Bosnia and Herzegovina

2008 Key Data

Ten-Year Summary

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty on 1 March 1999. It completed destruction of its stockpile of more than 460,000 antipersonnel mines in November 1999. In addition, from 1998 to 2006, BiH authorities and international troops collected and destroyed at least 38,500 mines from the populace. There have been several reports of use of antipersonnel mines in criminal activities, most recently in 2003. BiH passed national implementation legislation in 2004. The number of retained mines reported has fluctuated, including increases in 2007 and in 2008 to a total of 2,282.

Mine action in the aftermath of the 1992–1995 conflict was highly decentralized and engaged a wide spectrum of organizations but has changed dramatically in the past decade, particularly after the 2002 Demining Law created a Demining Commission and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Center. These provided a national focus for assessing the extent of the problem and coordinating and regulating responses to it. A Landmine Impact Survey completed in 2003 found 1,366 communities, or nearly half those surveyed, to be mine-affected. Survey and clearance has resulted in release of almost 1,300km² in the past decade, but difficulties identifying the location and extent of BiH’s mostly small, nuisance minefields, poor planning, and shortfalls in funding slowed clearance and led BiH to apply in 2008 for a 10-year extension of its Article 5 deadline. The extension request was approved by the Ninth Meeting of States Parties in November 2008, but BiH is already behind schedule in implementing its plan for the extension period.

As of June 2009, BHMAC could provide data on a total of 459 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties (214 killed and 245 injured) recorded between 1999 and 2008. The number of casualties reported annually declined from 1999 to 2004, but has increased slightly since then.

Extensive mine/ERW risk education (RE) has been conducted since 1999 by numerous organizations, through school- and community-based RE, and the media. Neither of two major evaluations of RE in 2007 identified a causal relationship between RE implementation and casualty rates in BiH.

Emergency services improved with international funding. General health and rehabilitation services for mine survivors improved gradually, bolstered by the ongoing presence of a government-funded community-based rehabilitation system throughout the country. Most direct assistance continued to be provided by NGOs and, increasingly, by national NGOs. Psychological support and socio-economic reintegration opportunities increased but remained inadequate despite continued input by NGOs and international donors. Progress was made in the adoption of a national disability policy, but little progress was made towards the adoption of legislation to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities, including mine survivors.

Background

BiH is an independent state, but under international administration. The 1995 Dayton peace accord, which ended the 1992–1995 war, set up two separate entities: a Bosniak-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), and the Bosnian Serb Republic (Republika Srpska, RS), each with its own president, government, parliament, police, and other bodies. Overarching these entities is a central Bosnian government and rotating presidency. In addition, the district of Brčko is a self-governing administrative unit, established as a neutral area placed under joint Bosniak, Croat, and Serb authority.^[1]

Mine Ban Policy

BiH signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified it on 8 September 1998, becoming a State Party on 1 March 1999. On 29 December 2004, parliament approved a law amending the criminal code to apply penal sanctions for violations of the treaty.^[2]

BiH participated in the Ninth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in November 2008, where it made a statement on victim assistance (VA) and gave a presentation on its request for an extension of its Article 5 mine clearance deadline. It also attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in May 2009 and made a statement on mine clearance.

BiH submitted its annual Article 7 report in 2009, covering calendar year 2008. It used voluntary Form J to provide additional information on casualties, mine clearance, and VA. BiH submitted nine previous Article 7 reports.^[3]

In July 2008, the BiH Ministry of Defense responded to a Landmine Monitor inquiry about its views with respect to interpretation and implementation of Articles 1 and 2 of the treaty.^[4] On Article 1, it stated that if “engaged in joint military operations with its allies, Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina can not be engaged in the process of planning and preparing military action where will be used antipersonnel mines.”^[5]

On Article 2 and the issue of antivehicle mines with sensitive fuzes, BiH made specific reference to TMRP-6 antivehicle mines, which have tilt rods. It appears that the BiH Ministry of Defense does not believe that such mines are explicitly prohibited by the Mine Ban Treaty but will consider ways to ensure that such mines cannot be victim-activated and function as antipersonnel mines.^[6]

BiH is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its Amended Protocol II on landmines. It submitted an annual report as required by Article 13 in 2008. BiH is also party to Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War.

BiH signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions in December 2008, but had not yet ratified it as of 1 July 2009.^[7]

Production, transfer, use, and illegal stores

BiH has stated that production of antipersonnel mines ceased by 1995.^[8] It has reported on the conversion of production facilities.^[9] BiH is not known to have exported antipersonnel mines. After BiH joined the treaty, Landmine Monitor noted several cases of use of mines in criminal activities,^[10] but no such incidents have been reported since 2003.

In past years, authorities on numerous occasions found illegal stores of mines, but none were discovered between 2006 and the first half of 2009. The Dayton peace accord allows international military forces to search for and collect illegally held weapons, including mines.^[11] The European Force (EUFOR), which took over from the Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in December 2004, has not conducted any Operation Harvest arms collection activities since 2006, but retains the right to do so.^[12]

Stockpile destruction and retention

BiH declared completion of its antipersonnel mine stockpile destruction program in November 1999, with a total of 460,727 mines destroyed.^[13] This number has been amended annually since 2003 and was changed to 463,921 mines in the latest Article 7 report, covering calendar year 2008.^[14] No explanation has been given for the changes. Presumably these are newly discovered stocks, mines turned in by the population, or illegal mines seized from criminal elements.^[15]

In September 2006, BiH reported that it had discovered more than 15,000 MRUD (Claymore-type) directional fragmentation mines during inspections of weapon storage sites.^[16] It said that although the mines were not specifically prohibited by the Mine Ban Treaty, BiH had made a decision to destroy the mines for humanitarian reasons as well as to show its commitment to the aims of the treaty.^[17] BiH reported that, as of April 2007, about 5,000 mines had been destroyed, with the intention to complete destruction in May 2007, but it has not provided information on completion.^[18] According to BiH, “Representatives of UNDP, NATO, and the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] have controlled the whole process of destruction.”^[19]

Mines retained for research and training

At the end of 2008, BiH retained 2,274 antipersonnel mines for training purposes, as well as 116 MRUDs.^[20] This is an increase of 665 mines from the end of 2007, when BiH reported retaining 1,619 mines and 157 MRUDs, ^[21] which again was an increase from the end of 2006, when it reported retaining 1,550 mines and 158 MRUDs.^[22] BiH has not explained these increases or the overall inconsistencies in its reporting on retained mines over the last few years.

BiH’s Article 7 reports submitted in 2008 and 2009 have indicated, however, that all of the retained antipersonnel mines are fuzeless.^[23] In its 2007 Article 7 report BiH did not state that any of the retained mines were fuzeless, while its 2006 report stated that 876 retained mines were fuzeless and 1,299 were active.^[24] BiH has not explained these changes.

Of the 2,274 antipersonnel mines (other than MRUDs) reported as retained at the end of 2008, 1,023 are held by demining agencies, 557 by the BiH Mine Detection Dog Center (MDDC), 351 by the BiH Mine Action Center (BHMAC), 333 by the BiH Armed Forces, and 10 by the RS Civil Protection Agency.^[25] A comparison of the Article 7 reports for 2008 and 2007 indicates that antipersonnel mines, other than MRUDs, held by demining operators have increased by 207: mines held by MDDC increased by 276, mines held by BHMAC increased by 45, mines held by the BiH Armed Forces increased by 125, and mines held by the RS Civil Protection Agency increased by two.

BiH has stated that its retained mines are used for training mine detection dogs (MDDs).^[26] While providing more facts about its retained mines, BiH has still provided few details on the intended purposes and actual uses of the mines, as agreed by States Parties in 2004. BiH has not used the expanded Form D on retained mines as agreed by States Parties in 2004.

Scope of the Problem

Contamination

BiH is heavily contaminated with mines and ERW, primarily as a result of the 1992–1995 conflict related to the break-up of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.^[27] The parties to the conflict placed mines extensively along confrontation lines to block troop movements and around strategic facilities but lines moved frequently, leaving contamination that is extensive and generally low density.^[28]

Most minefields are in the zone of separation between BiH’s two political entities—FBiH and RS—which is 1,100km long and up to 4km wide,^[29] but mines were placed throughout the country in all types of soil and vegetation.^[30] In southern and central BiH, mines were often used randomly, with few records kept. 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.^[31] There is also a significant but unquantified problem with UXO, including a small residual threat from cluster munition remnants.^[32]

BiH lacks sufficient or reliable data to determine the number of remaining mines or their location. BHMAC’s database holds records of 19,000 minefields but it estimates that this represents only 50–60% of the real number. Most minefields have a relatively small number of mines, often laid individually or without any pattern. Even where minefield records exist, in many cases they do not show exact locations of minefields or individual mines.^[33] According to BHMAC, some 220,000 mines remained to be cleared.^[34] This is a far smaller estimate than earlier years, when it cited up to one million mines. As a result of a new general assessment conducted in preparation for the Article 5 deadline extension request and analysis of clearance records, BHMAC found there are an average of nine mines per affected hectare (10,000m²).^[35]

At the end of 2008, BHMAC reported 1,683km² of contaminated land (3.29% of BiH territory), down from 1,738km² a year earlier. BHMAC identified 12,167 micro-locations (with an average size of 0.14km²).^[36] In its Article 5 deadline extension request submitted in 2008, BiH projected that by the start of the requested extension in 2009 it would have 1,573km² of contaminated land^[37] implying clearance of 165km² in 2008, but results for the year showed it missed this target by 110km².^[38]

Casualties

In 2008, BHMAC reported 39 mine/ERW casualties (19 people killed and 20 injured) in 21 incidents/accidents; 37 were male and the gender of two was unknown, 38 were adult and the age of one was unknown. Of the total, nine deminer casualties occurred in six accidents (six deminers killed and three injured). Mines caused the majority of casualties (29) in 17 incidents/accidents; most mine types were not reported but antipersonnel mines caused at least four casualties. ERW caused eight casualties in three incidents and one unknown device incident caused two casualties. The activity most connected with civilian mine/ERW incidents was collecting wood (17 casualties). Another five casualties occurred in an incident at a scrap metal yard, but the nature of the activity at the time was not recorded by BHMAC. The number of casualties in 2008 increased from the 30 mine/ERW casualties (eight people killed and 22 injured, including seven deminers) recorded in 2007.^[39] The 2008 total was the highest annual total number of casualties in BiH since 2004.^[40]

Casualties continued to occur in 2009, with five casualties (three killed and two injured) recorded in the BHMAC database as of June. Three of these casualties (two killed and one injured), in three incidents, were civilians. The other two casualties (one killed and one injured) in one accident, were deminers.^[41]

As of June 2009, BHMAC could only provide data on a total of 459 mine/ERW casualties (214 killed and 245 injured) recorded between 1999 and 2008. BHMAC reporting indicated that there were at least 589 casualties from 1999–2008, of whom 229 people were killed, another 156 injured, and 204 unknown.^[42] Data provided to Landmine Monitor by BHMAC contained discrepancies which could not be resolved immediately due to data verification underway at BHMAC.^[43]

As of June 2009, BHMAC was still using three dissimilar casualty data records and could not indicate which was the most correct or reliable.^[44] BHMAC estimated that the unified database, which was reportedly nearing completion, contained approximately 7,300 casualty entries, with some 100 to 200 more requiring revision or verification.

The total number of survivors, or people injured, was not available as of 16 June 2009.^[45] In April 2009, BHMAC reported 1,660 casualties from 1996–2008, including 488 people killed, another 535 injured, and 639 unknown,^[46] but detailed data provided by BHMAC to Landmine Monitor in June 2009 contained only 1,187 casualties from 1992–2008.^[47]

Risk profile

Adult males form the largest casualty group.^[48] People enter contaminated areas for livelihood purposes including cutting firewood, herding, hunting, and collecting scrap metal and herbs. The majority of incidents have taken place in properly marked areas.^[49] The highest number of incidents occurs during spring and autumn, during the peak of agriculture activities and firewood collection.^[50]

Socio-economic impact

A general assessment of the mine situation in BiH conducted by BHMAC in 2007 identified 1,631 mine/ERW impacted communities, up from 1,366 in the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) in 2003. The assessment estimated that mines/ERW directly influence the lives of 921,513 people, including 154,538 in high-impacted communities, 342,550 in medium-impacted communities, and 424,425 in low-impacted communities. Of the total number of impacted communities, 122 or 7.5% were high-impacted, 625 or 38.3% medium-impacted, and 884 or 54.2% low-impacted. On this basis, BiH remains one of the world’s most mine-affected countries.^[51]

Most impacted communities are in rural areas where people depend economically on contaminated land. BHMAC reports that “inhabitants of major cities have a relatively safe economic and social life in comparison with population living in rural area, which depends economically on access to mine contaminated areas.” Two-thirds of the affected population are returnees, mostly living in villages.^[52]

Program Management and Coordination

Mine action

The Demining Commission under the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs and Communication supervises the state-wide BHMAC and represents BiH in its relations with the international community on mine-related issues. The Demining Commission’s three members, representing the three ethnic groups in BiH, propose the appointment of BHMAC senior staff for approval by the Council of Ministers, report to the Council on mine action, approve the accreditation of demining organizations, and facilitate cooperation between the two separate entities that together comprise BiH. The Demining Commission 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).^[53]

BHMAC, established by the Decree of Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers in 2002,^[54] is responsible for regulating mine action and implementing BiH’s demining plan, including accreditation of all mine action organizations.^[55] By the end of 2008, BHMAC was supported by a part-time UNDP advisor and, until mid-2008, a UNICEF advisor for RE.^[56] BHMAC operates from its headquarters in Sarajevo through two mine action offices—formerly autonomous Entity Mine Action Centers (EMACs)—and eight regional offices. The two entity offices deal with regional offices on planning, survey, and quality control/assurance. Quality assurance (QA) inspectors are based in the regional offices.^[57] In 2008, BHMAC coordinated the work of 35 accredited demining organizations.^[58]

Risk education

BHMAC is responsible for managing and coordinating RE. In 2008, it focused on monitoring the implementation of RE standards and standing operational procedures (SOPs), and on coordination, supervision and integration of RE with other mine action activities.^[59] UNICEF’s technical advisor left BHMAC in mid-2008, but UNICEF continued to provide some financial and capacity-building support. In addition, UNICEF continued to support school-based RE and development, and piloted mine action planning at the level of affected municipalities.^[60]

Accreditation and additional accreditation processes for organizations engaged in RE activities continued.^[61]

The working group responsible for drafting a sub-strategy for RE for 2009–2019 held five meetings in 2008, organized by BHMAC with the support of UNICEF, but the sub-strategy developed was still pending approval as of May 2009.^[62] Organizations that developed the strategy consisted of government and non-governmental organizations: BHMAC; RS Civil Protection Agency; FBiH Civil Protection Agency; Brčko District Civil Protection Agency; Red Cross Society of BiH (RCSBiH); ICRC; INTERSOS; Posavina bez mina; Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA); STOP Mines; and UNICEF, which supported the process financially.^[63]

Victim assistance

BHMAC is responsible for VA coordination, which is implemented through working group meetings with service providers, including relevant ministries, NGOs, and international organizations.^[64] In 2008, committees were established at the entity level to transfer the Disability Policy in BiH into the appropriate local legislative (entity and cantonal) frameworks for implementation. VA planning will be linked to the policy’s implementation.^[65]

BHMAC’s Mine Action Strategy 2005–2009 contained a VA sub-strategy that aimed to create a standardized information system on mine casualties; improve coordination between organizations working on mine victim assistance by establishing working bodies; develop quality standards for orthopedic and medical rehabilitation; enhance professional development, vocational training, and employment of mine survivors; and amend existing legislation on the rights of persons with disabilities.^[66]

A VA sub-strategy for 2009–2019 drafted in 2008 focused on the provision of comprehensive assistance, development of sustainable systems, improved coordination and data collection, and adjustment of existing laws.^[67]

In addition, in May 2008, the BiH Council of Ministers reviewed and officially adopted a Disability Policy. The policy proposed the development of an institutional model for assessing the legal status and needs of all persons with disabilities; accessible social security for persons with disabilities; improved rights for working conditions; and inclusion of persons with disabilities in medical care, rehabilitation, education, training, and employment. Mine survivors and their representatives had input in the drafting of the document.^[68]

Due to the dual-entity and multi-cantonal governance systems of BiH, there can be no practical national ownership of VA, or of disability issues generally.^[69] BHMAC is responsible for VA coordination, but not its management.

Data collection and management

Casualty data management is the responsibility of BHMAC which enters data into the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Information System (BH MAIS) database. Monthly RE activity reports are also entered into the database.^[70]

In 2008, RCSBiH, together with the NGO HOPE’87 and BHMAC, worked on revising casualty records from seven databases that had been provided by partner organizations and compiled by BHMAC into a single database in 2006.^[71] The unified database project missed its planned completion date of November 2008 but was reportedly nearing completion in June 2009.^[72] Data is shared with ministries and NGOs who have signed a memorandum of understanding with BHMAC. The unified database was also due to be integrated into the health information system by 2009.^[73] Integration means that data shared with entity ministries will be used to improve planning of health services according to locations with the greatest needs.^[74]

From 1996 to 2005, the ICRC and the RCSBiH collected mine casualty data and provided up-to-date information on mine/UXO incidents nationwide. Several other databases on casualties or survivors were maintained by NGOs, and casualty data was collected during the 2003 LIS. In 2005, responsibility for the ICRC/RCSBiH casualty database was passed to BHMAC. In 2006, the RCSBiH continued to operate its database due to a lack of capacity at BHMAC and there were still four separate mine/ERW casualty or survivor databases, but planning for the current unification and verification of the data was underway.^[75] A system for recording VA services to individual survivors was established by BHMAC in 2007. Complete data from service providers for 2008 had not been received as of June 2009.^[76]

Mine action program operators in 2008^[77]

Plans

Strategic mine action plan

BHMAC conducted a general assessment of mine action at the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008 and used the results, together with financial, operations, and resources plans as the basis for a new BiH Mine Action Strategy 2009–2019, which was approved on 24 April 2008.^[78]

The assessment calls for revision of national mine action legislation in order to:

• establish stable and continuous funding of mine action from government and local authority budgets;
• develop local government responsibility for mine action with a focus on planning and prioritizing, RE, and measures prohibiting movement of ERW;
• criminalize the destruction or removal of mine warning signs; and
• improve the social security of deminers.^[79]

The new strategy sets BiH the target of becoming free of mines by 2019. To accomplish this, BiH has set seven strategic goals, including “elimination” of the threat of mines, increased funding for mine action, RE, VA, technical development and research, and advocacy. It also foresees three future revisions of the strategy in 2012, 2015, and 2017.^[80]

BiH identifies three priority categories of suspected hazardous areas:

1. areas needed for movement of the local population and occasional users and locations with resources for economic development;
2. locations that are used occasionally or border first priority locations; and
3. remote areas along former confrontation lines, without known minefields but with possible ERW, and unused by the local population.^[81]

The first and second categories are to be released through general and technical survey and clearance with continuing prevention measures, including urgent and permanent marking and RE. The third category will be dealt with through urgent and permanent marking, RE, and the introduction of a law imposing penalties for trespassing on marked and/or fenced mined areas.^[82]

BiH Armed Forces and the Civil Protection Agencies submitted their strategies in February 2009 to BHMAC, which confirmed they are in compliance with the national mine action strategy.^[83] The strategies were also sent to the Demining Commission for approval but as of July 2009 had not been accepted.^[84]

The VA sub-strategy had not yet been officially adopted as of 24 July 2009.^[85]

National ownership

Commitment to mine action and victim assistance

The involvement of BiH’s Council of Ministers in the oversight of mine action underscores the importance national leaders attach to a sector that is regarded as a key to recovery from the 1992–1995 conflict. Mine action has been essential to the rehabilitation of essential infrastructure, to facilitate the return of up to 2.2 million people displaced by fighting, and to open up land and other resources. Until 2008, however, BiH did not commit its own funding to mine action and depended entirely on international donor support, which left a big gap between the resources available and the sector’s financial needs. BiH was stepping up its financial commitment to mine action by seeking to pass a mine action law that would remedy this deficit and mobilize the necessary funding from national sources (see National mine action legislation section below).^[86]

The BHMAC staff responsible for VA coordination and casualty data management are nationals and no involvement of external advisers was reported.^[87] Budgeting for VA was to be linked to the VA sub-strategy of the BiH Mine Action Strategy 2009–2019.^[88]

National management

The BiH mine action program is fully nationally managed. Since December 2008, there have been no international advisors for mine action in BiH.^[89]

National budget

International donors provided almost all funding for mine action with only a small amount coming from local budgets and entity governments. BiH has repeatedly cited lack of financial support as one of the main reasons for slow progress in clearance over the past 10 years.^[90]

The Mine Action Strategy 2009–2019 estimated the cost of completing clearance by 2019 at BAM790 million (US$594.3 million).^[91]

National mine action legislation

The 2002 Demining Law created the present framework for managing mine action in BiH, ending the previous autonomy of the EMACs.^[92] A new mine action law under consideration by parliament as of March 2009 provides for federal, state, and municipal governments to make up any shortfall in donor support in order to provide stable and continuous funding of mine action.^[93]

National mine action standards/Standing operating procedures

BHMAC has drawn up 15 chapters of national standards that it says are based on and in compliance with the International Mine Action Standards.^[94] All demining organizations have their own internal QA staff. Final quality control is undertaken by BHMAC inspectors.^[95]

The general survey SOPs were revised in 2008 and include new chapters focusing on general assessment of the mine situation. The basis of the new SOPs is collection of more comprehensive data on impacted communities and mined areas. This approach will provide important information for RE implementation as well as improved community liaison, which will lead to better prioritization.^[96] No SOPs for VA were reported.

Demining and Battle Area Clearance

BiH had 35 accredited demining organizations at the end of 2008, including six governmental bodies (BiH Armed Forces, FBiH Civil Protection Agency, RS Civil Protection Agency, Brčko District Civil Protection Agency, MDDC, and the RCSBiH), 14 NGOs (nine local and five international) and 15 commercial companies (13 local and two international). Accredited organizations operated a total of 37 machines, 1,336 detectors of different types, and a total of 45 accredited MDD teams.^[97]

BHMAC had 58 surveyors, deployed in 29 survey teams. Eight senior planning officers were assigned to regional offices. BHMAC also had 36 inspectors in regional offices in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, and in the Department for Quality Assurance headquarters, which between them conduct 8,000 inspections a year.^[98]

Identification of hazardous areas

BiH has continued general, systematic and technical survey since 1998, spurred by the low quality of minefield records in BiH.^[99] The Mine Action Strategy 2009–2019 calls for completing general survey activities by 2012 in order to provide a basis for revising the mine action strategy.^[100]

In 2008, BHMAC survey teams surveyed a total of 142.97 km² (4% more than planned), resulting in preparation of 628 projects for technical survey and clearance.^[101] The teams surveyed 2,088 suspected areas, including 1,061 areas that were resurveyed, 862 newly surveyed, and 165 locations that were found to have no identified risk.^[102] Some 29km² of land was released as a result of general survey and 41km² was released after systematic survey involving desk analysis of suspected areas.^[103]

NPA remains the only organization that supports BHMAC in general survey, land release, and preparing tasks for technical survey and clearance, working from BHMAC regional offices in Brčko, Pale, and Travnik.^[104] NPA surveyed a total of 34.7km², releasing 23.1km² and identifying 11.6km² as suspect.^[105]

Regional BHMAC offices have permanently marked 88 areas covering 8.8km² (one-quarter of the 35km² which they plan to mark).^[106] A further 18 permanent marking tasks covering a total area of 1.3km² were being carried out as of January 2009, and tenders had been invited for 10 more projects on an area of 699,900m².^[107]

As part of general survey operations, BHMAC’s survey teams placed 6,487 mine-warning signs in 2008, a little more than half the planned number. RE NGOs placed 155 signs for urgent marking.^[108]

Mine clearance

Demining operators manually cleared 3.16km² in 2008, up more than one-third compared with 2007 but as in previous years, BiH still cleared much less—barely half—of the amount planned.^[109] BHMAC stated that planning was realistic in terms of available capacity but it did not receive sufficient funding to deploy all the available assets. A further 11.6km² was released through technical survey.^[110] Demining operations combined with all forms of survey resulted in release of a total of 84.8km², representing less than half (46.2%) of the amount planned.^[111]

In the bid to meet its Article 5 deadline extension request goals, BHMAC set a target of releasing 151.67km² in 2009, including 9.5km² through demining, 21.5km² through technical survey, and 115.75 km² through general and systematic survey. BHMAC projected the total cost for 2009 at around €40 million (approximately $58.9 million). It reported in May 2009 that it had secured 65% of the funding needed and expected to cover the shortfall through “rebalancing of local budgets.”^[112]

The share of demining organizations in total clearance operations in 2008 remained almost unchanged from 2007.^[113] Eleven NGOs cleared nearly half (47.25%) of the total demined area, eight commercial companies cleared 32.38%, and state bodies, including three Civil Protection Agencies and the Armed Forces, cleared 20.4%.^[114]

There were six demining accidents in which six deminers were killed and three injured during 2008.^[115] All accidents are recorded as the result of mistakes made while clearing mines. All six fatalities were caused by PROM-1 mines, five occurring during technical survey operations and one during demining. The fatalities included a deminer from the RS Civil Protection Agency killed in March, two deminers from Demira also killed in March, two Tehnoelektro deminers killed in July, and a UEM deminer killed in October. Deminers from Demira, N&N IVSA company, and the BiH Army suffered injuries.^[116]

Quality assurance/Quality control

BHMAC conducted 5,479 technical inspections (68.48% of planned inspections) on 567 demining sites in 2008, an average of 9.67 inspections per demining site. These resulted in 32 decisions calling for re-clearance and 10 decisions temporarily suspending clearance operations.^[117]

Demining in 2008^[118]

Progress since becoming a State Party^[119]

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, BiH was 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. BiH submitted the first draft of its request for a 10-year extension of its Article 5 deadline in March 2008 together with a new strategy for clearance. A revised version was submitted in June 2008 and presented at the Ninth Meeting of States Parties, which approved the request but noted that BiH “still faces a significant remaining challenge in order to fulfill its obligations under Article 5.” It also observed that “success is contingent upon increased performance in technical survey, an ongoing, although decreasing, high level of donor funding and the initiation of and thereafter constantly increased funds provided by local governments.”^[120]

The Mine Action Strategy 2005–2009 had called for reducing the mine/UXO risk and its associated socio-economic impact “to an acceptable level.”^[121] The strategy for 2009–2019 envisions BiH free of mines by 2019,^[122] but BHMAC still says achieving this target is conditional on receiving adequate external financing.^[123]

Demining from 1999–2008^[124]

BiH failed to meet the first target set by its extension request, whereby as of the start of the extension period in 2009 it was to have reduced the estimated area of contamination to 1,573km². To achieve this, BiH should have completed clearance and area reduction or cancellation of 165km² in 2008, but it achieved only a little over half of this amount (85km²).^[125] Moreover, the extent of the residual task remains unclear and the assumptions on which completion within 10 years are based appear unrealistic when compared with past performance.^[126]

A lack of funding was responsible for BiH missing its targets in 2008 as it did in previous years.^[127] The extension request draws attention to past funding constraints on operations and notes “a big discrepancy between realistic needs for mine action in BiH and possibilities of the country and its supporters.”^[128] Yet the extension request still envisages a rise of more than half in projected mine action expenditure to more than BAM78 million ($58.7 million) a year from 2009–2019 without showing how this will be achieved. Close to half of the projected funding in 2009 and two-thirds of funding in 2019 was supposed to come from “new sources (local government budgets).”^[129]

Risk Education

In 2008, 16 organizations were accredited to conduct RE.^[130] RE was conducted through school-based RE, community integrated mine action plans (CIMAPs), and by clearance organizations. In 2008, 24,500 people were reached through RE, an increase from 9,176 in 2007 but lower than 2006, when 31,021 people were reached.^[131]

RE management training was held by BHMAC with UNICEF support for the representatives of 10 organizations (governmental, NGO, and commercial).^[132] A national NGO, STOP Mines, provided training for 27 RE instructors from 13 organizations, with the financial support of UNICEF and Handicap International (HI).^[133]

In 2008, a new planning methodology was implemented to improve mine action planning at a municipal level and develop an interactive combination of different mine action components (clearance, technical survey, permanent marking, RE, and VA) within the municipality. This plan aims to give more responsibility to local government and involved the local community in the decision making process.^[134]

Community Integrated Mine Action Plans (CIMAPs) continued to be developed and implemented during 2008: 10 CIMAPs were prepared and seven of these were implemented. CIMAP’s are developed for every impacted community and integrate general survey data with RE data. They include a separate RE assessment within the CIMAP. Following two RE evaluations in 2007, meetings with the ministries of education were initiated and UNICEF supported BHMAC by employing a consultant to further develop the municipal mine action planning system.^[135]

In 2008, BHMAC met with the entity and cantonal ministries of education to discuss integration of RE into the education system. Although all 13 ministries of education were invited, only four attended.^[136] RE is integrated into the school curriculum as an extracurricular lesson, to be conducted six times a year in high-impacted communities, and four times a year in low-impacted communities. However, although all materials were developed and distributed to schools, the proper training was not conducted and the program was not functional as of July 2009.^[137]

NGOs engaged in RE activities conducted marking of hazardous areas.^[138] UNICEF provided 3,700 mine-warning signs to BHMAC for emergency marking.^[139]

Type of activities^[140]

Extensive RE has been conducted since 1999, through BHMAC and the EMACs, UNICEF, UNDP, ICRC, and the RCSBiH, the ministries of education, Civil Protection Agencies, and numerous NGOs. Methods included school-based RE, community-based RE, media, and data gathering.^[141] By 1999, all primary school teachers were trained in RE, and it has been conducted in secondary schools since 2000.^[142] RE has been conducted through theatrical productions of “Little Red Riding Hood” and through sport by the NGO Spirit of Soccer.^[143] In 2000 RE began to focus on returnees and refugees.^[144] RE has also been conducted by SFOR for its troops. HI ran a project in 2004–2007 to develop sustainable RE capacity in schools and communities.^[145] An evaluation in 2007 found that there was no uniform method of teaching, the level of participation by schools was unclear, and there was no monitoring by BHMAC. However, HI ended its support to RE in December 2006, so it was unclear how the recommendations of the evaluation could be implemented.^[146]

Coordination mechanisms, working groups and RE standards have existed for at least 10 years,^[147] but have been developed over the years. In 2002, UNICEF appointed an RE specialist to develop BHMAC’s capacity.^[148] In 2003, RE started to be more closely integrated with mine action and clearance organizations started to conduct RE.^[149] By March 2004, an RE strategy was developed that integrated RE into the overall mine action strategy. By the end of 2004, BHMAC had developed a system for RE planning at community level through the CIMAPs.^[150]

In 2006, BHMAC developed SOPs for RE.^[151] In 2007, 10 out of the 23 organizations that applied did not fulfill requirements for accreditation contributing to a sharp downturn in RE activity.^[152] An evaluation of the UNICEF program found that the SOP was unnecessarily restrictive and hindered community participation. It also concluded there was no longer a need for UNICEF support, based on low casualty rates, a limited risk-taking group, and the established capacity of BHMAC and Civil Protection Agencies.^[153]

Victim Assistance

The total number of survivors is unknown due to BHMAC’s continuing work to verify and unify data; a 2005 estimate put the number at approximately 3,919.^[154] The main improvement in services to mine/ERW survivors since 1999 has been increased emergency response capacity and faster response times since 2006.^[155] In 2008, emergency medical care and transportation was reportedly adequate and improving. Demining and Civil Protection Agency personnel are usually first on the scene of an incident and provide emergency transportation of mine/ERW survivors.^[156]

Healthcare systems overall are generally reported to be adequate. Health services are free of charge for people with life-threatening conditions or with insurance, but approximately 50% of persons with disabilities did not have health insurance.^[157] The Ministry of Health (MoH) of the FBiH has noted that many people, including mine survivors, who do not register for unemployment benefits within the prescribed 30-day period, experience a lack of access to health insurance and health services. From 2008–2009, the cantons of the FBiH accepted an arrangement with the FBiH MoH to provide a basic package of healthcare services to all people, including mine survivors, who are not insured. As of May 2009, the arrangement was yet to be fully implemented.^[158]

In the last decade, BiH has faced many challenges in providing rehabilitation and prosthetics services, including poor quality devices, lack of trained technicians, and few choices of services for survivors. However, the situation has improved and BiH now has a wide range of health and rehabilitation facilities available to mine/ERW survivors. The FBiH has rehabilitation centers, spas, and 38 community-based rehabilitation (CBR) centers for psychological and physical rehabilitation, which provide assistance to mine survivors. The RS has 23 CBR centers situated within other health institutions. BiH reported that CBR centers significantly improved access to the rehabilitation services by mine survivors.^[159] From 2008–2009, there was a nationwide survey of the centers, to assess the outputs of the CBR system, as well as its existing capacity and needs. As of May 2009, some 42 of the 60 CBR center questionnaires on accessibility, equipment, staff education levels and community connection had been returned and analyzed.^[160]

New developments were reported in capacity-building of rehabilitation services. The Miracles Center for Prosthesis and Care in Mostar, completed in August 2008, was specifically built to provide for the needs of mine survivors. The center also offers short-term free accommodation for beneficiaries who have to travel to access care at the center.^[161] However, Miracles, a British NGO, reported a continuing lack of prosthetic technicians qualified to international standards in BiH.^[162]

In 2008, the NGO Human Study, in cooperation with Don Bosco University of El Salvador, the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO), and HI, began implementation of a prosthetic and orthotic education program to address the lack of modern services and trained practitioners in the Balkans region. The course was providing distance education in prosthetics and orthotics to ISPO category II for 13 students in the region (one from BiH, six from Croatia, one from Macedonia, and five from Serbia).^[163] In 2008, the Center for International Rehabilitation (CIR) in Tuzla ran a project for prosthetic training of students from BiH for ISPO category II accreditation. In 2009, the FBiH MoH continued cooperation with the CIR to improve national prosthetics capacity.^[164] By October 2008, HOPE’87 established pain therapy departments linked to clinical centers and CBR centers. In 2008, HOPE’87 also worked on a project aimed at creating a pain management network throughout BiH, to be completed by early 2010.^[165]

As in past years, in 2008, BiH stated that psychological support was available through CBR centers which were reported to be fully operational and open to all in need.^[166] According to recent research, however, there is a lack of political will to address psychological support needs and consequently, funding for services is minimal. There remained a high level of need for psychosocial assistance for people who have suffered war and postwar trauma, including mine survivors. Stigmatization of psychological support remained a problem, particularly among war veterans who are often referred to psychiatric institutions and centers for mental health, which principally treat severe psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric clinics in Sarajevo and Tuzla have specific departments for the treatment of traumatic stress.^[167]

The great majority of persons with disabilities are unemployed.^[168] The Fund for Employment of Persons with Disabilities of the RS co-financed an NGO economic reintegration project for mine survivors that ended in October 2008.^[169] In 2007, engagement of the Fund in economic reintegration for mine survivors was announced as a plan for implementing BiH victim assistance objectives.^[170] All reported economic assistance activities for survivors are provided by NGOs.

The law in both entities prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities but discrimination persisted in employment, education, access to health care, and other state services. Laws requiring that buildings are accessible to persons with disabilities were not adequately enforced. Discrimination between civilian and military survivors persisted, the latter receiving a privileged status above civilian war injured.^[171] In 2008, access to education for students with disabilities improved. The Office of the Ombudsperson for Persons with Disabilities was set up and a National Implementation Plan on Social Inclusion 2007–2008 was produced.^[172] FBiH legislation for improving economic reintegration of persons with disabilities was still pending final approval in early 2009.^[173]

BiH signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol on 29 July 2009 but has not yet ratified either.

Progress in meeting VA26 victim assistance objectives

BiH is one of the 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 for the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of survivors.^[174] BiH presented its 2005–2009 objectives at the Sixth Meeting of States Parties in 2005. The objectives were not revised and no plans to achieve them have been presented.^[175] Only three of the BiH’s 14 objectives were time-bound and no clear responsibilities were assigned for their implementation. Of the three time-bound objectives, only one—to increase efficiency of medical interventions by 2009—was completed by the deadline. The other two, to integrate mine casualty data collection into a nation-wide injury surveillance system by 2009, and to ensure every mine survivor has access to psychological support services, if needed, by 2009 were yet to be accomplished as of June 2009.^[176]

In 2007, BiH convened two VA workshops to refine objectives and elaborate a VA plan. However, results from these workshops were only used to guide the 10-year sub-strategy and not the work for the period under review (2005–2009).

BiH included a VA expert on its delegation to the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in 2007, and at the Meetings of States Parties in 2005, 2007, and 2008.^[177]

Victim assistance activities

Landmine Survivors Network BiH (LSN BiH)^[178] continued the implementation of its program in BiH, while completing its transition to becoming a national NGO. In 2008, LSN BiH provided assistance to at least 635 survivors who received peer support services. LSN BiH made 5,258 home visits and 217 hospital visits to survivors and other amputees, 170 new survivors/amputees entered the program, 16 survivors/amputees were in groups for social integration, 39 in groups for economic integration, 90 survivors/amputees in groups for advocacy and rights of persons with disabilities, 157 received direct assistance packages, and 15 survivors were assisted in getting prosthetic orthotic devices. More than 200 survivors participated in LSN social, cultural, educational, and sporting events. LSN BiH provided 30 survivors with small business training, assisted in helping to get 37 small businesses started and extending another 50 small businesses, and helped four survivors/amputees find employment.^[179] LSN BiH reported that 92% of the survivors helped with their economic reintegration activities continued to run their own businesses, and 12% of the survivors it assisted employed additional workers. ^[180]

In 2008, Mercy Corps Scotland assisted 86 mine survivors (six more than began the project initially) with economic reintegration activities, in cooperation with LSN BiH. Of the total beneficiaries, some 80% were engaged in agriculture and 20% in craft, production, or services. The program continued in mid-2008 with a new group of 90 survivors receiving economic reintegration packages in an 18-month project due to finish in January 2010, and another 20 survivors receiving only education support.^[181]

One mine survivor received assistance at the Institute for Rehabilitation Republic of Slovenia, with the support of LSN BiH.^[182] LSN BiH also organized the 10th Sitting Volleyball tournament in September 2008.^[183] The International Sitting Volleyball tournament was held in Sarajevo in May 2008 with support from the ITF. The NGO ECO Sport Group provided sports diving activities for mine survivors in 2008, as in past years. STOP Mines also continued their socio-economic reintegration support program, “Sustained Professional Rehabilitation of Mine Victims in BiH,” which was due for completion in June 2009.^[184]

World Vision United States assisted 56 people (18 children), including mine survivors, with prosthetics and rehabilitation at the University Clinical Centre in Tuzla.^[185]

From 2008–2009, the NGO Amputee Association (Udruženje Amputiraca, UDAS) based in Banja Luka provided information on healthcare for amputees, economic reintegration assistance in cooperation with LSN BiH, as well as sporting and art and cultural activities for mine survivors and other amputees.^[186]

Support for Mine Action

In its revised Article 5 deadline extension request, submitted in June 2008, BiH estimated funding needed to meet its mine clearance obligations at BAM790.4 million ($594.3 million) for the period 2009–2019. The budget consists of BAM742.4 million ($558.5 million) for survey, area reduction, clearance and QA; BAM13.9 million ($10.5 million) for RE; BAM32.4 million ($24.4 million) for VA; BAM850,000 ($639,000) for research and development; and BAM920,000 ($677,000) for advocacy.^[187] Annual cost estimates are roughly consistent across the extension period, averaging BAM79 million (roughly $59.5 million per year, with a low of BAM75.28 million ($56.6 million) in 2018 and a high of BAM80.14 million ($60.3 million) in 2012.^[188]

BiH’s revised Mine Action Strategy 2009–2019 acknowledges the need to continue transition from international to national and local responsibility for resource mobilization, but states that BiH still must rely on substantial international donor support for fulfillment of its current mine action strategy. Beginning in 2008, the strategy calls for annexes and amendments of national mine action law to “secure additional and continuous funding through national budgets.”^[189]

The revised Article 5 deadline extension request cites a lack of funding along with the scale of the mine problem as the main reasons for BiH’s failure to fulfill its mine clearance obligations in line with the original treaty deadline.^[190] The request states that the adoption of new mine action legislation (pending as of June 2009) would “create conditions for stable and continuous funding” from local budgets. The Mine Action Strategy 2009–2019 calls for annual reviews and adjustments of financial plans, and for funding from national sources to increase each year beginning in 2009.^[191]

National support for mine action

In 2008, overall spending on mine action was €31 million ($45.7 million). Of this amount, roughly €20 million ($29.5 million) or 65% was reported to have come via the ITF or bilateral funding from international donors.^[192] This would leave approximately €11 million ($16.2 million), or 35%, in funding from national sources (including federal and local sources). In its revised Article 5 deadline extension request, BiH projected national allocations totaling BAM20.1 ($15.1 million) in 2008.^[193] In comparison, in 2007 BHMAC reported national funding totaling BAM19,419,177 ($13,618,669), or 40.4% of total funds.

For the 2009–2019 extension period, of the approximately €400 million ($589 million) total estimated cost for mine clearance, BiH has projected that €325 million ($479 million), or 81%, will come from state budgets. ^[194]

In December 2008, the director of BHMAC stated that national funds for mine clearance came mainly from the Armed Forces and Civil Protection Agencies budgets, with some additional funds coming from municipalities, cantons, the electrical utility, and forestry agencies. The director stated that overall allocation of funds is not regulated in BiH and, without more active involvement by the government in financing mine action, international donors may withdraw their support.^[195]

International cooperation and assistance

In 2008, 11 countries and the EC reported providing $24,550,453 (€16,671,501) to mine action in BiH, which is approximately 43% more than reported in 2007. According to BiH’s proposed mine clearance strategy, annual donor support for mine action during the period 2008–2012 is projected to be €10–15 million, decreasing gradually afterward to €2.5 million a year in the last years of the extension.^[196]

In May 2009, BiH stated that, with “regular funding,” it could achieve its mine clearance targets for 2009 as reported to the Standing Committee meetings. Total funds required for mine action in 2009 were estimated to be roughly €40 million, with 65% of funds being raised as of May 2009. BiH stated that the remaining funds would likely be covered by “rebalancing of local budgets.”^[197]

Funding at 2008 levels, with both national and international contributions totaling roughly $39.8 million, is not sufficient to meet BiH’s mine action needs according to its own plans described in the Article 5 deadline extension request. In both 2007 and 2008, reported international funds did not take into account the costs of VA, which only one donor reported funding directly in 2008, although the ITF reported contributions to VA during this period.

The ITF reported that 53% of BiH’s mine clearance program is funded via the ITF.^[198] In 2008, it allocated $18,232,963 (59%) to BiH.^[199] Funds for BiH were allocated to mine and UXO clearance, structural support, VA, RE, training, and other operational or program expenses.^[200]

In addition to the above funds, Sweden provided funds for UNDP through ITF and contributions to the ITF in 2008 were also reported from Belgium, Hungary and the United Kingdom, as well as from local and national sources and NGOs.^[201]

2008 International Mine Action Funding to Bosnia and Herzegovina: Monetary^[202]