Key developments since May 2005: Mine clearance and technical survey
in 2005 released 10.6 square kilometers of land, more than in 2004 but much less
than required by the 2005-2009 strategic plan. Over 100,000 people received
mine risk education in 2005. The downward trend in new casualties continued in
2005; 19 casualties were reported. In January 2006, EUFOR found the largest
weapons cache since the beginning of its operation in BiH, including more than
500 antipersonnel mines. Hundreds of antipersonnel mines were collected from
the population under Operation Harvest in 2005. BiH reported that at the end of
2005, it retained 1,305 active antipersonnel mines, 822 fuzeless mines and
15,343 MRUD (Claymore-type) directional fragmentation mines.
Mine Ban Policy
Bosnia and Herzegovina
(BiH)[1]signed the Mine Ban Treaty on
3 December 1997, ratified it on 8 September 1998, and became a State Party on 1
March 1999. On 29 December 2004, parliament approved Article 193A, which is an
amendment to the criminal code, applying penal sanctions for violations of the
treaty.[2]
Landmine Monitor has obtained a copy of BiH’s annual Article 7
transparency report for calendar year 2005, dated April 2006, but as of 1 July
2006 the report had not been posted to the UN website. BiH submitted six
previous Article 7 reports.[3]
BiH attended the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in Zagreb, Croatia in
November-December 2005, where it made statements during the high-level segment,
and on mine clearance and victim assistance. It also attended the
intersessional Standing Committee meetings in June 2005 and May 2006. In May,
it made a statement on mine clearance.
With regard to State Party discussions on interpretation and implementation
of Article 1 of the Mine Ban Treaty, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April
2003 stated that BiH “neither participates nor supports participation, and
will not participate in joint military operations with any forces planning,
exercising or using antipersonnel mines.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
has also stated that BiH will not allow the storage or transit of antipersonnel
mines belonging to other countries in or through its
territory.[4]BiH has not expressed
its views with regard to issues related to Article 2 (mines with sensitive fuzes
and antihandling devices) or Article 3 (permissible number of mines retained for
training).
BiH is a State Party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its
Amended Protocol II on landmines. It did not attend the Seventh Annual
Conference of States Parties to the protocol in November 2005, but submitted an
annual report required by Article 13 on 22 August 2005.
Production, Transfer, Use, and Illegal Stores
BiH inherited the mine production facilities of the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia in Goražde, Vogošcá, Bugojno and Konjic.
The Demining Commission has stated that production of antipersonnel mines had
ceased by 1995.[5]BiH has reported
on the conversion of these production
facilities.[6]While BiH is not known
to have exported antipersonnel mines, there have been reports in the past of
weapons smuggling including mines.[7]Since BiH joined the treaty, Landmine Monitor has noted occasional use of
mines in criminal activities, but there were no reports of use of antipersonnel
mines in 2005 or the first half of 2006 by anyone in BiH.
Illegal stores of mines continued to be discovered and collected in 2005 and
2006. BiH has apparently not reported on these discoveries of antipersonnel
mines, nor on their destruction, in its Article 7 reports. The Dayton Agreement
allows international military forces to search for and collect illegally held
weapons, including mines. Once mines come into their possession, they stay
under international control until final destruction. The European Force (EUFOR)
took over from the Stabilization Force (SFOR) on 2 December 2004. EUFOR will
maintain the right to inspect weapons storage sites until its complete
withdrawal from BiH.[8]EUFOR Joint
Military Affairs is in charge of a range of issues including maintaining a
record of items stored in military sites, and weapons and ammunition
disposal.[9]
In January 2006, EUFOR found the largest weapons cache since the beginning of
its operation in BiH. The cache was found in an underground bunker in northwest
Bosnia and included more than 500 antipersonnel mines, 200 mortar bombs, hand
grenades, explosives and a
rocket-launcher.[10]On 20 December
2005, in a joint operation by the police, EUFOR and the Federal Prosecutor, a
large quantity of weapons and ammunition was found in a house in the village of
Domoljevic, in Bazik municipality. Among the weapons were 83 antipersonnel
mines and five antivehicle mines.[11]On 24 July 2005, the police discovered a large amount of weapons and
explosives, including 12 landmines, in the Razljevo village, Brčko
District.[12]In April 2005,
EUFOR soldiers collected a large quantity of weapons, including 53 antipersonnel
mines, in the areas of Bihać and Kiseljak in northwestern
BiH.[13]
The collection of mines and other weapons from the population through
SFOR/EUFOR’s Operation Harvest continued in
2005.[14]EUFOR’s
Multinational Task Force North reported that in 2005 it collected 225
antipersonnel mines and seven antivehicle mines. It could not provide exact
figures for the other two Multinational Task Forces, but noted they should be
“about the same.”[15]The EUFOR Integrated Police Unit reported collecting, among other weapons,
3,720 bombs, mines, grenades and rockets in
2005.[16]
Stockpiling and Destruction
BiH declared completion of its antipersonnel stockpile destruction program in
November 1999, with a total of 460,727 mines destroyed. Destruction was carried
out at various locations by the two Entity Armies with SFOR assistance. The
stockpile consisted of 19 types of
mines.[17]The number of destroyed
mines was amended to 460,925 in BiH’s May 2004 Article 7 report, to
461,634 in its May 2005 report, and to 462,351 in its April 2006
report.[18]No explanation has been
given for the changes.
In addition, in reporting on stockpiled mines destroyed after entry into
force, BiH has included a line for “demining” by NGOs, commercial
firms and civil protection units. It is unclear if these are newly discovered
stockpiled antipersonnel mines destroyed by these agencies, or mines cleared
from the ground and destroyed by them. The number in the May 2004 Article 7
report is 29,751, in the May 2005 report 33,788, and in the April 2006 report
35,453.[19]
Thus, in total, BiH has reported that 490,676 antipersonnel mines had been
destroyed by the end of 2003, 495,422 mines by the end of 2004, and 497,804
mines by the end of 2005.[20]
In 2003, SFOR found very large additional quantities of antipersonnel mines
among old munitions, after the Entity Armies requested assistance with
downsizing military storage sites and dealing with old munitions in storage. An
SFOR publication reported that several hundred thousand antipersonnel mines were
awaiting destruction at these sites.[21]By March 2004, 2,574 antipersonnel mines, 31,920 antivehicle mines and
302,832 detonators had been
destroyed.[22]Landmine Monitor has
been unable to obtain updated information on further destruction or new
discoveries at storage sites of antipersonnel mines.
The BiH government has not formally reported the existence of these newly
discovered stocks of antipersonnel mines, has not provided details on numbers
and types of mines, and has not made known the timetable for destruction of the
mines.
The program to reduce the stockpile of munitions in BiH under the approval,
monitoring and verification of EUFOR has continued. Based on Military Sites
Reduction Plans, the number of weapon storage sites was decreased from 21 to 13,
ammunition storage sites from 36 to 26, and military sites from 121 to 99, by
the end of 2005.[23]
A UN Development Programme (UNDP) official told Landmine Monitor in June 2006
that UNDP has not received any information on stockpiled antipersonnel mines
(other than MRUD directional fragmentation mines) being identified at the sites
thus far.[24]
Mines Retained for Research and Training
BiH reported that, at the end of 2005, it retained 17,471 antipersonnel
mines, including 1,305 active antipersonnel mines, 822 fuzeless mines and 15,343
MRUD (Claymore-type) directional fragmentation
mines.[25]
The number is at first startling, since BiH reported that, at the end of
2004, it retained 2,755 antipersonnel mines, including 2,058 active mines and
697 fuzeless mines.[26]The
difference is mostly due to the inclusion of 15,343 MRUD mines held by BiH Armed
Forces in its total. BiH did not explain why the MRUD mines were included this
year, but not previously.[27]It
also did not explain the decrease of 753 active mines or the increase of 125
fuzeless mines.
A UNDP official told Landmine Monitor that some 12,000 MRUD mines had been
identified earlier in 2006 during weapons storage site downsizing efforts; he
indicated a decision had been made to destroy them because of their potential to
be converted into mine-like devices.[28]
Of the active mines, 299 are held by the BiH Armed Forces in Rudo warehouse;
BiH has only said these are used “for training
purposes.”[29]Another 1,006
active mines are held by five demining agencies. In the Article 7 report dated
April 2006, BiH identified the agencies and the locations and types of mines
held. It stated that all the mines are used for training of mine detection
dogs.[30]
Of the fuzeless mines, the BiH Mine Detection Dog Center for South East
Europe (MDDC) has 608 mines “without fuses in use as targets for explosive
detecting dogs [EDD] testing.”[31]The BiH Mine Action Center (BHMAC) has 204 fuzeless mines kept for
“testing and accreditation purposes,” and “in use on BHMAC EDD
testing polygons.”[32]The
Civilian Protection of the Republic of Srpska has 10 fuzeless mines for dog
training.
While BiH included a significant amount of new information regarding retained
mines in its 2006 Article 7 report, it has still not provided much detail on the
intended purposes and actual uses of its retained mines, as agreed by States
Parties at the First Review Conference in December 2004. The annex in its April
2006 report contains more information about what entities hold the retained
mines, the locations, and which mines are utilized by each, but BiH did not use
the new expanded Form D on retained mines agreed by States Parties at the Sixth
Meeting of States Parties in November-December 2005.
Landmine and ERW Problem
BiH is heavily contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war
(ERW), primarily as a result of the 1992-1995 conflict related to the break-up
of the Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia.[33]The mine
contamination is generally low density. Mines were used extensively along
confrontation lines, which moved frequently. Most minefields are in the zone of
separation between the two entities; this is 1,100 kilometers long and up to
four kilometers wide. In southern and central BiH, mines were often used
randomly, with little record keeping. Some of the affected territory is
mountainous or heavily forested, but the fertile agricultural belt in Brčko
District is one of the most heavily contaminated areas.
At the end of 2005, BiH claimed that more than 2,146 square kilometers (4.14
percent of BiH territory) were suspected to be
contaminated;[34]this is likely to
prove a significant overestimate. At a roundtable in Zagreb to launch the
findings of Landmine Monitor Report 2005, Darvin Lisica, deputy director
of BHMAC, referred to the need to clear only some 400 square kilometers of
affected land.[35]As of December
2005, there were 18,319 mined areas in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.[36]
BiH’s Mid-Term Development Strategy 2004-2007 describes the country as
among the seven most mine-impacted countries in the world and the highest
impacted in Europe. It states that poverty and mine-contamination are directly
correlated with 85 percent of communities affected by mines and unexploded
ordnance (UXO) being rural.[37]In
2003, a total of 1,366 communities and an estimated 1.38 million people were
identified as affected by the presence or suspected presence of mines; more than
half of the communities were connected with agriculture and use of natural
resources. Returning refugees and internally displaced people are particularly
at risk from mine and ERW contamination; two-thirds of affected communities
reported receiving returnees.[38]
Mine Action Program
National Mine Action Authority: The Demining Law of February 2002
established the Demining Commission under the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs and
Communication, and introduced state-level responsibility and coordination of
mine action, previously held by the regional mine action centers of the two
entities. The commission is composed of three members representing the three
ethnic groupings in BiH; it represents BiH in its relations with the
international community on mine-related matters. The commission is also
responsible for: supervising the state mine action center, BHMAC; proposing the
appointment of BHMAC senior staff for approval by the Council of Ministers;
approving the accreditation of demining organizations; facilitating cooperation
between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska
(RS); submitting reports to the BiH Council of Ministers; and informing the
Board of Donors about the commission’s activities as well as progress in
demining.
The commission also mobilizes funds for mine action in cooperation with the
Board of Donors, which includes the embassies of donor governments, the European
Commission (EC), the UN and the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine
Victims Assistance (ITF).[39]
In 2005, the Demining Commission met 30 times; decisions taken are included
in the BHMAC annual report. The commission regarded one of the main challenges
for 2006 as the improvement of mine clearance and permanent marking in order to
comply with the objectives set for 2006 in the BIH mine action
strategy.[40]
Mine Action Center: The BiH Mine Action Center maintains two entity
offices and eight regional offices; it is supported by one UNDP part-time
“strategic advisor.” BHMAC is responsible for implementing
BiH’s demining plan and tasking all mine action operations, including mine
risk education. All mine action organizations must be accredited by BHMAC in
order to work in BiH; new regulations for accreditation and re-accreditation of
agencies were adopted by BHMAC in March 2006, although amendments on
accreditation in the Demining Law remained under
discussion.[41]
There are mine action offices (previously semi-autonomous centers) in each of
the two entities, due to the political structure of the country. The entity
offices deal with the regional offices on quality control/assurance, mine action
planning and general/systematic survey. The quality assurance inspectors are
based in the regional
offices.[42]
According to a Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)
review of June 2006, the establishment of a legal framework for mine action in
2002 created a unified management structure where Bosnian officials responsible
for mine action are capable of planning and managing the country’s mine
action program. The evaluation noted that BHMAC has produced demining
strategies and annual plans; made the transition to near-complete local
management (from the 40-plus international advisors in 1998); increased local
funding;[43]refined the process by
which “priority lists” of tasks are established; and guaranteed a
high quality of work (through prioritization, quality assurance, accreditation
and certification systems).[44]
According to GICHD, the Demining Law, the program administration structure,
the national mine action strategy and the Landmine Impact Survey have provided a
firm foundation for BiH’s national mine action program and allowed
opportunities for performance enhancements. The evaluation noted that BHMAC has
continued to innovate in recent years with the development of Task Assessment
and Planning, leading to the production of Community Integrated Mine Action
Plans. It has also been responsible for improving technical survey, drafting
the new mine action strategy and demining legislation, as well as for efforts to
link mine action with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
(PRSP).[45]
In addition, an international study of the role of survey in mine action,
also prepared by GICHD and published in March 2006, added that
“BHMAC’s enhanced role and expertise is recognized by all
stakeholders,” and observed that donor institutions such as the ITF rely
on BHMAC expertise or seek its approval before funding a mine action
project.[46]
To further improve planning, coordination, and risk and quality management,
in December 2005 BHMAC adopted a new structure reducing the departments in the
operations sector to two, one for management of mine action and one for quality
management. Some headquarter responsibilities, notably quality assurance
inspections and the authority to stop demining operations not in compliance with
standing operating procedures (SOPs), were decentralized to the regional
offices. BHMAC claimed that by streamlining the structure at the top, BHMAC has
become more efficient in decision-making; this is an ongoing process. The
regional offices will become responsible for conducting mine risk education
(MRE) and will liaise with MRE organizations, while BHMAC headquarter will focus
on strategic planning of MRE.[47]
BHMAC does not use the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA),
preferring its own database which has been built up over many years. The data
from the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS), however, was entered into IMSMA and both
databases were finally merged in
2005-2006.[48]In 2004-2005, IMSMA
trials took place in one regional office. The installation of IMSMA was
initially part of UNDP’s Integrated Mine Action Programme support to
BHMAC, but during a revision of this in February 2006, it was decided to remove
this planned activity.[49]
According to the UNDP mine action strategic advisor, the mine action
information management system currently used by BHMAC functioned
satisfactorily.[50]Operators have
to fill out daily task sheets noting down the area cleared or technically
surveyed, and mines/UXO found and destroyed. These sheets are passed on to a
BHMAC quality assurance inspector who monitors the site at least once every
three days; in exceptional circumstances an inspector may visit every day. Data
is analyzed at the BHMAC regional offices and
headquarters.[51]
National Mine Action Legislation and Standards
Mine action organizations in BiH consulted by Landmine Monitor in 2006 were
generally of the opinion that the Demining Law should be improved and broadened
to include all aspects of mine
action.[52]Amendments to the law,
which had been planned for completion in 2005, remained under discussion during
2006; the Demining Commission was undecided as to whether the law should be
amended or a new law should be drafted. In view of the general elections in
October 2006, the process was put on hold until
2007.[53]
BHMAC has claimed that mine action in BiH “is conducted in accordance
with all appropriate international conventions and standards.” There are
15 national standards based on International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) for
different aspects of mine action.[54]Operators reportedly apply all standards that apply to their field
activities.[55]
Strategic Planning and Progress
On 12 October 2004, a new mine action strategy for 2005-2009 was approved by
the Council of Ministers. Its primary aim was that mine action should be
“harmonized with overall national development,” by mainstreaming
mine action and connecting it to development
programs.[56]As of mid-2006, the
Mid-Term Development Strategy 2004-2007 (MTDS, or Poverty Reduction Strategy
Paper) for BiH was under revision. The 2004-2007 MTDS included mine action as a
priority sector; however, only a few development sectors included mine action as
a priority.[57]The intent is
also to increase access for mine action to financial resources allocated to
development programs.[58]
In relation to suspected contamination totaling 2,146 square kilometers, the
2005-2009 mine action strategy planned to clear 21 square kilometers of
“priority 1” area in highly impacted communities, to release 53
square kilometers through technical survey, to conduct general survey on 510
square kilometers, and to carry out systematic survey on 716 square kilometers
of land.[59]
BHMAC claims “success” for mine action in 2005, with reference to
“the strategic plan and set strategic aims being
accomplished.”[60]In 2005,
there were notable increases in areas released through technical survey and
systematic survey (but not clearance or fencing and marking) compared with
previous years. However, in most respects performance in 2005 fell short of
annual targets set by the 2005-2009 strategic plan, which itself sets a target
for demining only 39.5 percent of all currently suspected land by 2009.
Thus, release of suspect land through clearance and technical survey was much
greater in 2005 (10.6 square kilometers) than in 2004 (6.6 square kilometers),
due to more technical survey. However, clearance in 2005 was less than planned
(88 percent or about 500,000 square meters less), while technical survey was
slightly in excess of that planned, and general survey was well below the plan
(56 percent) as was systematic survey (86
percent).[61]In previous years,
performance also fell short of annual plans on several occasions; a strategic
analysis on which the 2005-2009 strategy was based noted that clearance in 2002
was only 54 percent of the plan and in 2004, 43 percent of the
plan.[62]
Permanent marking and fencing of suspect areas―a treaty requirement
until all mined areas are cleared―was 53 percent of the strategic plan in
2005. Permanent marking of 35 square kilometers each year for four years
(totaling 140 square kilometers) was part of the 2005-2009 mine action strategy.
It focuses marking on priority 2 and 3 areas in high- and medium-impact
communities.[63]
Of the total of 1,366 communities identified as mine-affected, 10 of the most
highly impacted have been released during the last two
years.[64]Demining was ongoing in
the other communities. However, BHMAC notes that after three years of demining
operations in impacted communities since the LIS took place, it is not possible
to measure exactly the “new” level of impact. Therefore, BHMAC
discussed with the Survey Action Center (SAC) how to re-analyze the LIS data in
2007 to reflect the changes in mine-affected
communities.[65]
For 2006, it was planned to clear 4.9 square kilometers of suspected area, to
release by technical survey 11.7 square kilometers, and to conduct general
survey on 124.6 square kilometers―as stated in the strategic plan, despite
previous shortfalls. The amount of systematic survey was to be increased from
the planned 177.89 square kilometers to 287.9 square kilometers (201.5 in FBiH
area and 86.4 in RS).[66]BHMAC
estimated that if sufficient funding was in place, 12.8 square kilometers could
be cleared (manually, including mechanical preparation and mine detection dogs)
and 18.1 square kilometers could be technically surveyed per
year.[67]
For 2006, it was again planned to permanently mark 35 square kilometers
despite the shortfalls of previous years. However, as nine square kilometers
were permanently marked during the first five months of 2006, BHMAC expected the
results in 2006 to be greater than 35 square
kilometers.[68]The main focus will
be on the priority 2 areas (locations used occasionally by the population, or
which are adjacent to priority 1 locations, or economic
resources).[69]
Although the operational plan for humanitarian demining for 2006 aimed to
release 16.7 square kilometers of mine-suspected land through clearance and
technical survey, BHMAC estimated, based on donors’ funding plans, that
resources would allow for demining of only 14.5 square kilometers. To cover the
shortfall of two square kilometers, BHMAC planned to investigate engaging the
BiH Armed Forces in technical survey. It was expected that they will receive
one or two demining machines in 2006 as well as technical survey
training.[70]
The 2005-2009 strategy recognized the need for more efficient task assessment
and planning. To achieve this, BHMAC, SAC and Norwegian People’s Aid
(NPA) developed task assessment and planning (TAP), first piloted in 2003 as
follow-up to the LIS. Based on the LIS data, TAP consists of a more thorough
risk assessment of suspected hazard areas affecting each community, assessing
the potential benefits that will occur from clearing suspected areas, the
specific vulnerability of at-risk groups, and the formulation of a community
integrated mine action plan (CIMAP) that combines clearance, technical survey,
marking, mine risk education and victim assistance.
The TAP concept concentrates scarce demining resources on hazards that
represent clear risks for the communities and/or where significant economic
benefits would accrue following clearance (including the sustainable return of
refugees and internally displaced people). For other suspect areas, MRE and
marking would be used to reduce risks to an acceptable level. CIMAPs reportedly
aim to be flexible, allowing tasks to be undertaken in neighboring communities
that also have an impact upon the community being directly
addressed.[71]By the end of 2005,
BHMAC had prepared plans for 21 TAPs/CIMAPs, with four more in their final
phase.[72]BHMAC planned to prepare
25 TAPs/CIMAPs in 2006 for high-impact
communities.[73]In 2004, BHMAC had
prepared 15 TAPs/CIMAPs and 13 in
2003.[74]
At the Standing Committee
meetings in May 2006, BiH reported that CIMAPs were producing good results
“in visible and measurable overall impact reduction” in high-impact
communities.[75]During 2005, risk
was reduced from high to low (compared with LIS scoring) in seven communities
through the completion of CIMAPs involving NPA, the Armed Forces, the Federation
Civil protection and an organization contracted through
ITF.[76]The GICHD review indicated
that reports were extremely positive from operators and that community
representatives had endorsed CIMAPs, even though some hazards would only be
marked.[77]
An analysis of 15 CIMAPs completed in 2004 indicated that, of approximately
15 square kilometers of recorded suspect area, more than half was released as
being “without obvious risk” following general survey, and that
marking could reduce risks to acceptable levels for more than one-quarter of the
original suspect area. Thus, demining assets needed to be assigned for
technical survey or clearance on only about 15 percent of the original suspect
area, or 35 percent of the “unreleased” area following general
survey.[78]
The GICHD review, however, raised some concerns such as the risk assessment
process being too complex and time-consuming; that some of the specific
technical survey or clearance tasks had to be redefined leading to the
preparation of new tasks folders and that due to funding uncertainties,
communities were not aware when remaining demining tasks would
commence.[79]In 2006, new CIMAPs
began in 14 highly impacted
communities.[80]
The annual list of priority demining tasks is prepared from October of each
year based on top-down and bottom-up elements. The top-down elements are based
on the results of the LIS (the number of high-, medium- and low-impact areas),
the size of suspect areas defined by systematic surveys and the objectives set
in the Mine Action Strategy for the year. Based on these data, BHMAC prepares a
“balanced plan” allocating the total areas planned for clearance
across entities, cantons and municipalities. The bottom-up element stems from
requests from municipalities. Using those criteria, BHMAC puts each task into
one of three categories using the same definitions as for priority 1, 2 or 3
lands, described earlier. Annual priority lists are then submitted for approval
to the entities and Brčko District governments. An annual plan is formed
and forwarded to the Demining Commission for
approval.[81]
This system works in accordance with Bosnia’s constitutional system,
but donors target their funds to specific areas, not necessarily respecting the
approved priorities. Also, priority 1 land represents far more than can be
demined in a year, raising the question of how it is decided which of the
priority 1 tasks should be addressed and which should
not.[82]
In 2006, BHMAC planned to improve the priority setting system by establishing
a working group. BHMAC wants to make priority setting more transparent and
include demining requirements arising from sector development plans, the concept
of risk reduction, and the number of casualties. Previously, BHMAC has focused
on releasing land for returnees, but the process of returns had almost
finished.[83]
UNDP continued its Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP) in 2005; phase three
covers 2004-2008 and aims to leave in place a sustainable mine action program.
The program also includes establishing “a clear link between mine
clearance priorities and national/local long-term economic development”
and reversing the “slowing rates of mine clearance that have been
witnessed as a result of shortfalls in donor funding.” IMAP was revised in
February 2006 and includes three components: capacity development (to allow the
BiH government to take full ownership of mine action by the program’s end
in 2009, including the transfer of financial responsibility to the BiH
government); clearance of up to 1.5 square kilometers of mined land selected for
its value to development and to returnees; and assistance to the Armed
Forces’ demining teams. According to UNDP, donors feel that the IMAP
strategy has been successful. The BiH government has increased its funding of
mine action in line with IMAP.[84]
Summary of Efforts to Comply with Article 5
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, 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 2009. From progress made so far, it seems
clear that Bosnia will fall short of this requirement and will be therefore have
to request an extension from States Parties. At the Standing Committee meetings
in May 2006, BiH stated, “after the Nairobi Summit, Bosnia and Herzegovina
took necessary steps to further develop and improve mine action and to enhance
performance in accordance with tasks set by the Nairobi Action Plan. These
steps obviously resulted in very respectable achievements in the last year.
Unfortunately the vast size of the mine infested area still present significant
problem in our country. Therefore we still extensively depend on international
financial support, while at the same time introducing maximum efforts and local
capacities and means, based on realistic plans and achievable
aims.”[85]BiH did not
explicitly acknowledge that the targets included in the BHMAC mine action
strategy miss the Article 5 deadline.
BiH’s mine action strategy 2005-2009 states that the “basic aim
is the reduction of risk and its associated socio-economic impact to an
acceptable level.” This is to be achieved through a reduction in the
mine-suspected area by a total of 790 square kilometers, representing “a
39.5% reduction...of the current suspect area by the end of
2008.”[86]This is a worthy
objective, but clearly does not constitute full compliance with Article 5. In
2005, 10,607,599 square meters were released in BiH through manual clearance and
technical survey, bringing the total of land released through clearance and
technical survey since 1999 to about 49 square
kilometers.[87]
The GICHD study published in March 2006 concluded that the prospect of BiH
becoming “landmine-impact-free” by 2010 was far from certain. This
was said to be due to the depressed state of the economy, continued coordination
problems posed by political and ethnic divisions, the presence of numerous
actors, as well as persistent problems with external
funding.[88]
Evaluations of Mine Action
A case study on BiH published in 2005 concluded, “the core institutions
remain weak, particularly in the policy coordination and planning functions
within both the Demining Commission and BHMAC, and the survey function within
BHMAC.”[89]In an interview
with Landmine Monitor in June 2006, the deputy director of BHMAC replied,
“I am very angry, because this is not true. Corruption happened in 2001
and we suffered the consequences.” BHMAC said that the structure and
management of mine action had been changed and the GICHD study did not reflect
those changes.[90]GICHD visited
the BiH mine action program again in May 2006 to conduct a mid-term review of
UNDP’s IMAP. Referring to the draft report of that evaluation, BHMAC
deputy director was said to be “very satisfied, and that GICHD were happy
with what they saw.”[91]
Another GICHD study, published in March 2006, of the role of survey in mine
action, reported in its chapter on BiH that, despite millions of dollars spent
on uncovering the extent of mine contamination in BiH, progress in actual
landmine clearance and in reduction of the size and number of mined areas has
been slow. No survey has provided a comprehensive picture of contamination in
the country; the countrywide LIS did not identify all the suspected mined areas.
After comparing results from systematic survey and the LIS, BHMAC concluded that
some 29.87 percent of suspected hazard areas were not identified as impacted by
the LIS. Surveys have often resulted in identifying new suspected mined areas,
thus increasing the total suspected mine size.
However, according to the GICHD study, the 2002 LIS stands out as the most
comprehensive effort to grasp the entirety of the landmine contamination in BiH,
mapping for the first time the socioeconomic impact of landmines, although some
argue that such a survey should have been conducted earlier. The study also
found that BHMAC lacked comprehensive post-clearance evaluation to collect
information on whether the land cleared is used by the
community.[92]
UNDP’s May 2006 review of the IMAP concluded that it has been
successful in supporting the emergence of national capacities for planning and
coordination of the mine action program. Continued donor support is said to be
necessary, and should include support of the institutional framework as well as
demining operations, but this should be contingent on the establishment of a
senior position responsible for strategic management within the Ministry of
Civil Affairs and
Communication.[93]
Demining
Demining assets available to BHMAC exceeded funding in 2005 as in previous
years.[94]Of 38 accredited
demining organizations at the start of 2005, 24 undertook clearance/technical
survey (28 in 2004), employing 1,492 deminers and medical staff (1,758 in 2004).
Including other personnel, a total of 1,930 were employed in 2005 out of 2,700
personnel available.[95]Demining
organizations possessed 107 accredited mine detection dog teams (91 in 2004) and
33 machines (38 in 2004), but does not state how many were used in 2005.
However, funding increased in 2005 and at the same time BHMAC lacked adequate
survey capacity; due to a hiring freeze for state employees, BHMAC could not
increase its complement of surveyors beyond 39 personnel. NPA assisted by
providing another 14 of its personnel to train and undertake general survey for
BHMAC, increasing capacity to 53 surveyors in 27 survey teams capable of
covering 80 square kilometers.[96]
The Mine Detection Dog Center trained 12 teams for the local NGOs STOP Mines,
BH Demining, Pro Vita and EKO Dem, six teams for hiring out to NGOs in BiH and
Albania, and mine detection dogs for Afghanistan, Iraq and the United
States.[97]
Identification of Mined Areas: Surveys and Assessments
Identification of mined areas in BiH has been ongoing since 1998, by means of
general assessment, systematic survey, LIS, technical survey and other means
including ongoing collection of wartime records; it remained incomplete by
mid-2006. In view of the widespread and random nature of mine contamination in
BiH, identification activities have been deemed particularly
important.[98]
At the end of 2005, BHMAC estimated the total area potentially contaminated
by mines and UXO as 2,146.7 square kilometers (4.14 percent of BiH territory), a
decrease from the December 2004 estimate of 2,300 square
kilometers.[99]At the end of May
2006, following the release of 57.52 square kilometers of mine suspected land,
the estimated area potentially contaminated by mines and UXO fell to 2,089.18
square kilometers.[100]The area
of actual contamination is not known. In November 2005, however, the deputy
director of BHMAC referred to the need to clear only some 400 square kilometers
of affected land.[101]However,
the 18,600 minefields recorded by BHMAC in 2003-2004 were said to represent only
about 60 percent of all minefields, due to the unreliability of wartime
records.[102]
A reassessment of minefield records was initiated by BHMAC in 2006 and was
complete by June 2006. Preliminary results show that only one million landmines
were held by the various warring factions during the war (instead of the three
to six million sometimes previously claimed). During the past nine years,
461,000 stockpiled mines have been destroyed and 39,200 mines were cleared from
minefields. Thus, according to BHMAC analysis, there remain some 500,000 mines
in the ground.[103]
Mine/UXO-suspected Areas (square kilometers) in BiH at 31 December
2005[104]
Entity/District
Suspected hazardous area
Priority 1
Priority 2
Priority 3
Federation BiH
1,429.4
154.5
395.0
879.9
Republika Srpska
664.4
111.3
203.0
350.1
Brčko District
52.9
15.3
16.6
21.0
Total BiH
2,146.7
281.1
614.6
1,251
In 2005, BHMAC teams conducted general survey on 1,647 locations totaling
64.64 square kilometers (56 percent of plan); the shortfall is said to be due to
BHMAC prioritizing the opening of new tasks and follow-up on existing tasks.
BHMAC surveyors are also qualified to take on quality assurance; as BHMAC
increased its demining operations by 58 percent in 2005, it did not have enough
quality assurance inspectors to monitor those activities, and thus used
surveyors for quality control of demining
operations.[105]
Systematic survey released 147.4 square kilometers, 14 percent less than the
strategic plan (170.1 square kilometers). BHMAC added that shortfalls from
previous years had not been recovered and would require additional efforts in
2006 to reduce suspected areas.[106]An increase of personnel in November 2005 was expected to allow general
and systematic survey of 287.9 square kilometers of suspected area in
2006.[107]Systematic survey is a
non-technical general assessment (mostly through desk research of war
records).[108]According to the
GICHD study of survey and mid-term review of the IMAP, it has resulted in the
reduction in hazard areas by 50 percent in the Federation of BiH, confirming
that the contaminated area had been significantly
overestimated.[109]
Technical survey was carried out on nearly 6.6 square kilometers in 2005,
slightly above plan.[110]In
2006, it was planned to technically survey 11.7 square kilometers in priority 1
and 2 areas in high-, medium- and low-impact communities, concentrating on
agricultural land in priority 2
areas.[111]Technical survey is
based on general survey, systematic survey and LIS information from BHMAC. In
general survey, surveyors in the field collect information on contaminated
areas; if there is a clear indication of landmines having been laid, a technical
survey is conducted to reduce the size of the suspected area and to determine
the exact perimeter of the minefield. Given the low density of mines and the
likelihood of overlapping minefields, if one area is suspected to be dangerous
but the presence of landmines is uncertain, it will be targeted for technical
survey.
BHMAC issued standing operating procedures for technical survey in 2003.
When the presence of mines is detected, the mined area is marked by
semi-permanent or permanent fences. Areas where no signs of mines are found are
declared “areas without obvious risk;” 1/25th of an area processed
by a machine are quality controlled by manual deminers or dogs (as long as there
were no indications of landmines), accelerating greatly the process of land
release.[112]
Marking and Fencing
BHMAC annual reports indicate that, despite considerable efforts, the treaty
obligation to perimeter-mark, monitor and fence mined areas, “to ensure
the effective exclusion of civilians” prior to clearance, had not been
fully implemented in BiH as of the end of 2005. In 2005, BHMAC achieved
permanent marking of 18.3 square kilometers of suspected area, 53 percent of the
plan to permanently mark 35 square kilometers; 1,165 permanent signs and 11,157
meters of fence were put in place. Reasons cited for the shortfall include lack
of local authority funding and lack of interest by international donors,
although BHMAC recognizes that fencing/marking is one of the cheapest forms of
risk reduction.
Inclusion of fencing and marking in CIMAPs is thought likely to result in
more funding for this activity. BHMAC survey teams and mine action NGOs also
place emergency warning signs in the course of their other work; in 2005, BHMAC
teams placed 6,645 signs (55 percent of plan) and three NGOs placed 700 signs
(13 percent of plan) whilst carrying out
MRE.[113]
BHMAC standing operating procedures require an accredited/qualified person to
ensure fences and signs meet BHMAC specifications and are correctly placed; the
local BHMAC office, municipality and Civil Protection are also informed. With
both permanent and emergency marking/fencing, monitoring by local authorities
and Civil Protection may be
requested.[114]
Mine and ERW Clearance
In 2005, mine clearance operations were carried out on 4,009,051 square
meters of land (88 percent of plan); manual methods were supported by mine
detection dogs and ground preparation machines. An additional 6,598,548 square
meters was declared clear and released as a result of technical survey. In
2004, a larger area (4,295,315 square meters) was cleared and a much smaller
area (2,317,402 square meters) was reduced by technical
survey.[115]
Area (square meters) Cleared/Surveyed and Mines/UXO Destroyed in BiH in
2005[116]
Types of land released by technical survey in 2005 were: land for agriculture
(38 percent), for repatriation of refugees (31 percent), for infrastructure (14
percent), for industry (seven percent), for communication installation (three
percent), and “other” (seven
percent).[118]In 2005, battle
area clearance was also conducted at Vogošća, near Sarajevo, on a
small area contaminated with cluster munitions; no further information has been
reported on the work at this site.[119]In 2005, 57 percent of all areas cleared were located in the Federation of
BiH, while 28 percent were in Republika Srpska, and 15 percent in Brčko
District.[120]
The main demining organizations in 2005 were the Armed Forces and Civil
Protection Agencies, the NGOs NPA, INTERSOS, Canadian International Demining
Corps (CIDC), STOP Mines, BH Demining, Pro Vita, Association for Elimination of
Mines (UEM) and UG ZOM, and commercial companies.
Area (square meters) Cleared/Surveyed by Organizations in BiH in
2005[121]
Organization
Manual clearance (square meters)
Area reduction through technical survey (square meters)
NPA
421,470
1,196,182
INTERSOS
42,136
221,190
CIDC
122,640
560,479
STOP Mines
96,953
549,375
BH Demining
200,377
324,623
ProVita
158,900
650,774
UEM
94,470
143,117
UG Demira
140,699
143,965
UG ZOM
33,214
410,165
APM
7,228
Brčko Civil Protection
5,074
FBiH Civil Protection
200,877
413,775
RS Civil Protection
348,633
307,652
Armed Forces Republika Srpska (RS)
219,912
208,141
Armed Forces FBiH (Bosnian)
215,986
287,306
Armed Forces FBiH (Croatian)
187,500
84,100
Commercial companies
1,512,982
1,097,704
Total
4,009,051
6,598,548
In 2005, the Italian NGO INTERSOS continued manual demining in the Mount
Trebević tourist area and began technical survey in Bjelašnica, also a
tourist area; this was expected to be concluded in 2006. No permanent mine
marking was carried out by INTERSOS. Community liaison MRE was given to local
communities.[122]
Norwegian People’s Aid used a mix of manual demining, machines and
technical survey in 2005. Permanent marking was undertaken on 350,000 square
meters of land, on which 320 permanent mine signs were emplaced; no cases of
theft or disappearance of minefield marking materials were
reported.[123]
The Bosnian NGO STOP Mines carried out manual demining and technical survey
in 2005, mostly in agricultural areas. No permanent marking/fencing was
undertaken. STOP Mines was the lead organization in the EC-funded project
Action Against Antipersonnel Mines, in consortium with the BiH NGOs Pro Vita and
BH Demining. The project included 2.3 square kilometers of mine-suspected land
in both the Federation and Republika Srpska to be demined over a 15-month
period, 30 percent by clearance and 70 percent by technical survey. By 24
October 2005, 31 task sites had been opened (1.79 square kilometers) of which 25
(1.34 square kilometers) were completed by the end of the 2005 demining
season.[124]
Among other Bosnian NGOs, UG ZOM carried out 15 clearance and technical
survey tasks in 2005; 200 permanent warning signs were also erected, and MRE was
carried out as part of a CIMAP
project.[125]UEM undertook five
projects linked to tourism, urban and rural areas, infrastructure and a housing
project for returnees. The mine detection dogs of the commercial firm UXB were
used, and community liaison MRE was
conducted.[126]
The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) conducted clearance and
technical survey on 1,202,945 square meters of suspected land (an increase on
1,061,674 square meters in 2004), with manual, mechanical and dog assets. EUFOR
defined for the first time the compulsory minimum demining output for the AFBiH.
This area was 1,310,400 square meters, six percent more than the annual plan,
which was exceeded (1,460,996 square meters cleared/technically
surveyed).[127]The cost for one
square meter of AFBiH demining was KM2.67
(US$1.70).[128]EUFOR reported a
number of AFBiH shortcomings in demining, namely: insufficient care, control,
organization and management at task sites resulting in disorganized demining
without deadlines or responsibility for deadlines, failure to use resources to
full potential, failure to obey working orders, and insufficient logistical
organization and support.[129]
Commercial demining companies cleared 1,512,982 square meters in 2005,
similar to 2004 (1,565,007 square meters), and technically surveyed 1,097,704
square meters, a large increase on 2004 (318,274 square
meters).[130]
ITF reported that it executed 20 tenders (12 for clearance and eight for
technical survey) in BiH in 2005. ITF projects were responsible for the
clearance of 2.24 square kilometers and release through technical survey of 2.79
square kilometers of mine/UXO-suspected land. ITF also funded mechanical ground
preparation by AFBiH demining
units.[131]
By March 2006, there were 33 demining organizations and 34 machines employed.
In 2006, the three separate army units started operating as one demining unit;
there were also two new mine action NGOs and three new commercial
organizations.[132]One NGO,
Handicap International (HI), was accredited in May 2006 to conduct
demining.[133]
The start of the mine clearance season in 2006 was delayed until April by bad
weather.[134]However, BHMAC
estimated that 57.52 square kilometers of suspected land were demined during the
first five months of 2006. Systematic survey reduced 55.83 square kilometers
of suspected area. Technical survey teams reduced 630,081 square meters,
destroying 69 mines and 40 items of UXO. Clearance operations released
1,062,793 square meters, destroying 792 mines. General survey teams covered
30.77 square kilometers of suspected
land.[135]
Also during the first five months of 2006, 24 permanent marking projects were
implemented; 6,065,900 square meters of suspect area were marked with 645
individual mine signs.[136]
BHMAC carries out quality assurance on demining operations, personnel, mine
detection dogs, machines and mine detectors. In 2005, as in previous years,
BHMAC also employed two independent monitoring organizations to carry out
quality assurance; they undertook sampling and safety procedures but did not
issue certificates. All demining organizations also have their own internal
quality assurance
controllers.[137]
Clearance certificates must be issued before cleared land is handed over to
the community. BHMAC also carries out post-clearance control of sites. For
2005, it was decided that five percent of clearance tasks would be checked in
2006 to justify their selection and that the land was being used as intended.
As of June 2006, eight 2005 tasks had been checked, and all showed positive
results (that the land was being used by the communities). In total, some 20-25
tasks were to be reviewed during the
year.[138]The same process was
expected to take place in 2007 with 2006 tasks. In 2006, an evaluation of the
work carried out by three NGOs under an EC contract will include post-clearance
assessment, and be used as a model for future
evaluations.[139]
Deminer safety: During 2005, there were four accidents during
demining operations (two killed and two
injured).[140]The RS Armed
Forces demining unit suffered one fatality in May 2005 during mine clearance
operations in Zvornik; one deminer from BH Demining was killed during technical
survey operations in Doboj area in October 2005; one exploded ordnance disposal
(EOD) operator of the FBiH Civil Protection was injured while disposing of an
item of UXO in October 2005; and one deminer from the NGO N&N Ivsa was
injured during mechanical demining in Orasje in December
2005.[141]Investigations
revealed that the accidents happened when discipline and standing operating
procedures were not observed; technical changes in how clearance/technical
survey should be conducted on hillsides were
recommended.[142]Subsequently,
standing operating procedures were reportedly amended and refresher training was
provided to the demining
teams.[143]
If a civilian or member of a demining organization other than the Armed
Forces is involved in a mine incident/accident, BHMAC leads an investigation
which includes an independent commission, police and state/entity
prosecutor.[144]For the AFBiH,
EUFOR investigates. The Armed Forces have the same rights to compensation as
personnel from NGOs or commercial
companies.[145]Insurance is
obligatory under the Law on Demining, which sets out the amounts of
compensation.[146]
Mine Risk Education
BHMAC estimated that over 100,000 people received mine risk education (MRE)
in 2005 through the activities of local and international NGOs including Anti
Mine Initiative, Genesis, HI, NPA, Posavina Bez Mina, Red Cross Society BiH,
Spirit of Soccer, the governmental Civil Protection agencies and
INTERSOS.[147]The
entity/cantonal ministries of education, UNICEF and International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) provided technical and financial support during 2005.
BHMAC is responsible for the coordination of all mine action operations,
including MRE. This is done through the MRE Policies Board, the MRE
Implementation Board and the technical working group. The aim is to share
information, make assessments of needs, and to avoid duplication of
activities.[148]
BHMAC passed responsibility for training of MRE instructors to the Federal
Administration of Civil
Protection.[149]In 2005, there
were three instructor training courses, with UNICEF support; 65 attendees from
different NGOs and government bodies received the qualification of MRE
instructor. Two MRE management training courses were undertaken with 42
attendees. The majority of those trained in MRE are BiH
nationals.[150]HI trained 31
community actors and sponsored one of the basic MRE courses for instructors in
2005;[151]UNICEF sponsored
training workshops for 250 local government and NGO
professionals;[152]Spirit of
Soccer provided training to 12 coaches and student coaches and gave talks on
MRE;[153]Genesis trained 819
teachers, 157 student teachers and undertook evaluations on 200 teachers; it
also provided training to 503 children peer
educators.[154]Anti Mine
Initiative undertook re-training with the 46 community actors they trained in
2004.[155]
At the end of 2004, BHMAC developed a system for MRE planning at the
community level, which was tested in four communities. This aimed to enhance
community participation in formulating and implementing a CIMAP, enhance
community resilience to risks from mines and ERW, determine how well community
residents can identify priorities, and better understand what constituted
‘acceptable risk’ for vulnerable
groups.[156]A basic training
manual for community-based MRE was produced in November 2005, as a guideline for
MRE trainings and the development of
CIMAPs.[157]Field-testing of the
guidelines took place in four communities graded from high to low impact in one
mine-affected municipality from October 2004 to April 2005. The project was
then expanded to 15 other municipalities in northeastern
BiH.[158]
In 2005, BHMAC focused its MRE activities on inspecting the application of
MRE standards, implementing the 2005 operational plan, and on coordinating and
integrating MRE with other components of mine action. To this end, 26 MRE
components of CIMAPs were developed in 2005, and four were fully implemented by
December; analysis in these four communities showed that 2,600 people received
MRE messages.[159]In 2006,
CIMAPs contained MRE components. It was planned that urgent marking as an
integrated part of MRE would be carried out by three
NGOs.[160]
UNICEF continued providing technical assistance and programming during 2005,
through one full-time MRE advisor, one national assistant and consultants.
According to the MRE advisor, the best way to reduce mine risks that affect
children is to engage the whole community in managing this risk. Therefore,
UNICEF worked with BHMAC to develop a methodology that puts the community at the
center of mine risk management; external agencies serve as facilitators working
with the community to identify problems, vulnerable groups and sustainable
solutions. In 2005, UNICEF sponsored three agencies to undertake community mine
action: Anti Mine Initiative, INTERSOS and
Genesis.[161]
In 2005, Anti Mine Initiative continued its Mine Marking and MRE for the
Community Representatives project in northeastern
BiH.[162]It was involved in the
creation and field-testing of the new MRE training
manual.[163]In June 2005, AMI
was asked to develop MRE plans for 15 CIMAPs; three of these were implemented by
the military with monitoring and technical support by Anti Mine Initiative. In
the course of developing the CIMAP, 690 people were given MRE through door to
door talks, short presentations, leaflets and local radio
shows.[164]
When 471 meters of urgent marking of a mine-suspected area in Doboj
municipality was carried out near a primary school, Anti Mine Initiative also
provided MRE to the
community.[165]
During 2005, the AFBiH started to incorporate MRE into its demining work,
with technical assistance from Anti Mine
Initiative.[166]
In 2005, the NGO Posavina Bez Mina undertook MRE and urgent mine marking in
several municipalities of northeastern BiH and in Brčko District. In
cooperation with the local Civil Protection, 295 mine warning signs were
erected. The NGO has four MRE personnel who participated in BHMAC training
sessions in 2005. In addition to presentations and distribution of MRE
materials, local and national media were used. It also collects information on
mine casualties in the area of Bosanska Posavina, and shares this with
BHMAC.[167]
ICRC/Red Cross Society BiH’s MRE program was restructured in 2005 in
response to BHMAC’s increased capacity to carry out MRE. The ICRC
continued providing technical and financial support for a limited period to
ensure that Red Cross Society BiH’s capacity, skills and structure to
carry out its data gathering and MRE responsibilities under the national
strategy will lead towards the sustainability of the MRE program. ICRC also
continued financing two MRE coordinators in the entity
offices.[168]
The Red Cross Society BiH is one of the key actors in MRE, focusing on
assessment, planning and implementation of TAPs and
CIMAPs.[169]It was planned to
produce seven MRE plans and implement two of them in impacted communities in
2006.[170]Downsizing of the Red
Cross Society BiH started at the end of 2004; by March 2006, 34 fully trained
and accredited volunteers remained (96 in 2004). The main focus has changed
from school-based MRE to working in the community and especially with adult
males.[171]
NPA conducted community liaison, sometimes involving MRE, integrated with
mine clearance. It provided MRE door-to-door, in community group meetings, by
visiting local schools, and by distributing booklets and
leaflets.[172]
HI continued its three-year project, which started in 2004, to develop
sustainable MRE capacity in BiH schools and
communities.[173]In 2005, the 13
ministries of education approved the proposed MRE curriculum. This was piloted
in schools from January to April 2006, to be followed by evaluation and
finalization of the MRE manual for teachers which will be distributed to the
1,900 schools in BiH for use in the 2006-2007 academic year. HI also continued
providing MRE training to NGOs, societies, religious leaders and other
opinion-makers in civil society. In 2005, MRE training was given to 31
community actors (25 from Doboj municipality and six from Ilijas
municipality).[174]
Genesis continued providing school-based MRE, including puppet shows. In
2005, it conducted 772 MRE activities in 125 primary schools and kindergartens
for teachers and children in RS and FBiH. All sessions in schools begin with an
assessment of what the children know about mines, and end with an evaluation of
what they have learned. In total, 6,497 children benefited from the MRE puppet
shows, including 503 children in 24 schools who received training as peer
educators. Interactive peer education workshops were developed for older
children. At the same time as undertaking MRE workshops for the peer educators,
Genesis held workshops for 690 teachers in the same 24 targeted primary
schools.[175]
Genesis also facilitated 43 MRE community participatory mapping workshops for
129 teachers of areas they suspect to contain mines or UXO; the information is
passed on to BHMAC.[176]Workshops were held with 200 teachers to reinforce and evaluate their
experiences in the 22 schools already in the program. Genesis, with the support
of UNICEF, has produced and broadcast 15 educational TV shows for children and
adolescents since 2001.[177]
Spirit of Soccer is a British NGO that teaches children about mine risks
through playing soccer (football) and other
sports.[178]Its staff took part
in the MRE training provided by the FBiH Civil Protection in 2005. In 2005,
6,259 children in 57 sporting clubs received MRE messages through soccer clubs
and summer school camps. Spirit of Soccer donated sports equipment and
undertook repeat visits to monitor how coaches were giving MRE to youth. In
June 2005, the project was tested in karate clubs. Karate was found to be an
excellent medium due to its emphasis on discipline. In 2005, Spirit of Soccer
enlisted sports personalities to provide support, including visits to the summer
camps. It also published a comic book featuring
MRE.[179]
At the end of 2005, INTERSOS completed its MRE project targeting community
representatives and trade union workers in six municipalities in RS and FBiH.
The project aimed to develop local risk reduction capacities, including MRE
focal points, in the most marginalized and at-risk
communities.[180]Approximately
150 people were left with educational tools including handbooks and a video tape
providing advice. Evaluation visits were made to two of the communities; the
results were to be published by
UNICEF.[181]
Funding and Assistance
Landmine Monitor estimated that some US$26.8 million was contributed to mine
action in BiH in 2005 from both national and international sources.
Contributions from national sources increased by KM2.4 million (about $1.5
million) in 2005, and international donations decreased by approximately $2.7
million.[182]National sources
provided approximately 42 percent of total mine action funding in 2005 (33
percent in 2004).[183]
BHMAC reported that KM17,753,131 ($11,288,313) was contributed by national
sources in 2005 (KM15,383,903, or $9,783,278 in 2004), reflecting a trend of
increasing national contributions since 2002. Funding was contributed by the
Council of Ministers (KM3,647,321, or $2,319,146, for BHMAC expenses), by entity
governments (KM11,700,000, or $7,439,435, for the Civil Protection and AFBiH),
by cantons via ITF (KM339,500, or $215,871, for demining, technical survey,
fencing and marking), and by regional administrations and BiH companies
(KM2,066,310, or
$1,313,862).[184]
Fifteen countries reported contributing $15 million for mine action in BiH in
2005, less than in 2004 ($17.7 million from 13 countries and the European
Commission).[185]Donors
reporting funding in 2005 were:
Austria: €510,000 ($634,899), consisting of €500,000 ($622,450)
through ITF for CIMAPs, and €10,000 ($12,449) to Licht für die Welt
for an orthopedic
workshop;[186]
Belgium: €80,000 ($99,592) through ITF for mine
clearance;[187]
Canada: C$1,238,601 ($1,022,371), consisting of C$152,354 ($125,757) to CIDC
for mine detection dogs, C$186,247 ($153,733) to CIDC for capacity support, and
C$900,000 ($742,881) to UNDP for mine
clearance;[188]
Czech Republic: CZK1,179,150 ($49,151) through ITF for mine
clearance;[189]
France: €100,000 ($124,490) through ITF for mine clearance by
UEM;[190]
Germany: €1,700,000 ($2,116,330) through ITF for mine
clearance;[191]
Italy: €485,000 ($603,777) to UNDP for mine action
coordination;[192]
Japan: ¥22,190,000 ($201,526), consisting of ¥9,600,000 ($87,186)
to HOPE 87 for victim assistance, and ¥12,590,000 ($114,340) for victim
assistance;[193]
Luxembourg: €211,240 ($262,973) to HI for
MRE;[194]
Netherlands: €500,000 ($622,450) to UNDP for BHMAC
capacity-building;[195]
Norway: NOK16,463,000 ($2,555,890) through ITF to NPA for mine
action;[196]
Sweden: SEK5 million ($669,254) to BHMAC for mine
clearance;[197]
Switzerland: CHF417,000 ($334,698), consisting of CHF217,000 ($174,171)
through ITF for mine clearance by NPA, and CHF200,000 ($160,527) to Landmine
Survivors Network (LSN) for victim
assistance;[198]
UK: £470,756 ($856,776), consisting of £256,763 ($476,309) through
ITF to EUFOR for equipment for AFBiH, and £213,993 ($389,467) through ITF
for clearance and technical
survey;[199]
US: $4,891,828, consisting of $4,713,252 through the ITF (including
$3,606,379 for clearance and survey, $436,510 to the MDDC, $598,063 for victim
assistance, $54,300 for MRE and $18,000 for a quality control symposium), and
$178,576 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for
LSN.[200]
In addition, Adopt-a-Minefield contributed $297,884 ($280,184 through ITF for
mine clearance and $17,700 to LSN for survivor
assistance).[201]The Diana,
Princess of Wales Memorial Fund contributed £103,436 ($188,254) to Mercy
Corps Scotland for survivor assistance in
BiH.[202]
The Republic of Korea contributed $30,000 through ITF for activities in both
BiH and Croatia.[203]It was not
specified how these funds were distributed. This amount has not been included
in the donor total for 2005.
ITF directed $13,594,458 to BiH in 2005, representing about 49 percent of
total 2005 expenditure, less than in 2004 ($14,059,299, 56 percent of
expenditure).[204]
From the total ITF funding, $8,774,573 (65 percent) was expended on demining,
$2,837,956 (21 percent) on BHMAC support, $788,852 (six percent) on victim
assistance, $80,000 (0.6 percent) on MRE, and $1,113,076 (eight percent) on
other projects.[205]
BHMAC reported international sources of donor funding contributed a total of
about KM30.5 million (approximately $19.4 million) in 2005, including
contributions from ITF, ICRC and
UNDP.[206]
In August 2005, €150,000 ($186,735) was pledged by three Italian
regional authorities for a mine clearance project in BiH proposed by the Italian
Campaign to Ban Landmines (ItCBL). The project funded demining on Trebević
Hill near Sarajevo, the site of the former 1984 Olympic bobsleigh track, and was
linked with Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Turin. The project was to be
implemented by the Italian NGO
INTERSOS.[207]
UNDP reported that it provided KM1,904,856 ($1,211,201) through IMAP to cover
all of BHMAC expenses in 2005 other than staff
salaries.[208]UNDP appealed for
$986,828 for IMAP through the UN Portfolio of Mine Action Projects 2006 ($13,323
was appealed for in 2005).[209]
Landmine/UXO Casualties
In 2005, BHMAC reported 19 new landmine/UXO casualties, including two
children; 10 were killed (including two deminers) and nine were injured
(including two deminers).[210]Of
the new casualties in 2005, 15 were civilians and four were
deminers.[211]This is
significant decrease, by about half, from the 43 casualties reported in 2004,
and from the 54 casualties in
2003.[212]
Casualties continued to be reported in 2006; to April, the eight new mine/UXO
casualties included four killed and four injured; all were adults. Mines killed
at least two while woodcutting, and at least one was killed and two were injured
by UXO while collecting scrap
metal.[213]
Since 1996, ICRC and the Red Cross Society BiH have collected mine casualty
data and provided up-to-date information on mine/UXO incidents nationwide. At
the end of 2005, the BHMAC database contained information on 4,888 mine/UXO
casualties since 1992,[214]and
4,895 as of May 2006.[215]Records indicate that mine/UXO casualties in BiH have declined each year
since 2000.[216]
Data Collection: In 2005, control of the mine/UXO casualty database
passed from ICRC/Red Cross Society BiH to BHMAC, but it continued to be operated
by the Red Cross until BHMAC developed appropriate
capacity.[217]Plans call for all
data on landmine/UXO casualties in BiH to be contained in the integrated
database by the end of 2006, and for BHMAC to provide periodic thematic reports
on casualties to partners, with the aim of better planning and coordination of
survivor assistance and other mine action
programs.[218]
In October 2005, BHMAC held a workshop on the creation of the casualty and
survivor database, attended by ICRC, Red Cross Society BiH, HOPE 87 and Jesuit
Refugee Services. To avoid overlap in data collection, all survivors in the
database were to be visited. Landmine survivors are involved in data collection
through NGOs, which provide assistance to mine
survivors.[219]Discrepancies in
casualty figures between the LIS and ICRC data were expected be clarified in the
data integration and verification process and allow a full reckoning of
landmine/UXO casualties in BiH for the first
time.[220]
In June 2005, mine action professionals from BiH attended a field
epidemiology course, including data collection, mapping and database analysis,
hosted in Sarajevo by UNICEF in conjunction with the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.[221]
Survivor Assistance
At the First Review Conference in Nairobi, BiH was identified as one of 24
States Parties with significant numbers of mine survivors and “the
greatest responsibility to act, but also the greatest needs and expectations for
assistance” in providing adequate services for the care, rehabilitation,
and reintegration of
survivors.[222]Bosnia and Herzegovina presented its 2005-2009 objectives for the Sixth
Meeting of States Parties in November-December 2005. The objectives include:
provide a wide range of assistance programs that include integrated social,
medical and other specialist services, monitor standardized information on
victim assistance activities, and integrate mine/UXO casualty data into a
nationwide injury surveillance system by 2009; increase efficiency of medical
interventions by reduced response times and better coordination between
emergency and continuing medical care providers by 2009; provide quality
prosthetics and rehabilitation to facilitate survivor reintegration and access
to psychological support for all survivors by 2009 with increased cooperation
within the local community; enable access to regular education for children with
disabilities; implement improved training and regulations to facilitate
vocational training and economic reintegration of people with disabilities;
raise awareness about the needs of mine survivors and other people with
disabilities; and enact laws for the rights and benefits for people with
disabilities in accordance with the poverty reduction strategy and the European
Union process of stabilization and
integration.[223]
BiH did not provide an update on progress in meeting its objectives at the
Standing Committee meetings in May 2006, and did not include a victim assistance
specialist on its delegation. It did provide details of mine casualties and
some of the organizations supporting survivor assistance in the voluntary Form J
included with its Article 7 report of April 2006.
In 2005, mine survivors and other members of Landmine Survivors Network
participated in several international conferences: the Sixth Meeting of States
Parties, the Landmine Information Day organized by the European Parliament in
June, the sixth UN Ad Hoc Committee for the Convention on the Protection of
Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, as part of the official BiH
delegation,[224]and the Standing
Committee meetings in May 2006.
Victim assistance is a sub-strategy of the BHMAC Mine Action Strategy
2005-2009.[225]Regarding
survivor assistance and in accord with the objectives within the framework of
the Nairobi Action Plan, the BHMAC plan for 2005 targeted improved information
systems, coordination of activities, legislation, services, employment of
survivors, rehabilitative standards and awareness-raising of landmine/UXO
survivor issues. In 2005, steps toward meeting those goals included: integrate
casualty data; standardize data collection and exchange; direct organizations on
efficient use of available resources; develop a system of reporting and analysis
of program results; encourage donor support; and motivate companies to employ
survivors.[226]
BHMAC is responsible for the coordination of victim assistance through the
Landmine Victim Assistance (LMVA) coordination group, which is composed of
government departments and agencies and
NGOs.[227]In 2005, the group met
three times. HI, which previously provided technical expertise, no longer
participated in the coordination
group.[228]
The Coordination Board for Landmine Victim Assistance, including BHMAC, the
BiH government and NGOs, was established in 2003 to act as the overall
coordinator of assistance
activities.[229]The board meets
a minimum of six times per year. The board members are considered technical
experts in their field; if they accept proposals or plans, or make
recommendations, BHMAC will implement
them.[230]Plans include the
establishment of standards for medical rehabilitation, orthopedic services,
accreditation of organizations, standard operating procedures, training and the
organization of controls and assessments of
projects.[231]
BiH has a healthcare network of “a considerably good level,” with
24 general hospitals and five clinical centers providing physical medicine and
rehabilitation. Services are free of charge for people with life threatening
conditions or with medical insurance. Emergency aid and transport by ambulance
or helicopter are available to all health centers throughout the country. The
time between injury and arrival at healthcare facilities varies, but once in
hospital the provision of surgical care is fast. Continuing medical care
including pain relief, corrective and reconstructive surgery, and specialist eye
and ear services are available. There are enough trained personnel and
sufficient equipment, but more international education would be
beneficial.[232]The number of
ambulances was reportedly insufficient for the entire
country.[233]
In 2005, ICRC and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies coordinated support for the Red Cross Society BiH’s
disaster and conflict preparedness network of 22 emergency response units; ICRC
concentrated on the provision of first-aid kits, on training to strengthen
national operational capacity, and ICRC financed two health
coordinators.[234]
There are 2,280 mine survivors in BiH who suffered amputation of limbs in
mine/UXO incidents. In FBiH, there are 38 community-based rehabilitation (CBR)
centers for physical rehabilitation. There are 22 CBR centers in RS. Victims
of the war, including mine survivors, are treated free of charge at CBRs in both
FBiH and RS. All clinics have basic orthopedic and mobility devices, and by law
people with disabilities have a right to prosthetic and orthopedic devices,
maintenance and repairs. Local production capacity is limited and most
components need to be imported.[235]There are 13 public orthopedic workshops (eight in FBiH, four in RS and
one in Brčko District) and 14 private
workshops.[236]According to the
government, this is a sufficient amount of centers and personnel to cover target
areas (approximately 50,000 to 80,000 inhabitants per
area).[237]Reportedly, the
standard and quality of facilities vary, few technicians have received training
to an international standard, and the high cost of mobility devices limits the
government’s ability to meet the needs of mine survivors and other
amputees.[238]
As of mid-2005, 19 trainees who had graduated from the Prosthetic Distance
Learning Education Program, implemented by US-based Center for International
Rehabilitation, began work in centers across
BiH.[239]
In 2005, 14 mine survivors from BiH received rehabilitation services at the
Institute of Rehabilitation of the Republic of Slovenia. Three students from
BiH continued the prosthetics and orthotics technology course at the School of
Health Studies, University of Ljubljana. ITF and the Faculty of Social Work,
University of Ljubljana, reached an agreement to provide 27 students and five
professors engaged in fieldwork with a three-day study excursion to various
social and disability organizations in Slovenia in December
2005.[240]
As of July 2005, the government of Iceland had donated 1,000 prosthetic
devices to BiH.[241]
There is state-run social welfare network of 60 mental health facilities
developed along with the CBR centers. Counseling is also provided in three
psychiatric clinics, peer support groups and volunteer organizations. Child
mine survivors have access to mainstream education in their communities; most
teachers are trained in dealing with children with disabilities. Through
employment services the government has allocated resources for training and
employment of people with disabilities, employers are obliged to keep people
with disabilities in the job they performed before being disabled or provide an
alternative.[242]
In April 2005, the Red Cross Society BiH began implementation of the Economic
Support to Landmine Survivors and their Families project in cooperation with
Mercy Corps Scotland, funded by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. The
project aims to create employment and income-generating opportunities for
survivors and their families, build capacity to implement such programs, and
advocate for disability rights in the region. In the first phase, data from the
RCSBiH database was utilized to identify potential beneficiaries; a household
assessment of 200 families was conducted along the inter-entity boundary line.
Economic assistance was provided to 90 survivors’ families, with training
and job placements with regional businesses. The Mercy Corps office in Tuzla is
run entirely by national staff, with support from Mercy Corps
headquarters.[243]
Landmine Survivors Network remained active in 2005 in 12 heavily
mine-affected regions of the country, with 12 mine survivor community-based
outreach workers who assist survivors in accessing services. LSN also
establishes social support groups and tracks survivors’ progress towards
recovery and
reintegration.[244]In 2005,
outreach workers conducted 5,761 home visits and made 242 hospital visits to new
survivors or others with limb loss. LSN made first contact with 222 survivors,
entered 184 of these in their database, and funded 41 beneficiaries to obtain
prosthetic devices. Successful referrals or links to existing service providers
were made for 158 clients, there were seven groups with 60 participants for
social integration activities, and direct assistance to the start-up of 42 small
businesses arising out of the organization of eight economic integration groups
comprising 65 participants. LSN and Rotary International supported two private
companies to buy new equipment which allowed the employment of five survivors.
In February 2005, a two-day training course was organized on the commercial
production of greenhouse vegetables for 21 survivors; in March, a third Survivor
Art/Artisan Exhibition, which included 36 survivors; and in September 2005, the
seventh annual Princess Diana Memorial sitting volleyball tournament. Also in
2005, a multi-ethnic sitting volleyball team was established with the support of
LSN in Brčko District. LSN promotes the rights of people with
disabilities, by supporting local NGOs working with and for disabled people, and
organizing regional training for groups on advocacy and human rights
issues.[245]
In 2005, LSN BiH carried out a user-level satisfaction survey with 490
survivors in the LSN database, to be able to provide feedback to prosthetic
centers and relevant government bodies, and to highlight the issue of quality of
prosthetic services and devices.[246]Some key findings of the survey were that most patients (over 80 percent)
went from referral to final fitting of the prosthesis within eight weeks, and
that 87 percent of respondents were generally satisfied with service received,
despite the fact that only 25 percent of respondents were assisted by a complete
rehabilitation team (85 percent were attended by a technician only). The survey
findings led to recommendations on how to bridge the evident communication gap
between service users and prosthetic centers, and how to improve communication
among the prosthetic centers, particularly concerning standardization and
quality control of devices and services
provided.[247]
HI conducts the SHARE-SEE Program (Self Help and Advocacy for Rights and
Equal Opportunities in South East Europe), to raise awareness, strengthen
disability organizations, promote equal opportunities, and full participation of
people with disabilities in the
community.[248]
The NGO HOPE 87 has run two programs for mine survivors, the Medical and
Psychosocial Rehabilitation of Mine Victims in Sarajevo, and the Rehabilitation
and Social Integration of Young People in Sarajevo; the latter project, which
began in April 2004, was completed in December 2005. HOPE 87 provides medical
treatment, psychosocial support and vocational training for mine survivors and
other victims of the war; as of December 2005, 350 people benefited from the
program. The HOPE 87 polyclinic is also a training center for the Sarajevo area
in pain management and care for mine/UXO
survivors.[249]
The NGO Amputee Association (Udruzenje Amputiraca, UDAS), based in Banja
Luka, is active in data collection, facilitating access to prostheses and
rehabilitation treatment, psychosocial support and economic reintegration in RS.
UDAS opened four new offices in Republika Srpska and planned to open three more
in 2006. The government of Serbia requested UDAS to open two offices for mine
survivors in Serbia. In 2005, there were 825 amputees registered in the UDAS
database: 85 percent were mine survivors, including 13 children; 220 survivors
received UDAS services. UDAS also operates a team of landmine survivor peer
supporters, trained by LSN working from the municipality offices, and makes home
visits. In conjunction with LSN, it provides advocacy and legal advice for its
members. When necessary, UDAS recommend members to a psychologist skilled in
working with mine survivors. In early 2006, four students from the psychology
department of the University of Banja Luka began research among UDAS members to
learn more about the stages survivors go through starting from the time of the
accident. According to UDAS, the RS entity government has not provided any
funding for vocational training of mine survivors or other people with
disabilities and there are no incentives for firms to employ people with
disabilities. Survivors were also unaware of their right to choose between
private and state clinics without paying extra for
prostheses.[250]
The local NGO STOP Mines operates two programs: the May Life be Sweet income
generation project (benefiting 10 survivors in 2005) and the Sustainable
Professional Rehabilitation for Landmine (financing 33 projects in
2005).[251]
In FBiH, there are about 50 sports clubs for people with disabilities,
including three with women’s teams in Tuzla, Sarajevo and Zenica. The
Association for Sport and Recreation of Invalids in BiH provides facilities in
Sarajevo, Tuzla, Goražde, Zenica, Una Sana and Middle Bosnia. Around
10,000 people benefit from the programs, including many mine
survivors.[252]
The NGO Eco-Sports continued working with people with disabilities on
rehabilitation through sporting activities such as diving. One of its projects,
the Sports and Psychological Rehabilitation of Mine Survivors in BiH, was
completed in December 2005; it gave 33 survivors sport rehabilitation treatment
in Sarajevo, Lukavac, Banja Luka and
Neum.[253]
In BiH, there are four different schemes to support people with disabilities.
In FBiH, the situation varies from canton to canton. There are significant
variations in the level of care and support available between the entities. The
law in both FBiH and RS prohibits discrimination against people with
disabilities, but implementation is weak. The majority of people with
disabilities are unemployed; one NGO estimated that 30 percent of people with
disabilities who had been institutionalized were capable of independent living
if housing and resources were available. In FbiH, the law mandates that
existing public buildings should be made accessible for people with disabilities
by November 2007, and that new buildings must also be accessible; in RS there
are comparable laws for building access, but progress is
slow.[255]
The RS Ministry of Labor and War Veterans provides social support to victims
of the war, including both military and civilian mine survivors. In FBiH,
through the Ministry of War Veterans, a military mine survivor has the right to
a free prosthesis every third year, free healthcare and insurance, free
treatment in special rehabilitation centers, and compensation for a
disability.
Civilian mine survivors receive much lower and more irregular compensation
for their injuries than military survivors.
The BiH Medium Term Development Strategy 2004-2007 was revised in March 2006;
in relation to laws on disability it stated: “In 2004 the number of
beneficiaries according to this law was 45 900, while in 2005 this number was
reduced a to 41 885 beneficiaries. For all these rights, in 2004 KM287 million
was set aside from the Federation budget, and in 2005, KM301 million, which is
about 30% of the total Federal
budget.”[256]
[1] BiH is composed of two entities
and an autonomous district: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH),
Republika Srpska (RS) and Brčko District. [2]Official Gazette of BiH,
No. 61/04. The law forbids the development, production, storage,
transportation, offer for sale or purchase of antipersonnel mines. The penalty
for such offenses is between one and 10 years’ imprisonment. If death or
injury occurs to people or animals, or if there is damage to the environment,
the person or people involved shall be punished by imprisonment of no less than
five years or by a long-term prison sentence. [3] Previous reports were submitted
on 6 May 2005, 17 May 2004, 1 April 2003, 20 May 2002, 1 September 2001 and 1
February 2000. [4] Fax from Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, 29 April 2003. [5] Interview with members of the
Demining Commission, Sarajevo, 30 January 2003. [6] See Landmine Monitor Report
2004, p. 193; Article 7 Report, Form E, April 2006. [7] See Landmine Monitor Report
2004, pp. 193-194. [8] Interview with Lt. Col. Hans
Ahlqvist, Chief, Countermines Section, Capt. Gareth Bowering, Countermines
Section, and Zeljko Kalinac, Field Officer, EUFOR, Sarajevo, 24 March 2006. [9] “Joint Military Affairs
(JMA) in EUFOR,” EUFOR Forum, Special Edition, December 2005, www.euforbih.org, accessed 27 January
2006. [10] “EU force finds
biggest Bosnia arms cache,” Reuters, 19 January 2006. [11] EUFOR, “Large Weapons
Find in Bazik,” press statement 21 December 2005, www.euforbih.org, accessed 24 January
2006. [12] “Bosnian Brcko
district police find large quantity of arms and explosives,” BBC
Monitoring, 25 July 2005. [13] “EUFOR collects
‘large quantities of arms’ in Bosnian towns of Bihac and
Kiseljak,” BBC Monitoring Service, 14 April 2005. [14] Operation Harvest began as
an SFOR initiative in 1998 to collect unregistered weapons, mines, explosives
and other ordnance from private holdings, in cooperation with local police,
under amnesty conditions. From 1998 to February 2004, 32,907 antipersonnel
mines were collected, and large quantities of other munitions. Destruction is
carried out by SFOR (now EUFOR). Email from Maj. Michael Forster, Staff Officer
Countermines, SFOR, 29 April 2004. [15] Email from Capt. Gareth
Bowering, EUFOR, 3 May 2006. A total of 320 mines of all types collected from 1
January-26 May 2005. Email from Maj. J. Scott, Staff Officer Countermines,
EUFOR, 7 June 2005. [16] “Integrated Police
Unit (IPU),” EUFOR Forum, Special Edition, December 2005, www.euforbih.org, accessed 27 January
2006. [17] Article 7 Report, Forms D
and G, 1 February 2000. [18] Article 7 Reports, Form G,
17 May 2004, 6 May 2005, and April 2006. [19] Ibid. [20] Article 7 Reports, Form G,
17 May 2004 and 6 May 2005. [21] Sgt. Kris Dlouhy,
“JMA–Blasting Ahead to a safer BiH,” SFOR Informer, No.
165, September 2003. [22] Capt. Julian Gumley,
“Weapons Storage Sites in BiH,” SFOR Informer, No. 165,
September 2003; email from Maj. Matt Richards, Staff Officer Countermines, SFOR,
18 March 2004. [23] “Joint Military
Affairs (JMA) in EUFOR,” EUFOR Forum, Special Edition, December
2005. [24] Emails from Seid Turkovic,
Program Manager, Human Security Portfolio, UNDP Sarajevo, 23 June and 19 July
2006. [25] Article 7 Report, Form D and
Annex “Review on Number of Retained Mines in Bosnia and
Herzegovina,” April 2006. In both sections of the report, BiH cites a
total of 17,471, but the individual numbers add to 17,470. There are some
inconsistencies in Form D and the Annex. [26] Article 7 Report, Form D, 6
May 2005. The 2004 figure was an increase of 103 mines compared with 2003 when
2,652 mines were retained (2,195 active and 457 fuzeless). In its May 2005
Article 7 report, BiH explains that the number is higher because “mines
kept by other demining companies” were not included in the previous
report. The total number of mines, all of which are active, retained by these
companies was reported as 1,186, although that appears to include 42 antivehicle
mines. No information was provided about the other demining companies, or how
many mines each holds in what location. Excluding the newly reported mines held
by demining companies, the number of active mines retained decreased from 2,195
at the end of 2003 to 872 at the end of 2004, with 738 held by the RS Army and
134 by the FBiH Army. The number of fuzeless mines increased from 457 to
697. [27] Last year, BiH only listed
14 MRUD mines held by BiH Armed Forces. Article 7 Report, Form D, 6 May 2005.
Use of Claymore-type mines in command-detonated mode is permitted under the Mine
Ban Treaty, but use in victim-activated mode (with a tripwire) is prohibited.
States Parties have been encouraged to report on what steps they have taken to
ensure such mines can only be used in a manner consistent with the treaty. [28] Email from Seid Turkovic,
UNDP Sarajevo, 23 June 2006. [29] Article 7 Report, Annex
“Review on Number of Retained Mines in Bosnia and Herzegovina,”
April 2006. The mines are 180 PROM-1, 59 PMA-2, 20 PMA-1, 20 PMA-3 and 20
PMR-4. The remarks section of the annex apparently mistakenly refers to 289
mines retained, including 19 PMR-3. Form D of the report lists 52 PMA-2, not
59. [30] Article 7 Report, Annex
“Review on Number of Retained Mines in Bosnia and Herzegovina,”
April 2006. The CIDC dog training center in Lastva holds 442 mines, Norwegian
People’s Aid holds 412, Medecom holds 79, Demira holds 37, and BH Demining
holds 36. [31] Article 7 Report, Form D and
Annex “Review on Number of Retained Mines in Bosnia and
Herzegovina,” April 2006. Of the total, 316 are listed under
“Warehouse” and 292 are under “Training polygon.” [32] Ibid. [33] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, pp. 176-177. Under Protocol V of the Convention on
Conventional Weapons, explosive remnants of war are defined as unexploded
ordnance and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO). Mines are explicitly excluded
from the definition. [34] BHMAC, “Report on Mine
Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 5; BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” 21 March
2006, p. 4. [35] Statement by Darvin Lisica,
Deputy Director, BHMAC, at the launch of Landmine Monitor Report 2005,
Zagreb, 22 November 2005. [36] Article 7, Form C, April
2006. [37] “BiH Mid-Term
Development Strategy 2004-2007 (PRSP),” revision document for public
discussion, Sarajevo, March 2006, p. 131, www.eppu.ba, accessed 29 March 2006; BHMAC,
“Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Plan for 2006,” 21 March 2006,
p. 3. [38] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 196; Darvin Lisica and David Rowe, “Strategic Analysis
of Mine Action in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” undated, p. 10. [39] “Demining Law in
Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Official Gazette, Year VI, Pursuant to
Article IV.4.a of the BH Constitution, 12 February 2002. [40] Email from Darko Vidovic,
Demining Commission, 11 April 2006; interview with Darvin Lisica, BHMAC,
Sarajevo, 15 June 2006. [41] Interviews with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March 2006; interview with Seid Turkovic,
UNDP, Sarajevo, 14 March 2006, and email, 7 April 2006. [42] Interviews with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March 2006. [43] Financial contributions to
BHMAC come from the state, while entity governments have covered the salaries of
civil protection and army personnel engaged in mine action. In addition,
state-owned corporations (chiefly the electricity utilities) and municipalities
have financed some demining and marking. An agreement is in place for the state
government to cover all operating costs of BHMAC by 2008. [44] GICHD, “Mid-term
Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP)–Draft
Report,” Geneva, June 2006, pp. 12-13. [45] Ibid, p. 13. [46] GICHD, “A Study of the
Role of Survey in Mine Action,” Geneva, March 2006, p. 57. [47] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006; interview with Tarik Serak, Mine Action
Planning Manager, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 22 June 2006. [48] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 181; GICHD, “A Study of the Role of Survey in Mine
Action,” Geneva, March 2006, p. 70. [49] Email from Seid Turkovic,
UNDP Sarajevo, 16 June 2006. [50] Ibid. [51] Interviews with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March 2006. [52] Email from Zeljko Kalinic,
EUFOR, 14 June 2006; email from Radosav Zivkovic, Director, STOP Mines, 23 June
2006. [53] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006. [54] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mine Action Strategy,” p. 5. [55] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006. [56] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, pp. 177-178; interview with Darvin Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15
June 2006. [57] GICHD, “Mid-term
Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP)–Draft
Report,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 19. [58] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006; BiH Council of Ministers, Economic Policy
Planning Unit, www.eppu.ba; statement by BiH, Standing Committee on Mine
Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May
2006. [59] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mine Action Strategy,” pp. 13-14; Landmine Monitor Report
2005, pp. 178-179. Priority 1 land is in everyday use by civilians, used
for the repatriation or for reconstruction of infrastructure or other economic
projects, or it is land which directly endangers the population. The overall
targets are broken down as follows: clearance―4.5 square kilometers in
2005, 5 in 2006, 5.5 in 2007, 6 in 2008; technical survey―6.5 square
kilometers in 2005, 11.7 in 2006, 16.5 in 2007, 18 in 2008; general
survey―115.1 square kilometers in 2005, 124.6 in 2006, 133.5 in 2007,
136.8 in 2008; and systematic survey―170.8 square kilometers in 2005,
177.89 in 2006, 184.23 in 2007, 183.48 in 2008. [60] BHMAC, “Report on Mine
Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 4. [61] Ibid, pp. 7-9. [62] Darvin Lisica and David
Rowe, “Strategic Analysis of Mine Action in Bosnia and Herzegovina,”
undated, p. 23. [63] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mine Action Strategy,” pp. 13-15. Priority 2 areas are in
only occasional use, adjacent to the priority 1 locations, or contain economic
resources (mainly agricultural and forestry). Priority 3 areas are defined as
“peripheral areas.” [64] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” 21 March
2006, p. 4; for details of the Landmine Impact Survey which identified
mine-affected communities, see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 200. [65] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006. [66] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” 21 March
2006, pp. 4-7. [67] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mine Action Plan for 2006,” 21 March 2006, pp. 18-19;
statement by BiH, Standing Committee on Mine Action, Mine Risk Education and
Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006. [68] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” 21 March
2006, pp. 13, 15; interview with Darvin Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 30 May
2006. [69] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” 21 March
2006, p. 15. [70] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006. [71] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mine Action Plan for 2006,” 21March 2006, pp. 5-6; GICHD,
“A Study of the Role of Survey in Mine Action,” Geneva, March 2006,
pp. 73-75; interviews with Darvin Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March 2006;
GICHD, “Mid-term Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program
(IMAP)–Draft Report,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 14. [72] BHMAC, “Report on Mine
Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 12-13. [73] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” 21 March
2006, p. 11. [74] BHMAC, “Report on Mine
Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 12-13. [75] Statement by BiH, Standing
Committee on Mine Action, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies,
Geneva, 10 May 2006. [76] BHMAC, “Report on Mine
Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 12-13. [77] GICHD, “Mid-term
Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP)–Draft
Report,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 15. [78] Ibid, p. 14. [79] Ibid, p. 15. [80] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” 21 March
2006, p. 12. [81] Interviews with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21, 23 March and 30 May 2006; GICHD, “Mid-term
Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP)–Draft
Report,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 20; BHMAC, “Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mine Action Plan for 2006,” 21 March 2006, pp. 11-12. [82] GICHD, “Mid-term
Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP)– Draft
Report,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 21. [83] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006; GICHD, “Mid-term Review of the UNDP
Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP)–Draft Report,” Geneva, June
2006, p. 21. [84] Interview with Seid
Turkovic, UNDP Sarajevo, 14 March 2006, and emails, 7 April 2006 and 16 June
2006. [85] Statement by BiH, Standing
Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies,
Geneva, 10 May 2006. [86] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mine Action Strategy,” p. 12. [87] Square meters released
through clearance and technical survey per year: 1999―6,553,479;
2000― 7,111,682; 2001―5,545,005; 2002―6,327,092;
2003―6,411,947; 2004―6,612,716; and in 2005― 10,607,599. [88] GICHD, “A Study of the
Role of Survey in Mine Action,” Geneva, March 2006, p. 60. [89] GICHD, “A Study of
Local Organizations in Mine Action,” Geneva, 2005, pp. 172-175;
Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 180-181. [90] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006. [91] Ibid. [92] GICHD, “A Study of the
Role of Survey in Mine Action,” Geneva, March 2006, pp. 78-79. [93] GICHD, “Mid-term
Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP)–Draft
Report,” Geneva, June 2006, pp. ii-iii, 25, 31-71. [94] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, pp. 179-180. [95] BHMAC, “Humanitarian
Demining Operational Plan in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Year of 2005,”
p. 6; BHMAC, “Report on Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp.
20-21. The latter report refers to 26 accredited demining organizations,
presumably at the end of 2005. [96] BHMAC, “Report on Mine
Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 20-21; GICHD, “Mid-term Review
of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP)–Draft Report,”
Geneva, June 2006, p. 21. [97] Email from Marija Alilovic,
Public and Donor Relations, MDDC, Konjic, 20 March 2006; “MDDC Report for
2005 and Work Plan for 2006,” accessed at www.mddc.ba on 26 March
2006. [98] Darvin Lisica and David
Rowe, “Strategic Analysis of Mine Action in Bosnia and Herzegovina,”
pp. 7-13. [99] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 5; Landmine Monitor Report
2005, p. 176. [100] BHMAC, “Mine Action
Report, January-May 2006,” undated but June 2006. [101] Statement by Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Zagreb, 22 November 2005. [102] BHMAC,
“Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan in Bosnia and Herzegovina for
2005,” p. 3. [103] Interviews with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March and 30 May 2006. [104] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 5. [105] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006. [106] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action in 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 7-8. Systematic survey is
described as “an analytical investigative procedure, which results in an
assessment of suspected risk areas,” establishing the location, size and
boundaries of mine-contaminated areas, level of risk and impact on the
population. Darvin Lisica and David Rowe, “Strategic Analysis of Mine
Action in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” undated, p. 7. [107] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” pp. 4-7. [108] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 15 June 2006; GICHD, “A Study of the Role of
Survey in Mine Action,” Geneva, March 2006, p. 62. [109] GICHD, “A Study of
the Role of Survey in Mine Action,” Geneva, March 2006, p. 62; GICHD,
“Mid-term Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program
(IMAP)–Draft Report,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 12. [110] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action in 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 9. [111] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” 21 March
2006, p. 13. [112] GICHD, “A Study of
the Role of Survey in Mine Action,” Geneva, March 2006, p. 62; GICHD,
“Mid-term Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP) –
Draft Report,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 16. [113] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action in 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 14-15. [114] Anti Mine Initiative,
“Mine Marking and MRE of Community Representatives,” Evaluation
Report, undated, Brčko, pp. 4-9. [115] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 9-11; Landmine Monitor Report
2005, pp. 181-182. [116] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 9-11. There tends to be a
discrepancy between the number of landmines and UXO destroyed provided by BHMAC
and those provided by operators. BHMAC explained that Civil Protection and NPA
destroys UXO cleared by other operators, and therefore include those numbers in
their figures. Civil Protection also collects abandoned ordnance (AXO) through
the EUFOR campaign and might include their destruction together with the
destruction of UXO.
[117] This also includes a
very limited amount of AXO; BHMAC does not count AXO as a separate category.
[118] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 11. [119] Interviews with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March 2006. [120] Article 7 Report, Form F,
April 2006. [121] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 9-11. Clearance and technical
survey data reported to Landmine Monitor by organizations differs from that
recorded by BHMAC, as noted also in previous years. BHMAC explained that
organizations are technically unable to calculate “real areas” per
curved field lines as BHMAC does. BHMAC measures an area by GPS (global
positioning system), while demining organizations measure on the ground,
including rises and falls in the terrain. Responses have not been received from
all organizations, therefore only BHMAC clearance/technical survey data is
reported in this section; interviews with Darvin Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21, 23
March and 30 May 2006. [122] Email from Simona
Beltrami, Coordinator, Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines, 16 February 2006. [123] Response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire from Per Breivik, Program Manager, NPA, Sarajevo, 22 March
2006. [124] Interview with Radosav
Zivkovic, STOP Mines, Pale, 22 March 2006. [125] Telephone interview with
Fajid Hasanagic, Program Manager, UG ZOM, Bihać, 30 March 2006. [126] Email from Chris Hughes,
Donor Relations Manager, UEM, Sarajevo, 16 February 2006. [127] EUFOR/NATO, “Annual
Report for AFBiH Demining Unit 2005,” 24 March 2006. This data differs
from that recorded by BHMAC. [128] Average exchange rate for
2005: US$1 = BAM (KM)1.5727, based on CIA, “World Fact Book: Field Listing
- Exchange rates,” www.cia.gov, used
throughout this report. [129] EUFOR/NATO, “Annual
Report for AFBiH Demining Unit 2005,” 24 March 2006. [130] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, pp. 9-11; Landmine Monitor Report
2005, p. 183. [131] ITF, "Annual Report
2005," pp. 29-30. [132] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Humanitarian Demining Operational Plan for 2006,” 21 March
2006, pp. 5-7. [133] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 30 May 2006. [134] Statement by BiH,
Standing Committee on Mine Action, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action
Technologies, Geneva, 10 May 2006. [135] BHMAC, “Mine Action
Report, January-May 2006,” undated but June 2006. [136] Ibid. [137] Interviews with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March 2006. [138] Interview with Tarik
Serak, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 22 June 2006; and interviews with Darvin Lisica, BHMAC,
Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March 2006. [139] Interviews with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March 2006. [140] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 6. [141] Interview with Tarik
Serak, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 22 June 2006. [142] Interviews with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 and 23 March 2006. [143] Ibid, 15 June 2006. [144] Ibid, 21 and 23 March
2006. [145] Interview with Lt. Col.
Hans Ahlqvist, Capt. Gareth Bowering and Zeljko Kalinac, EUFOR, Sarajevo, 24
March 2006. [146] “Demining Law in
Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Official Gazette, Year VI, Pursuant to
Article IV.4.a of the BiH Constitution, 12 February 2002. [147] BHMAC, “Operational
Plan on Mine Risk Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2006,” 21 March
2006, p. 9. [148] Ibid, p. 10. [149] UNICEF, “Mine
Action Program in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2004 Report,” Sarajevo, March
2005, p. 10. [150] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 16. [151] HI, “Mine Risk
Education Bosnia and Herzegovina, Annual Report for 2005,” p. 4. [152] Interview with Mario
Tokic, UNICEF, Sarajevo, 22 March 2006. [153] Email from Emina Curic,
Director, Spirit of Soccer, Sarajevo, 22 March 2006. [154] Genesis, “Local
Humanitarian Organisation, Genesis Project, Annual Report 2005,” Banja
Luka, 16 March 2006, pp. 3-5. [155] Email from Zehrudin
Sukanovic, Project Manager, Anti Mine Initiative (AMI), 1 March 2006; AMI,
“Mine Marking and MRE of Community Representatives,” Evaluation
Report, 6 May 2005, pp. 10-16. [156] GICHD, “Mid-term
Review of the UNDP Integrated Mine Action Program (IMAP)–Draft
Report,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 14. [157] The manual’s title
is “Mine Risk Education for Mine-Affected Communities, Guidelines for risk
assessment and planning in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” [158] UNICEF/BHMAC, “Mine
Risk Education for Mine-Affected Communities, Guidelines for Risk Assessment and
Planning in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Sarajevo, November 2005, pp. 7-14;
UNICEF BiH, “Annual Report 2005, Mine Risk Education and Mine Victim
Assistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” pp. 1-2. [159] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action in 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 15. [160] BHMAC, “Operational
Plan on Mine Risk Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2006,” 21 March
2006, pp. 4-11. [161] UNICEF BiH, “Annual
Report 2005, Mine Risk Education and Mine Victim Assistance in Bosnia and
Herzegovina,” p. 1. [162] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 186; Anti Mine Initiative was known as PRONI until 2004, see
Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 205 [163] UNICEF/BHMAC, “Mine
Risk Education for Mine-Affected Communities, Guidelines for Risk Assessment and
Planning in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Sarajevo, November 2005. [164] Emails from Zehrudin
Sukanovic, AMI, 6 May 2005 and 1 March 2006. [165] Ibid. [166] UNICEF BiH, “Annual
Report 2005, Mine Risk Education and Mine Victim Assistance in Bosnia and
Herzegovina,” p. 1. [167] Email and fax from
Svjetlana Pavlovic, Program Manager, Posavina Bez Mina, Brcko, 7 April and 4 May
2006. [168] Interview with and email
from Lejla Susic, ICRC, Senadin Kumro, Mirko Kusmuk and Ivana Grujic, Red Cross
Society BiH (RCSBiH), Sarajevo, 22 March 2006 and 10 April 2006. [169] Interview with Lejla
Susic, ICRC, Senadin Kumro, Mirko Kusmuk and Ivana Grujic, RCSBiH, Sarajevo, 22
March 2006, and email, 10 April 2006; ICRC “Special Report-Mine Action
2005,” Geneva, May 2006, p. 15; ICRC, “Annual Report 2005,”
Geneva, June 2006, p. 228. [170] BHMAC, “Operational
Plan on Mine Risk Education in BiH for 2006,” 21 March 2006, p. 10. [171] Interview with Lejla
Susic, ICRC, Senadin Kumro, Mirko Kusmuk and Ivana Grujic, RCSBiH, Sarajevo, 22
March 2006, and email 10 April 2006. [172] Response to Landmine
Monitor MRE Questionnaire by Per Breivik, NPA, Sarajevo, 22 March 2006; Gary
Littlejohn, “Bosnia and Herzegovina: Local Needs and Flexible
Planning,” in Rebecca Roberts and Gary Littlejohn, “Maximizing the
Impact, Tailoring Mine Action to Development Needs,” PRIO Report 5/2005,
Oslo, [November] 2005, pp. 23-38. [173] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 187. [174] Interview with Almedina
Komic, MRE Program Manager, HI, Sarajevo, 20 March 2006, and email,13 April
2006. [175] Email from Dijana Pejic,
Project Manager, Genesis, 21 February 2006. [176] UNICEF BiH, “Annual
Report 2005, Mine Risk Education and Mine Victim Assistance in Bosnia and
Herzegovina,” p. 2. [177] Email from Dijana Pejic,
Genesis, 21 February 2006; email from Mario Tokic, Assistant Project Officer,
Mine Action, UNICEF, Sarajevo, 18 July 2006. [178] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, pp. 186-187. [179] Interview with Emina
Curic, and Jim Marshall, International Program Director, Spirit of Soccer,
Sarajevo, 22 March 2006. [180] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 187. [181] Email from Alfier
Fontana, Program Manager, INTERSOS, Sarajevo, 17 April 2006; UNICEF BiH,
“Annual Report 2005, Mine Risk Education and Mine Victim Assistance in
Bosnia and Herzegovina,” p. 2. [182] Average exchange rate for
2005: US$1 = BAM (KM)1.5727, based on CIA, “World Fact Book: Field Listing
- Exchange rates,” www.cia.gov, used throughout this report. [183] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 188. [184] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 21 March 2006, p. 22; see Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 188. [185] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 188. [186] Austria Article 7 Report,
Form J, 27 April 2006; email from Alexander Kmentt, Federal Ministry for Foreign
Affairs, 27 April 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: €1 = US$1.2449,
used throughout this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates
(Annual),” 3 January 2006. [187] Belgium Article 7 Report,
Form J, 26 April 2006; email from Dominique Jones, Ministry of Defense, 17 May
2006. [188] Mine Action Investments
database; email from Carly Volkes, DFAIT, 7 June 2006. Average exchange rate
for 2005: US$1 = C$1.2115. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates
(Annual),” 3 January 2006. [189] Email from Jan Kara,
Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 21 April 2006. Average exchange rate for
2005: US$1 = CZK23.99048. Landmine Monitor estimate based on www.oanda.com. [190] France Article 7 Report,
Form J, 26 April 2006; CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form E, 6
October 2005; email from Olivier Sigaud, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 29 June
2006. [191] Germany Article 7 Report,
Form J, 27 April 2006; Mine Action Investments database. [192] Emails from Manfredo
Capozza, Humanitarian Demining Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March
2006. [193] Emails from Kitagawa
Yasu, Japan Campaign to Ban Landmines (JCBL), March-May 2006, with translated
information received by JCBL from Multilateral Cooperation Department, 11 May
2005 and Non-proliferation and Science Department, 11 April 2006. Average
exchange rate for 2005: US$1= ¥110.11. US Federal Reserve, “List of
Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006. [194] Email from
François Berg, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Luxembourg, 30 March
2006. [195] Email from Ellen
Schut, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 7 April 2006; email from Brechtje
Paardekooper, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 18 April 2006. [196] Email from Annette A.
Landell-Mills, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 21 June 2006. Average exchange rate
for 2005: US$1 = NOK6.4412. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates
(Annual),” 3 January 2006. [197] Article 7 Report, Form J,
2 May 2006; emails from Sara Brandt-Hansen, Ministry for Foreign Affairs,
March-May 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: US$1 = SEK7.4710. US Federal
Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006. [198] Email from Rémy
Friedmann, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 28 April 2006. Average exchange rate
for 2005: US$1 = CHF1.2459. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates
(Annual),” 3 January 2006. [199] Email from Andy Willson,
27 February and 6 March 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: £1 =
US$1.820. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3
January 2006; ITF, “Annual Report 2005,” pp. 12-17. [200] USG Historical Chart
containing data for FY 2005, by email from Angela L. Jeffries, Financial
Management Specialist, US Department of State, 8 June 2006; email from H.
Murphey McCloy Jr., Senior Demining Advisor, US Department of State, 18 July
2006. [201] Email from Zach Hudson,
Program Manager, Adopt-A-Minefield, 2 June 2006; this amount has been included
in the total of mine action contributions for 2005. [202] Email from Mitali Atal,
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, 22 May 2006. [203] Response to Landmine
Monitor from the Permanent Mission of the ROK to the UN in New York, 9 May
2006; ITF, “Annual Report 2004,” p. 15; ITF, “Annual Report
2005,” pp. 12-17. [204] ITF, “Annual Report
2005,” pp. 19-20; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 189. [205] ITF, “Use of
Donations by Countries in Year 2005,” email from Iztok Hočevar, Head
of International Relations Department, ITF, 11 May 2006. Percentages have been
rounded. [206] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 21 March 2006, p. 22. [207] Email from Giuseppe
Schiavello, ItCBL, 20 June 2006; Simona Beltrami, ItCBL, “Sarajevo 1984
– Torino 2006: Olympic cities joined in solidarity against
landmines,” 9 February 2006. [208] Interview with Seid
Turkovic, UNDP Sarajevo, 14 March 2006, and email, 12 April 2006. [209] UN, “2005 Portfolio
of Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 65; UN, “2006 Portfolio of
Mine Action Projects,” New York, p. 63. [210] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 6; Article 7 Report, Form J,
April 2006. [211] Email from Karel
Bartosik, Landmine Monitor Researcher, London, 3 July 2006. [212] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 190; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 209-211. [213] Email from Biljana
Zdralic, Senior MRE Assistant, BHMAC, 8 May 2006; BHMAC “Mine Action
Report (January-May 2006),” 2006, p. 2. [214] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 6; Article 7 Report, Form J,
April 2006, p. 13. [215] BHMAC “Mine Action
Report (January-May 2006),” 2006, p. 2. [216] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 6. [217] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 190. [218] ICRC, Special Report-Mine
Action, “Annual Report 2005,” Geneva, May 2006, p. 15; email from
Claudio Baranzini, Cooperation Coordinator, and Lejla Susic, ICRC, Sarajevo, 10
April 2006. [219] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, “Victim Assistance objectives of the States Parties that have the
responsibility for significant numbers of landmine survivors,” Zagreb, 28
November-2 December 2005, p. 113. [220] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 6. [221] UNICEF BiH, “Annual
Report 2005, Mine Risk Education and Mine Victim Assistance in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.” [222] UN, “Final Report,
First Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel
Mines and on Their Destruction,” Nairobi, 29 November-3 December 2004,
APLC/CONF/2004/5, 9 February 2005, p. 33. [223] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, pp. 114-122. [224] LSN, “BiH Annual
Report 2005,” March 2006, pp. 10-12. [225] For more details of the
objectives, see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 191. [226] BHMAC, “Mine Action
Plan of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Year 2005,” p. 8; Article 7 Report,
Form J, April 2006. [227] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 191. [228] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 March 2006. [229] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mine Action Strategy,” April 2005, p. 16; Article 7 Report,
Form J, April 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 217. [230] Interview with Darvin
Lisica, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 21 March 2006. [231] BHMAC, “Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mine Action Strategy,” April 2005, p. 16; Article 7 Report,
Form J, April 2006. [232] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, p. 115-118. [233] Email from Biljana
Zdralic, BHMAC, Sarajevo, 1 June 2006. [234] ICRC, “Annual
Report 2005,” Geneva, June 2006, p. 228. [235] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, pp. 117-119. [236] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 191. [237] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, p. 119. [238] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, pp. 191-192. [239] Interview with Dr. Goran
Cerkez, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation, Development and IT,
FBiH Ministry of Health, Sarajevo, 14 March 2006. [240] ITF, “Annual Report
2005,” pp. 6, 31, 32. [241] Ossur Investor News,
“Rebuilding Lives,” 15 July 2005, www.ossur.com, accessed 21 February 2006. [242] “Final Report of
the Sixth Meeting of States Parties / Zagreb Progress Report,” Part II,
Annex V, Zagreb, 28 November-2 December 2005, pp. 119-121. [243] Response to Landmine
Monitor questionnaire by Mark Chadwick, Programme Officer, Mercy Corps Scotland,
30 May 2006. [244] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 193. [245] LSN, “BiH Annual
Report 2005,” March 2006, pp. 4-9, 15; Article 7 Report, Form J, April
2006; email from Kirsten Young, LSN, 19 July 2006. [246] LSN, “BiH Annual
Report 2005,” March 2006, p. 6. [247] LSN, “Analysis on
Client Satisfaction with the quality of Prosthetic Devices,” Tuzla,
February 2005, pp. 15-16. [248] See Landmine Monitor
Report 2005, p. 193. [249] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 17; Article 7 Report, Form J,
April 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 193-194. [250] Interview with Aleksandar
Kecman, Spokesperson, anf Mira Amidžić, Project Manager, UDAS, Banja
Luka, 16 March 2006; Article 7 Report, Form J, April 2006. [251] BHMAC, “Report on
Mine Action for 2005,” 14 March 2006, p. 17. [252] Telephone interview with
Hussein Odobasic, Director, Association for Sport and Recreation for the
Disabled, Sarajevo, 29 March 2006; ITF, “Annual Report 2005,” p.
32. [253] Article 7 Report, Form J,
April 2006. [254] For details of disability
policy and practice in BiH, see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp.
195-196; Landmine Monitor Report 2004, pp. 218-220. [255] US Department of State,
“Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Bosnia and
Herzegovina,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006. [256] “BiH Medium Term
Development Strategy (PRSP) 2004-2007, Revision of the Document,” March
2006, p. 73.
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