Montenegro

Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 18 December 2019

Policy

Montenegro deposited its instrument of succession to the Mine Ban Treaty on 23 October 2006, becoming a State Party on 1 April 2007.[1] Montenegro has not enacted new legislation to implement the Mine Ban Treaty, but instead relies on existing laws. Montenegro’s Article 7 reports have all declared that the requirements of Article 9 (national implementation measures) have been fully implemented.[2]

Montenegro attends meetings of the treaty semi-regularly. It did not attend the Third Review Conference in Maputo in June 2014. However, Montenegro did attend the Seventeenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in November 2018, where it provided a statement during the general exchange of views.[3] Montenegro also attended the intersessional meetings in Geneva in May 2019.

Montenegro is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, including Amended Protocol II on landmines and Protocol V on explosive remnants of war. Montenegro is also party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Use, production, transfer, stockpiling, and destruction

In 2007, Montenegro reaffirmed earlier reports that the former state of Serbia and Montenegro did not produce any type of landmine after 1990.[4] Montenegro has also confirmed that there are no facilities for mine production on its territory.[5] In the past, the former Serbia and Montenegro stated several times that mine exports halted in 1990.[6]

On 16 May 2007, Montenegro and Serbia completed the destruction of the last of their stockpiled antipersonnel mines in advance of their respective deadlines of 1 April 2011 and 1 March 2008.[7] In total, Montenegro transferred 199,387 mines to Serbia for destruction, including approximately 40,000 after independence.[8]

Montenegro has not retained any mines for training purposes.[9]



[1] On 3 June 2006, Montenegro ended its union with Serbia and became independent. It was accepted as a member of the UN on 28 June 2006. The former state of Serbia and Montenegro had acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2003.

[2] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Reports, Form A, October 2007, 2008 (for calendar year 2007), and 2009 (for calendar year 2008). The 2008 and 2009 reports include excerpts from the Criminal Code of Montenegro (2003 and 2004) on “use of forbidden means of combat” and the “manufacture of forbidden weapons,” citing relevant penal sanctions. The 2009 report also refers to Article 25 of the “Law on Army of Montenegro,” which states that the military must function in the framework of international law and that military personnel must be equipped in accordance with international conventions. In reports submitted since, Montenegro has reported no changes.

[3] Statement of Montenegro, Mine Ban Treaty Seventeenth Meeting of States Parties, Geneva, 26 November 2018.

[4] Interview with Vice-Admiral Dragan Samardzic, Deputy Chief of General Staff, Armed Forces of Montenegro, Podgorica, 15 March 2007; and see also, Landmine Monitor Report 2006, p. 634.

[5] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form E, October 2007; and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2007), Form E.

[6] Letter from Maj.-Gen. Dobrosav Radovanovic, Assistant Minister of Defense, Sector of International Military Cooperation and Defense Policy, Ministry of Defense, 29 January 2003; and see also, Landmine Monitor Report 2002, p. 789.

[7] After its independence, Montenegro continued to participate in the stockpile destruction process initiated by the former Serbia and Montenegro in 2005 as a project of the Ministry of Defense and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA). For details, see, Landmine Monitor Report 2007, pp. 522–523.

[8] Email from Graham Goodrum, Technical Officer, NAMSA, 25 June 2007. This included the following antipersonnel mines: 109,003 PMR-2; 42,081 PMA-3; 20,926 PMA-1; 20,448 PMA-2; 5,929 PROM-1; and 1,000 PMR-3. The mines came from army stockpiles in Danilovgrad, Nikšić, Opatovo, Petrovići, Podgorica, and Sasovići.

[9] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form D, October 2007; and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2007), Form D.