North Macedonia

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Last updated: 31 July 2015

Five-Year Review: State Party FYR Macedonia was among the first 30 ratifications to trigger the convention’s entry into force on 1 August 2010. It views existing legislation as sufficient to enforce its implementation of the convention. FYR Macedonia has participated in all of the convention’s meetings and has elaborated its views on several important issues concerning its interpretation and implementation of the convention.

In its initial transparency report for the convention provided in 2011, FYR Macedonia confirmed it has never produced cluster munitions. FYR Macedonia completed the destruction of a stockpile of 988 cluster munitions and 39,980 submunitions on 25 October 2013. It is not retaining any cluster munitions for training or research

Policy

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYR Macedonia) signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008 and ratified on 8 October 2009. It was among the first 30 ratifications to trigger the convention’s entry into force on 1 August 2010.

FYR Macedonia has cited its ratification legislation under national implementation measures in its transparency reports.[1] It has stated in accordance with the Constitution, the Convention on Cluster Munitions became “an integral part of our domestic legislation” after ratification.[2]

FYR Macedonia submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 9 September 2011 and has provided updated reports ever since, most recently on 27 April 2015.[3]

FYR Macedonia participated in the Oslo Process that produced the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[4]

It has continued to actively engage in the work of the convention since 2008. FYR Macedonia has participated in every Meeting of States Parties of the convention, including the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in San José, Costa Rica in September 2014. It has attended all of the convention’s intersessional meetings in Geneva, most recently in June 2015. FYR Macedonia has participated in regional meetings on the convention and attended a mine action symposium in Biograd, Croatia on 27–29 April 2015, which included discussion on cluster munitions.

FYR Macedonia voted in favor of four Human Rights Council resolutions in 2014 and 2015 condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently on 2 July 2015.[5] It has also voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, including Resolution 69/189 on 18 December 2014, which expressed “outrage” at the continued use.[6]

FYR Macedonia is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is also a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Interpretative issues

During the negotiations of the convention, FYR Macedonia supported the inclusion of provisions on “interoperability” (joint military operations with states not party that may use cluster munitions), but said this was not an excuse for countries to continue to use, produce, and transfer cluster munitions.[7] In 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Monitor that the provisions on interoperability were of particular importance to FYR Macedonia as a direct participant in international military operations. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FYR Macedonia will warn international military forces that it does not accept the use of cluster munitions in operations that it participates in.[8]

In 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that in the event of the deployment of foreign military forces on the territory of FYR Macedonia, the government will inform them that it will not be possible to stockpile cluster munitions in FYR Macedonia.[9] In 2010, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told the Monitor that FYR Macedonia prohibits the transit of cluster munitions across its national territory.[10]

FYR Macedonia has yet to elaborate its views on the prohibition on investment in cluster munition production, another important issue for the interpretation and implementation of the convention.

Use, production, and transfer

FYR Macedonia reports that it has never produced cluster munitions.[11] FYR Macedonia has stated it has not used cluster munitions.[12]

Stockpile destruction

After initially reporting that it did not stockpile cluster munitions, FYR Macedonia in September 2011 announced the discovery of a stockpile of cluster munitions at a military storage site.[13] It subsequently reported a stockpile of 1,000 M93 120mm bombs and 40,376 submunitions of two kinds (23,000 KB-2 submunitions and 17,376 AO-2.5RT submunitions contained in BKF cartridges).[14]

Article 3 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions required that FYR Macedonia destroy all stockpiled cluster munitions under its jurisdiction and control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 August 2018.

FYR Macedonia destroyed the last of its stockpile of cluster munitions at a munitions disposal site in Krivolak on 25 October 2013, years in advance of the deadline.[15] A total of 988 M93 120mm bombs and 1,438 AO 2.5 PT shipping containers containing 39,980 submunitions (22,724 KB-2 and 17,256 AO-2.5 RT submunitions) were disassembled and destroyed.[16]

The stockpile was destroyed by the Ministry of Defence in cooperation with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) over a nine-month project beginning in February 2013 with financial support provided by the Ministry of Defence and the governments of Germany and Norway.[17] The destruction process involved delaboration (disassembly) at the Erebrino military site and physical destruction through open burning and detonation at the Krivolak training area. FYR Macedonia reported that the destruction was performed in a way “not endangering the environment and to minimize the risk of contamination.”[18] In a presentation to the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in September 2013, FYR Macedonia described the “self-help” process using an ammunition-destruction style of stockpile destruction, known as “SHADOW,” and offered to share its experience with other countries.[19]

FYR Macedonia is not retaining any cluster munitions for training or research purposes.[20]



[1] On 29 August 2009, FYR Macedonia adopted the Law on the Ratification of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was published in its Official Gazette on 31 August 2009 (No. 108/2009). Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Reports, Form A, 8 May 2012, 9 September 2011, and 2 May 2013.

[2] Statement of FYR Macedonia, Convention on Cluster Munitions First Meeting of States Parties, Vientiane, 10 November 2010.

[3] FYR Macedonia submitted its initial Article 7 report on 9 September 2011 (for the period from 10 August 2010 to 9 September 2011) and updated reports on 8 May 2012 (9 September 2011 to 7 May 2012), 2 May 2013 (8 May 2012 to 30 April 2013), 4 April 2014 (for calendar year 2013), and 27 April 2015 (for calendar year 2014).

[4] For details on FYR Macedonia’s cluster munition policy and practice through early 2009, see Human Rights Watch and Landmine Action, Banning Cluster Munitions: Government Policy and Practice (Ottawa: Mines Action Canada, May 2009), p. 113.

[5] See, “The grave and deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic,” Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/29/L.4, 2 July 2015; “The continuing grave deterioration in the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic,” UN Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/28/20, 27 March 2015; “The continuing grave deterioration in the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic,” UN Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/26/23, 27 June 2014; and “The continuing grave deterioration of the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab Republic,” UN Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/25/23, 28 March 2014.

[6]Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic,” UNGA Resolution A/RES/69/189, 18 December 2014. FYR Macedonia voted in favor of similar resolutions on 15 May and 18 December 2013.

[7] FYR Macedonia described Article 21 as an effort to help countries that have shown the political will to join the convention to continue to have practical cooperation with states not party to the convention. Discussion during the Committee of the Whole on Interoperability, Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions, 26 May 2008. Notes by Landmine Action.

[8] Interview with Edward Mitevski, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Skopje, 23 March 2011.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Telephone interview with Majkl Sibinovski, Director, Arms Control Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 15 February 2010.

[11] It declared “N/A” for not applicable in the Article 7 report section for information on the status and progress of programs for conversion or decommissioning of production facilities. Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form E, 9 September 2011.

[12] Statement of FYR Macedonia, Convention on Cluster Munitions First Meeting of States Parties, Vientiane, 10 November 2010; and statement by Antonijo Miloshoski, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Convention on Cluster Munitions Signing Conference, Oslo, 3 December 2008. Notes by Landmine Action.

[13] Statement of FYR Macedonia, Convention on Cluster Munitions Second Meeting of States Parties, Beirut, 14 September 2011. In November 2010, FYR Macedonia informed States Parties that it did not stockpile cluster munitions and stated that it was making “final inspections.” Statement of FYR Macedonia, Convention on Cluster Munitions First Meeting of States Parties, Vientiane, 10 November 2010.

[14] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form B, 8 May 2012. FYR Macedonia’s initial Article 7 report listed approximately 70,000 AO-2.5RT submunitions contained in 1,448 “shipping containers,” which are actually BKF cartridges (also called “blocks”). The Macedonian Arms Control Center has since provided clarification that an approximate number of submunitions was provided based on the weight of the cluster bomb container (70,000 kilograms) because Macedonian officials had never completed delaboration (disassembly) of the additional cluster munitions. After May 2012, during the research and development phase of its stockpile destruction with the assistance of NPA, delaboration was carried out and it was determined that each “shipping container” of BFK cartridges contains 12 submunitions; so the number of submunitions was accordingly revised from 70,000 to 17,376. Email from Arms Control Center (Centar za kontola na vooruzuvanje), 4 June 2012.

[15] NPA Press Release, “Macedonia Cluster Munitions Free,” 25 October 2013.

[16] The Monitor does not include the 1,438 BKF cartridges (“shipping containers”) in the total number of stockpiled cluster munitions as they are not considered cluster munitions if the cartridges are not in a KMGU dispenser. Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Forms B and C, 2 May 2013. The Article 7 report does not explain what happened to the additional reported 12 M93 120mm bombs, and the 276 KB-2 and 120 AO-2.5 RT submunitions.

[17] In April 2013, FYR Macedonia stated that the Ministry of Defense signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NPA on 19 February 2013 to implement a joint project to destroy the stockpile of cluster munitions. It stated that the destruction process would be completed by 31 October 2013. The agreement followed three phases carried out by NPA and the Ministry of Defense during 2012: a verification and feasibility assessment in January, a research and development period in April, and a proving and preparation phase in November. During the research and development phase, 12 M93 120mm mortar projectiles and 396 submunitions (276 KB-2 submunitions and 120 AO-2.5RT submunitions) were destroyed. The fourth phase of the project, implementation, was finished on 31 October 2013. Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form B, 4 April 2014.

[18] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form B, 4 April 2014.

[19] Presentation by Dusko Uzunovski, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Macedonia to Geneva, Convention on Cluster Munitions Fourth Meeting of States Parties, Lusaka, 11 September 2013.

[20] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form C, 9 September 2011. FYR Macedonia has left Form C blank in subsequent Article 7 reports, indicating no change since the initial declaration.


Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 18 December 2019

Policy

North Macedonia (previously the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 9 September 1998, becoming a State Party on 1 March 1999. While it has not enacted new national implementation legislation, it has reported that prohibited activities are covered by existing criminal law.

North Macedonia has attended some meetings of the treaty, most recently the Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties in 2015. North Macedonia did not attend the Third Review Conference in Maputo in June 2014.

It was not present for the vote on UN General Assembly Resolution 73/61 on 5 December 2018, which promoted implementation of the convention.[1]

North Macedonia is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its Amended Protocol II on landmines and Protocol V on explosive remnants of war. It is also party to the convention on Cluster Munitions.

Production, transfer, stockpiling, and retention

North Macedonia has stated that it never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.[2] It completed destruction of its stockpile of 38,921 antipersonnel mines on 20 February 2003, just ahead of the deadline mandated by the treaty. On 10 July 2006, FYR Macedonia destroyed the 4,000 antipersonnel mines that it had been retaining for research and training.[3]

In May 2011, FYR Macedonian army specialists discovered a small stockpile consisting of eight containers containing a total of 1,248 PFM-1S antipersonnel mines during efforts to determine what munitions needed to be destroyed in accordance with FYR Macedonia’s obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions. On 10 May 2011, the government of FYR Macedonia adopted Decision No. 48/3 which tasked the Ministry of Defense to destroy the munitions. At the request of the Ministry of Defense, the Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) visited the storage site to provide technical assistance in determining the most appropriate method of destruction.[4]

On 10 May 2012, Macedonian army specialists in cooperation with the GICHD completed the destruction of the 1,248 newly discovered mines during destruction activities near Skopje.[5]



[1] “Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction,” UNGA Resolution 73/61, 5 December 2018.

[2] Some of the former Yugoslavia’s mine production facilities were located in what is today North Macedonia, but the government states that production had ceased. Fax from Ministry of Defense, 20 April 2004.

[3] For additional details, see, Landmine Monitor Report 2006, p. 508.

[4] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Forms A and B, 2012.

[5] Statement by Col. Tomislav Rizeski, Head of Arms Control Centre, Ministry of Defense, Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, 21 May 2012; and Mine Ban Treaty Implementation Support Unit, “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia destroys previously unknown stockpiled anti-personnel mines,” Press Release, Geneva and Skopje, 10 May 2012.


Support for Mine Action

Last updated: 24 August 2011

In 2010, Macedonia did not report any contributions to its mine action program.

 

In 2010, the United States was Macedonia’s sole international mine action donor, contributing $127,661 towards underwater clearance activities.

Summary of contributions: 2009–2010[1]

Year

International contributions ($)

2010

127,661

2009

200,000

Total

327,661

 

 



[1] US Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety 2011,” Washington, DC, July 2011; and US Department of State, “To Walk the Earth in Safety 2010,” Washington, DC, July 2010.