Notes: SHA = suspected hazardous area; ERW = explosive remnants of war.

Contamination

BiH is massively contaminated with mines and ERW, including cluster munition remnants, primarily as a result of the 1992–1995 conflict related to the break-up of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[3]

According to BiH, mined and ERW-contaminated areas are located in 129 municipalities/cities, with 1,389 affected communities/populated areas in total, of which 1,338 communities are affected by mines, 31 communities by mixed mine and cluster munition contamination, and 29 communities by cluster munition contamination. Mines and ERW directly impact the safety of approximately 545,600 people or 15% of the population of BiH (based on the last census in 2013).[4] Of the total SHA, 63% is forested, 26% agricultural land, and 11% infrastructure, housing, and other land use.[5]

Mine contamination

Most mined areas are in the zone of separation between BiH’s two main political entities—the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS). Twenty years after the end of the conflicts, BiH is still the most heavily mined country in Europe.

In its Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report for 2017, BiH stated that there was a total of 1,061km²of SHAs.[6] However, when compared with figures provided in the revised second Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 extension request submitted in September 2018, these figures appear to include confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs).[7]

The revised second Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 extension request presents conflicting estimates of the extent of remaining contamination, which are undated. It reports both a total of 1,056km² and 1,080km² SHAs and CHAs.[8]

Antipersonnel mine contamination by canton according to the revised second Article 5 extension request, September 2018[9]

These figures compare to 1,091km² of mined area as of the end of 2016, of which 23.46km² were confirmed.[10]

A 2016 national audit office report on the efficiency of the demining system in BiH concluded that, “Twenty years after the war ended, the Mine Action Center still does not have complete information on the locations of landmines in BiH, which is to say it does not know the total suspected hazardous area.”[11] BiH notes that, according to the results of its pilot land release project conducted from 2013 to 2017, it is possible to deduce that not all SHAs currently in the database are contaminated by mines and that in fact mine clearance will only need to be conducted in relatively small areas.[12] 

Minefields in BiH generally contain relatively small numbers of mines, which are typically either “in groups or randomly laid.” Many minefield records (approximately 40%), were reportedly never made or handed over, and records were often destroyed or lost for several reasons, such as the death or emigration of the persons who created the minefield records.[13] Furthermore, physical changes to mined areas (such as in vegetation), and a lack of witnesses to the laying of the mines, pose additional challenges.[14]

According to BHMAC, most mine incidents now occur in forested areas,[15] and those with a fatal outcome are mostly from PROM‐1 bounding fragmentation mines.[16] An analysis of mine accidents in BIH shows that individuals that are more economically vulnerable are more exposed to mine/ERW contamination, as they often knowingly enter into contaminated areas for livelihood activities.[17] (See BiH’s casualty profile for more details.) 

Cluster munition contamination 

As of the end of 2017, BiH reported a total of 6.47km² of cluster munition-contaminated area (see table below).[18] This compares to reported contamination as of the end of 2016, of 7.31km².[19]

However, the difference in total cluster munition contamination between the end of 2016 and the end of 2017 cannot be explained or reconciled by area released by technical survey and clearance or the amount of land confirmed as cluster munition contaminated.

Cluster munition contamination (at end 2017)[20]

Of the total suspected cluster munition contamination, 2.7km² is the result of individually launched KB-1 submunitions fired from modified AK-47 rifles.[21] BHMAC had planned to undertake a survey to more accurately delineate areas containing the contamination from the improvised use of individual submunitions,[22] but as of June 2018, the status of this work was unclear. A total of 4.47km² of contamination is in areas that also contain mines,[23] including the area of contamination resulting from the firing of individual submunitions.

Cluster munition contamination dates back to the conflicts of 1992–1995 related to the break-up of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[24] 

Cluster munition contamination in BiH poses a small humanitarian risk but has a greater impact on development, impeding access to natural resources and posing an obstacle to rehabilitation and building of infrastructure.[25] Sixty communities have been identified as affected with submunitions, of which 31 are also affected by mines.[26] Prior to one incident in 2016, the last recorded submunition casualty occurred in 2009.[27] 

Program Management

The Demining Commission, under the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs, supervises the state-wide BHMAC and represents BiH in its relations with the international community on mine-related issues.[28] Whereas the Minister for Civil Affairs remains ultimately responsible for mine action, the Demining Commission represents the strategic body responsible for setting mine action policy, and it proposes the appointment of BHMAC senior staff, for approval by the Council of Ministers.[29] The Demining Commission is composed of representatives from three ministries (Civil Affairs, Security, and Defense) elected from the three constituent “peoples” of BiH and representing BiH’s three majority ethnic groups (Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs).[30]

Three new Demining Commission members were given a two-year mandate on 23 July 2015,[31] which expired in July 2017. A new Demining Commission was expected to be appointed imminently, but there was a delay during which the existing representatives served as an “acting” Demining Commission in the interim.[32] Subsequently, the existing Demining Commission representatives were re-elected for a further two-year term, from October 2017 to October 2019.[33] 

BHMAC, established by a 2002 Decree of the Council of Ministers, is responsible for regulating mine action and implementing BiH’s demining plan, including accreditation of all mine action organizations.[34] BHMAC operates from its headquarters in Sarajevo, and two main offices in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, and eight regional offices (Banja Luka, Bihac, Brčko, Mostar, Pale, Sarajevo, Travnik, and Tuzla).[35]

A November 2016 national audit office report on the efficiency of the demining system in BiH concluded that, “The institutions of BiH have not undertaken all activities required to ensure efficiency of the demining system. A conclusion can be drawn that BiH is not committed to dealing seriously with the demining problem, which jeopardizes the implementation of the BiH strategic goals and the fulfilment of international commitments assumed. The demining process has neither been analyzed nor improved systematically in the past 15 years.”[36] However, reforms are now being implemented, under the leadership of an acting director of BHMAC, who was appointed on 22 September 2015 by the Council of Ministers.[37] The Demining Commission has reportedly drafted an action plan to address the recommendations of the 2016 audit office report.[38] As of September 2018, the BHMAC reported that the action plan had been mostly realized and the plan itself was in the process of being formally adopted.[39] 

After a 10-year hiatus, Board of Donor meetings resumed in September 2015,[40] and a second meeting took place in March 2016.[41] As of August 2018, the last Board of Donor meeting had taken place in Sarajevo inNovember 2017.[42] BiH’s new National Mine Action Strategy 2018–2025, which has yet to be formally approved, specified that at least two Board of Donors meetings should be organized every year.[43]

In October 2016, expert working groups, which used to meet until 2009, were re-established.[44] In June 2017, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported that it was planning to organize expert working groups in coordination with BHMAC,[45] but as of August 2018 no further meetings had taken place.[46] 

Strategic planning

In 2017, BiH developed a new National Mine Action Strategy for 2018–2025, with support from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), which addresses all contamination, including mines and cluster munition remnants.[47] However, as of June 2018, it had not yet been formally approved.[48] 

The previous Mine Action Strategy for 2009–2019, adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2008,[49] set the target of the country becoming free of mines by 2019. It provided for three planned revisions of the strategy in 2012–2013, 2015, and 2017.[50] The first two revisions were conducted as planned. Both attributed the lack of progress primarily to a funding shortfall.[51] Although the 2015 revision was endorsed by the Demining Commission in BiH in March 2016, it was not adopted by the Council of Ministers.[52] 

After starting the third revision process, BiH, with support from the GICHD, is now instead producing a new mine action strategy towards completing landmine and cluster munition clearance (2018–2025),[53] for which two consultative workshops were held in November 2016 and February 2017. 

The new National Mine Action Strategy for 2018–2025 contains a general plan and timeframe for the completion of mine and cluster munition clearance.[54] It includes a section on management of residual contamination and national capacities, after clearance of all contaminated areas is completed.[55] According to the new strategy, “A resource mobilization plan will be developed, clearly stating annual national and international funding targets,” and in addition, “Strategy goal action plans with corresponding budgets will be developed, facilitating the implementation of the strategy.” It is also stipulated that the strategy will be continuously monitored and reviewed to ensure its continued relevance, to enable the program’s strengths and weaknesses to be identified, and to allow BHMAC and partners to address problems, improve performance, build on success and adapt to changing circumstances.[56]

In October 2017, a month following a validation meeting in Sarajevo, the GICHD submitted the first draft of the new strategy to BHMAC and the Demining Commission. The finalization process took many months, with the finalized strategy being eventually submitted to the Council of Ministers for adoption in July 2018.[57] As of August 2018, the new strategy had yet to be formally adopted.[58] 

BiH’s annual operational mine action plan for 2018, in accordance with the Article 16 of the Demining Law, was adopted by the Demining Commission at the fourth session in February 2018 and forwarded for adoption by the Council of Ministers in BiH.[59] As of August 2018, the demining law had not yet been adopted.[60]

Mine action prioritization and planning in BiH is based on socio-economic impact. However, a UNDP evaluation recommended that the system be reviewed to reflect changing circumstances as well to take account of the specific impact of particularly dangerous mines such as the PROM-1.[61] BHMAC conducted a general assessment in 2016 to help designate high-, medium-, and low-impact SHAs.[62]

As part of the EU country assessment, a workshop was planned to be held with all relevant stakeholders to be consulted on the process of analyzing and defining indicators. The resulting indicators will be used for the strategic planning tool for land release.[63]

Legislation 

The first draft of the amended demining law, submitted to the Council of Ministers in June 2017,[64] was still awaiting parliamentary adoption as of June 2018.[65] This followed years of efforts since 2008 to adopt revised mine action legislation in BiH. As stressed by the GICHD, “In order to be able to fulfil its international obligations in a timely fashion, relevant authorities of BiH need to be able to make decisions more quickly and to foster an environment in which operations are not hindered.”[66]

Standards

BiH has national mine action standards (NMAS), which include standards on land release.

The Demining Commission adopted temporary guidelines for quality assurance (QA)/quality control (QC) for land release tasks in July 2017.[67]

At the end of 2016, in order to ensure that the standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs) allow for the optimal release of land through survey, including by technical survey, BHMAC created four expert working groups, to work on amendments and additional to all the chapters of the national mine action standards and SOPs.[68] As a result, two SOP chapters were adopted by the Demining Commission in April 2018: one on non-technical survey and the other on the opening and monitoring of tasks.[69] In addition, a specific SOP was approved by the Demining Commission for the new 18-month “country assessment” project.[70] 

Quality management

BHMAC’S two main offices in Banja Luka and Sarajevo coordinate the activities of regional offices in planning, survey, and QA/QC. QA inspectors are based in the regional offices.[71]

The 2015 UNDP evaluation found that BHMAC’s QA of demining activities functions well, but recommended that BHMAC develop effective quality management mechanisms for the whole organization to make processes more efficient and transparent.[72] However, the 2016 national audit office report found that the quality control of demining carried out by BHMAC is not efficient and that a systematic improvement of the QC process has never been done. In addition, the report states that: “Despite several levels of control in the demining system, accidents and irregularities occur in the areas the BiH Mine Action Centre declared safe.”[73] In the report, “accidents” refer to blasts during demining activities and in areas that have been cleared and released; and “incidents” refer to mines and items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) detected in cleared areas after the completion of works and after the QC certificates had been issued by BHMAC. According to the audit office report, 23 irregularities and 32 accidents occurred between 2005 and 2016. Of the 32 accidents, 29 occurred during demining while the remainder involved civilians after demining had been completed.[74] The Director of BHMAC, however, confirmed in May 2017 that no irregularities or accidents on cleared/released land have occurred in the last two years.[75]

In 2017, QC inspectors from BHMAC conducted 3,076 technical inspections at 225 tasks (of which 2,925 technical inspections at 201 tasks related to technical survey and clearance of mined area), and two decisions were issued that required repetition of technical survey operations and two that required repetition of clearance.[76]

Information management

BHMAC does not report accurately or consistently on land release data (disaggregated by product cancelled, reduced, and cleared), activity (non-technical survey, technical survey, and clearance), and classification (SHA and CHA) in a manner consistent with IMAS. 

The first goal of BiH’s new National Mine Action Strategy 2018–2025 (yet to be formally approved as of October 2018) is that, “Sound IM standards, tools and processes ensure that relevant information is collected, stored, analyzed, shared and used for efficient and effective planning, prioritization, tasking and implementation of mine action activities.”[77]

The UNDP is supporting a project to improve information management through the development of a web-based database.[78] 

Operators 

At the beginning of 2018, 26 organizations were accredited for mine action in BiH: four government organizations (Armed Forces of BiH, Federal Administration of Civil Protection, Civil Protection Administration of Republic of Srpska, and Brčko District Civil Protection); the Red Cross Society of BiH; seven commercial organizations (all national); and 14 NGOs (11 national and three international). Overall demining capacity totaled 1,200 persons in accredited organizations, comprising 900 deminers and 300 others (including team leaders, site leader, operational officers, QA officers, and dog trainers). The accredited organizations also have at their disposal a total of 37 accredited machines (for vegetation removal, ground disturbance, and removal of debris), 1,257 metal detectors, and 63 accredited explosive detection dogs (EDDs). In addition, BHMAC has at its disposal 44 surveyors (i.e. 22 survey teams for non‐technical survey and emergency marking), eight officers for planning non‐technical survey operations, 12 inspectors, and 28 senior clerks for QC/technical supervision/inspection.[79]

The governmental operators—Civil Protection teams and the BiH Armed Forces’ Demining Battalion—constitute about 60% of the available operational capacity in BiH, though their total output in terms of land released by clearance and technical survey is proportionately much less.[80] The general view is that the BiH Armed Forces and Civil Protection are both good partners, and have effective capacities, but have suffered from logistical challenges and equipment deficits, which prevent them from working at full capacity.[81] 

The BiH Armed Forces’ survey and clearance operations are fully engaged from March to November, and with reduced activity, predominantly in southern BiH, from December to February.[82] They also deploy machinery and EDDs during their survey and clearance operations.[83] They require ongoing support from external partners to secure personal protective equipment, batteries for detectors, and fuel for demining machinery, since the army’s own complex procurement system often cannot deliver such items in sufficient time.[84] Since 2010, NPA has increasingly focused on building the capacity of the Demining Battalion.[85]

Furthermore, both the BiH Armed Forces and Civil Protection suffer recruitment challenges, but of a differing nature. Deminers in the BiH Armed Forces are forced to stop demining at the age of 38 (this upper limit, until recently, had been 35). This results in experienced deminers being forced to retire at a very early age and results in a high turnover of personnel.[86] The Federal Administration of Civil Protection, on the other hand, is unable to employ new deminers, as this is a federal government decision. Therefore, the capacity of the Federal Administration of Civil Protection has been reduced as pensioned deminers or those absent due to sickness have not been replaced.[87]

The 2015 UN assessment recommended that BHMAC involve the BiH Armed Forces and Civil Protection teams more in conducting non-technical survey, technical survey, and clearance tasks, as part of the land release process.[88] In the opinion of a UNDP expert, the BiH Armed Forces have sufficient demining equipment, but could benefit from stronger management and better oversight of demining operations.[89] 

MAG received operational accreditation in April 2017, and began technical survey and clearance operations in mid-May 2017.[90]

With the exception of MAG and NPA, clearance operators in BiH typically compete for international tenders in order to secure their funding. The UNDP evaluation suggested that this left much capacity underused and recommended alternative contracting models more appropriate for land release (either by having longer term contracts or being contracted for the clearance of larger areas), which could be more attractive to the demining organizations in terms of security and could also make best use of capacity in the long run.[91] National demining NGOs, such as STOP Mines or PROVITA, which are registered in a similar way to companies, potentially have capacity to quickly mobilize additional resources and up-scale operations.[92]

Land Release (mines)

According to the Article 7 report for 2017, in that year BiH released almost 0.69km² by clearance and 6.68km² by technical survey.[93] A further 20.75km² was cancelled.[94] However, the second revised Article 5 extension request reports that in 2017, 2.46km² of land was cancelled, 2.48km² was reduced and 0.30km²was cleared.[95]

This is only a little more than half the clearance output of the previous year, when almost 1.34km² was cleared.[96] It is also a reduction on the 10.39km² reduced by technical survey in 2016. The amount cancelled in 2017 is not comparable to 2016, as the 46.94km² reported as cancelled by non-technical survey in 2016 included the results of the full three-and-a-half-year EU pilot project, rather than the annual cancellation output for 2016.[97]

Survey in 2017 (mines) 

In 2017, according to the Article 7 report and BHMAC, more than 6.68km² was reduced through technical survey, conducted by various government organizations, NGOs, and commercial organizations (see tables below).[98] In addition, a further 20.75km² was cancelled by non-technical survey.[99]

Technical survey of mined area by Canton in 2017[100]

Technical survey of mined area by operator in 2017[101]

There was a discrepancy in data between BHMAC and MAG. BHMAC did not record any output from MAG technical survey in 2017, whereas MAG reported reducing 328,096m² through technical survey.[102]

Clearance in 2017 (mines)

According to the Article 7 report and BHMAC, a total of almost 0.69km² was cleared in 2017, during which 1,749 antipersonnel mines, 20 antivehicle mines, and 797 items of ERW were destroyed (see table below).[103]

Mine clearance operations were conducted by the BiH Armed Forces, the Civil Protection of FBIH, the Civil Protection of RS, 10 NGOs, and four commercial demining companies (see table below).

Mine clearance by canton in 2017[104]

Note: AP = antipersonnel; AV = antivehicle.

Mine clearance by operator in 2017[105]

There was a discrepancy between clearance data provided by BHMAC for MAG and NPA, and that provided by the operators for 2017 operations. BHMAC did not record any output from MAG clearance in 2017, other than destruction of five antipersonnel mines. MAG itself reported clearing 109,180m² and destroying 134 antipersonnel mines and 19 items of ERW in 2017. NPA reported that it had cleared 23 mined areas, totaling 38,346m², with the destruction of 118 antipersonnel mines, five antivehicle mines, and 34 items of ERW.[106]

Land release projects and methodology 2013–2019

A land release pilot project, implemented with EU pre-accession funding, was implemented from 2013 to 2016.[107] The project enabled efficient tasking of systematic technical survey and technical survey with targeted investigation, helping ensure clearance assets were only directed into CHAs.[108] Results from six completed tasks in the EU pilot project revealed that 91% of the total land released was cancelled through non-technical survey, 8.5% was reduced through technical survey, and 0.5% was cleared. Assuming the six tasks are representative of much of BiH’s remaining SHAs, BHMAC predicts that only a minor proportion of the remaining SHAs contain actual contamination, and deployment of clearance assets will therefore only be required for relatively small areas.[109] This has been factored into BiH’s National Mine Action Strategy for 2018–2025, and it is hoped that the new land release concept will greatly speed up release of suspected mined area.[110]

A “country assessment” project was approved by the EU, and the contract was signed on 15 August 2018, with an implementation period of 18 months.[111] It aims to conduct a country assessment implemented jointly by BHMAC, NPA, and BiH Armed Forces’ Demining Battalion, to establish a more accurate baseline of mine contamination and help and improve the efficiency of follow-on survey and clearance operations.[112] Under the project, non-technical survey will be conducted by BHMAC (nine non-technical survey teams), the BiH Armed Forces (two non-technical survey teams), and NPA (three non-technical survey teams). Results of the assessment will enable BiH to plan for the realization of the new National Mine Action Strategy for 2018–2025 and preparation of its final Article 5 extension through to completion.[113]

Under this assessment project, 1,030km² of remaining mined area is expected to be subdivided into 500 +/-10% mine suspect areas (MSAs) requiring further survey and clearance, and 30km² is expected to be cancelled.[114] MSAs comprise of SHAs and CHAs that encompass one or more impacted communities and due to economic, cultural, geographical, or other reasons form a logical geographical area on which comprehensive survey and clearance will be undertaken.[115] It is envisaged that the creation of MSAs will enable mine action operations to strengthen community liaison and ensure that the needs of the communities are prioritized and addressed. It is also intended to simplify the tasking procedure by assigning specific organizations a larger geographical area in which to carry out operations.[116] Local administrations and BHMAC will together agree on the size and priority of MSAs in accordance with humanitarian, developmental, and safety needs of municipality and local communities.[117] The MSAs will be categorized into three categories: high, medium, and low risk, based on available general assessment data. MSAs with a higher probability of containing PROM mines, large confirmed minefields, and high-/medium-impact MSAs based on general assessment, will be categorized as high- and medium-risk MSAs within one municipality. All other MSAs will be categorized as low risk.[118] 

Land Release (cluster munition remnants)

In 2017, close to 0.27km² of cluster munition-contaminated area was released by clearance, and a further 0.6km² reduced by technical survey. During technical survey and clearance, a total of 1,246 submunitions were destroyed.[119] 

Survey in 2017 (cluster munition remnants) 

In 2017, nearly 0.6km² of cluster munition-contaminated area was reduced by technical survey, during which 632 submunitions and 26 other items of ERW were destroyed.[120] This represents a slight decrease on the 0.76km² that was reduced by technical survey in 2016.[121]

Clearance in 2017 (cluster munition remnants)

In 2017, nearly 0.27km² of cluster munition-contaminated land was cleared, with the destruction of 1,246 submunitions and four other items of UXO, all in the Federation of BiH (see table below).[122] Clearanceoutput in the Federation BiH in 2017, conducted by the BiH Armed Forces, the Federal Administration of Civil Protection, and NPA, was therefore more than double the 0.1km² cleared in 2016.[123]

Clearance of cluster munition-contaminated area in 2017[124]

NPA conducted cluster munition operations in four cantons in 2017: Canton 10, Hercegovacko-Neretvanski, Unsko-Sanski, and Zenicko-Dobojski. In total, NPA reported releasing 130,522m² through technical survey and 139,555m² through clearance, during which a total of 124 submunitions and one other item of UXO were destroyed.[125] Of the five clearance tasks NPA undertook in 2017, there was one task in Zenicko-Dobojski canton, in which no submunitions were discovered, but 105 pieces of exploded cluster munition remnants were found.[126]

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Compliance 

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the 10-year extension request granted by States Parties in 2008), BiH is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 2019. BiH will not meet the deadline and has requested a two-year interim extension to 1 March 2021, in order to carry out survey activities to more accurately define the precise perimeter of mined areas. BiH believes it will then be better able to calculate the time required to complete its Article 5 obligations. It has pledged to submit a final extension request by 31 March 2020.[127]

According to its 2018 revised Article 5 extension request, the next two years will see land release being intensively conducted through the application of new standards and SOPs to improve efficiency and cost‐effectiveness.[128] Results gained so far through the application of more efficient evidence-based land release methodology indicate the potential for large areas of uncontaminated SHA to be released through survey.[129] BiH has expressed its commitment to complete Article 5 obligations by 2025, as detailed in BiH’s National Mine Action Strategy 2018–2025 (yet to be approved).[130]

The “country assessment” project, currently being undertaken in 2018 and 2019, is expected to result in the cancellation of 30km² through high-quality non-technical survey and should enable more accurate tasking of technical survey and clearance.[131]

Over the last five years, BiH has released less than 7.41km² thorough clearance (see table below). In 2017, as in all years since it was granted the 10-year extension to its initial Article 5 deadline, BiH fell far short of its land release targets.[132] According to the UNDP Draft Mine Action Governance and Management Assessment for BiH, the painfully slow pace of clearance has resulted in lack of confidence in the national mine action program from donors but also from people living in mine-affected communities, who felt disillusioned that the mines have not been cleared.[133] 

Mine clearance in 2013–2017[134]

BHMAC expected land release operations for 2019 and 2020 to continue in line with annual work plans. It predicted that 179km² would be cancelled through non-technical survey, 30km² would be reduced by technical survey and 2km² would be cleared. It totaled this to 237km², although the correct total is 211km². In addition, 120 MSAs are to be prepared totaling approximately 263km².[135] It is not clear how these regular land release operations are to be coordinated with the “country assessment” project, which intends to define approximately 500 MSAs and cancel approximately 30km².[136] 

Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 Compliance

Under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, BiH is required to destroy all cluster munition remnants in areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 2021. It is unclear whether BiH is on track to meet this deadline.

The 2012 Mine Action Strategy Revision had predicted that BiH would “completely eliminate” all cluster munition-contaminated areas by 2015.[137] In the second Mine Action Strategy Revision, conducted in 2015 and adopted by the Demining Commission in March 2016, this target was pushed back to the end of 2017.[138] However, by May 2017, based on the status of current cluster munition survey and clearance operations, BiH no longer expected to meet its Article 4 obligations by the end of 2017, as it had previously stated at the Convention on Cluster Munitions First Review Conference in September 2015 and forecast in its second Mine Action Strategy Review.[139] More recently, however, in September 2017, BiH announced that, “In accordance with the Draft of Strategy in Mine Action 2018–2025, prepared by BHMAC in cooperation with GICHD, Bosnia and Herzegovina will fulfil its Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 obligations to clear and destroy or ensure the clearance and destruction of, all cluster munition remnants by March 2021.”[140] 

While BHMAC has stated previously that it does not expect any obstacles in meeting its Article 4 deadline of 1 March 2021,[141] the fact that only 1km²of cluster munition-contaminated land has been cleared in the last five years (see table below) is cause for concern. It is not certain that BiH will indeed meet its Article 4 deadline. 

Five-year summary of cluster munition clearance[142]

The Monitor acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review (www.mineactionreview.org), which has conducted the primary mine action research in 2018 and shared all its country-level landmine reports (from“Clearing the Mines 2018”) and country-level cluster munition reports (from “Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2018”) with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.