custom-built destruction facility at a military base near Rechitsa in southeast Belarus on a site approved by the EU in 2009;

2.      The provision of monitoring equipment to enable the project team to supervise and report on the destruction process in real time;

3.      The complete destruction of the stockpiled PFM-1 and PFM-1S series munitions (by  cold detonation technology in an armored kiln).

At the Eleventh Meeting of the States Parties in December 2011, Belarus told States Parties that “all necessary administrative procedures have been finalized by EXPAL and Belarusian authorities,” that construction of the destruction facility was underway, and that destruction was about to begin. Belarus announced an expected completion date of May 2013.[12]

During the May 2012 intersessional Standing Committee meetings, Belarus reported that the construction of the destruction facility was taking longer than planned and described steps it had taken to facilitate the import of necessary materials.[13] It noted the creation, in February 2012, of a Coordinating Committee in which representatives of the Belarus government, the EU, and the contractor were meeting monthly to address outstanding issues. Further work was still needed to finish the construction, including treatment of gases released during destruction of the mines and an associated environmental impact study. Belarus did not provide a date for starting the destruction and stated that destruction should be finished “in 2013.” Subsequent information provided informally to the Monitor indicated that destruction would begin by the end of 2012 and that the contractor would need to request a one-year extension (at least) to the initially set deadline of May 2013.[14]

In November 2012, EXPAL provided the Belarus authorities a description of proposed destruction technology that, according to Belarus legislation, must be evaluated by the Belarus Ministry of Environmental Protection and in public hearings held for the community of Rechitsa.[15]

In December 2012, Belarus informed States Parties that there had been delays in the construction of the facility, including a change in subcontractors in mid-2012, but it said the destruction should begin in the first half of 2013. It emphasized that the PFM-1 are unique and industrial technology to destroy them is not fully developed, so an additional safety system is needed in case the liquid used to destroy the mines in the facilities unexpectedly leaks.[16]

At the May 2013 intersessional Standing Committee meetings, Belarus stated that EXPAL is currently completing installation of the destruction facility, which it said was “90 percent operational.” Work remaining to be done included the assembly of the chamber where the mines will be destroyed and the installation of an alarm system. Belarus said it could not give an exact deadline for when the mines will be destroyed. It said that since the last meeting of States Parties, the EU had audited the project and commended the work done by all stakeholders. Belarus committed to “continue to keep States Parties updated” on its progress towards stockpile destruction.[17]

In May 2013, the ICBL welcomed the progress made by Belarus but said “it is still disappointing that despite the naming of a contractor in late 2010, destruction has still yet to begin and no end date is known. We urge all parties to ensure any remaining obstacles dealt with without any further delay.”[18]

Mines retained for research and training

In its Article 7 report submitted in 2013, Belarus reported retaining 6,022 antipersonnel mines for research and training purposes, eight fewer mines than the 6,030 mines that it reported retaining without change from June 2004 to 2012.[19] At the May 2012 intersessional Standing Committee meetings, Belarus reported that eight mines were destroyed in February 2012 during training in mine detection and mine destruction activities.[20] Belarus has said that it retains antipersonnel mines for training of mine detection dogs, testing of protective equipment and mine detectors, and training of personnel.[21]