Finland
Mine Ban Policy
Policy
The Republic of Finland deposited its instrument of accession to the Mine Ban Treaty on 9 January 2012, becoming a State Party on 1 July 2012.[1]
Finland has amended its penal code to implement the convention’s provisions into domestic law, including penal sanctions for violations of a minimum of four months imprisonment to a maximum of six years.[2]
Finland submitted an initial Article 7 transparency report in 2013 for the second half of 2012 and provided annual updated reports in 2014 and 2015 for the previous calendar years.
Finland has regularly attended the Mine Ban Treaty’s Review Conferences, Meetings of States Parties, and intersessional meetings despite not joining until 2012. It participated in the Mine Ban Treaty’s Third Review Conference in Maputo, Mozambique in June 2014 and the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in December 2013. At both meetings, Finland informed States Parties of its progress towards stockpile destruction and reaffirmed its commitment to complete the destruction process by the end of 2015. Finland also reiterated pledges to promote the universalization and full implementation of the convention, and expressly commended the “important work of the United Nations, the ICRC and civil society organizations, in making the Convention work in an efficient manner.”[3]
Finland attended the June 2015 intersessional meetings in Geneva and provided an update on its stockpile destruction efforts.[4]
Finland spoke about its commitment to the Mine Ban Treaty and its own stockpile destruction at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) First Committee on Disarmament and Security.[5]
Finland is not party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), including Amended Protocol II and Protocol V.
Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling
Finland has stated on numerous occasions that it has never used antipersonnel mines and does not have any mined areas, has not produced antipersonnel mines since 1981, and has never exported antipersonnel mines.[6] Finland has not acquired any antipersonnel mines since the early 1970s.
In 2010, information from the Ministry for Defence was released revealing for the first time the size and composition of Finland’s stockpile of antipersonnel mines.[7] This total was reaffirmed in mid-2012 when Finland disclosed that it stockpiled 1,029,763 antipersonnel mines banned by the treaty, comprising 801,618 Sakaramiina 65-98 blast mines as well as 228,145 Putkimiina 43-86 and Putkimiina 68-95 stake mines.[8]
Under Article 4 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Finland is obligated to destroy its stockpiled antipersonnel mines under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 July 2016.
At the Mine Ban Treaty’s Fourth Review Conference in June 2014, Finland informed States Parties that it had completed more than 95% of its stockpile destruction and was on track to finish the destruction by 2015. It states that a total of 744,891 antipersonnel mines were destroyed in 2013, an increase from the 200,000 destroyed in 2012.[9]
In its 2015 Article 7 report, Finland reported the destruction of 2,390 Putkimiina 43-86 antipersonnel mines and 33,239 Putkimiina 68-95 mines in 2014. It declared a remaining stockpile of 21,052 mines, which includes the 16,500 mines retained that are allowed under Article 3 of the Mine Ban Treaty.[10]
On 18 August 2015, the Finish Defense Forces declared that Finland had completed the destruction of its stockpiles.[11]
Finland began destroying the stockpile by open detonation in August 2012 at a location in Finnish Lapland.[12] From August until 10 December 2013, destruction continued at the Ähtäri army depot in central Finland and at Kittilä, an area in the north of the country used for years for the destruction of old ammunition and explosives. Finland reported that blast mines were to be destroyed by removing the fuze and metallic parts for recycling, with parts to be used during fire and explosion training. The stake mines were to be destroyed by open detonation.[13] In 2011, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs estimated the cost of the stockpile destruction at approximately €220,000 (US$291,742).[14]
Retention
In its 2015, 2014, and 2013 Article 7 reports, Finland has declared retaining 16,500 antipersonnel mines for training and research purposes.[15] In 2011, Finland stated that the retained mines are necessary for the development of and training in destruction techniques, and will be retained for these purposes for the next 20 years.[16]
[1] This came six years later than its initially-stated goal. The decision to step back from the goal to join the treaty in 2006 was included in the Security and Defence Policy Review 2004, which was approved by parliament on 21 December 2004. The goal of joining the treaty by 2006 was first stated in December 1997, reiterated in December 1999 and December 2000, and confirmed by a government report on foreign and security policy approved by parliament in December 2001.
[2] “Law amending Chapter 11 (War crimes and crimes against humanity) of the Penal Code 39/1889,” 22 December 2011. It has also reported the following additional measures to implement the convention: Standard Operating Instructions from the Finnish Defence Command published on 3 April 2012; an Army Command decision on decommissioning of antipersonnel mines published on 24 February 2012; and a decision of the Finnish Defence Command on the approval of a plan of destruction of its antipersonnel mines published on 25 October 2010. Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for the period 1 July 2012 to 31 December 2012), Form A; and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2013), Form A.
[3] Statements of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Fourth Review Conference, Maputo, 23 and 27 June 2014; and statement of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 2 December 2013.
[4] Statement of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, June 2015.
[5] Statement of Finland, UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and Security, 22 October 2014.
[6] Parliament of Finland, “Government Bill to Parliament on the approval of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Production, Stockpiling, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and their Destruction,” HE15/2011, 12 August 2011; statements of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Fourth Review Conference, Maputo, 23 and 27 June 2014; statement of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 2 December 2013; statement of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Meetings, Standing Committee on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 27 May 2013; statement of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Twelfth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 3 December 2012; statement of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Eleventh Meeting of States Parties, Phnom Penh, 28 November 2011; and statement of Finland, Intersessional Standing Committee Meetings, Geneva, 21 May 2012.
[7] Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Draft Government Bill to Parliament on the approval of the Ottawa Convention on Antipersonnel Mines,” 14 December 2010; and Parliament of Finland, “Government Bill to Parliament on the approval of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Production, Stockpiling, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and their Destruction,” HE15/2011, 12 August 2011.
[8] Parliament of Finland, “Government Bill to Parliament on the approval of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Production, Stockpiling, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and their Destruction,” HE15/2011, 12 August 2011; and letter from Markku Virri, Ministry of Foriegn Affairs of Finland, 7 September 2012.
[9] Statement of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Fourth Review Conference, Maputo, 23 June 2014. Previously at the Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties in December 2013, Finland reported that stockpile destruction was 90% completed. Statement of Finland, Mine Ban Treaty Thirteenth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 2 December 2013.
[10] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form B, April 2015.
[11] Juho Korpela, “The last anti-personnel mines destroyed,” Finnish Defense Force, 18 August 2015. See also, the Finnish Defence Forces website.
[12] “Finland Destroying Landmine Stocks,” yle (News service), 21 August 2012; and letter from Markku Virri, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, 7 September 2012.
[13] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for the period 1 July 2012 to 31 December 2012), Form F; and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2013), Form G.
[14] Parliament of Finland, “Government Bill to Parliament on the approval of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Production, Stockpiling, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and their Destruction,” HE15/2011, 12 August 2011; and letter from Markku Virri, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, 7 September 2012. Average exchange rate for 2010: €1=US$1.3261. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 6 January 2011.
[15] It reported retaining 9,000 Sakaramiina 65-98, 3,000 Putkimiina 43-95, and 4,500 Putkimiina 68-98 antipersonnel mines. Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2013), Form D; and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for the period 1 July 2012 to 31 December 2012), Form D.
[16] Parliament of Finland, “Government Bill to Parliament on the approval of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Production, Stockpiling, and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and their Destruction,” HE15/2011, 12 August 2011.