Landmine Monitor Report 2001 Toward a Mine-Free World Belgium Report
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Landmine Monitor Report 2001 Toward a Mine-Free World Belgium Report LANDMINE MONITOR Landmine Monitor Report 2001 Toward a Mine-Free World Belgium Report Table of Contents Mine Ban Policy p.3 Production, Transfer and Stockpiling p.4 Landmine/UXO Problem, Casualties, Survivor Assistance p.7 Mine Action Funding p.8 Research and Development p.12 NGO Activity p.14 Notes p.16 Mine Ban Policy reiterated the need for universaliza- The Mine Ban Treaty Belgium tion of the Mine Ban Treaty, and Belgium signed the Mine Ban Treaty continued to pleaded for greater solidarity with on 3 December 1997, ratified it on play a landmine victims.2 4 September 1998, and became a leadership role State Party on 1 March 1999. Belgium Implementation of the in promoting had already adopted domestic legis- Mine Ban Treaty universalization lation banning the production, pro- Belgium continues to play a sig- and effective curement, sale, export, use and stock- nificant role in promoting adherence implementation piling of antipersonnel mines.1 to, and implementation of, the Mine of the Mine Ban Treaty. For example, on 15-16 Ban Treaty The Second Meeting of February 2001, Belgium participated States Parties actively in a seminar in Bamako, In September 2000, at the Second Mali, on the implementation and Meeting of States Parties in Geneva, universalization of the Mine Ban Belgium's delegation was headed Treaty in Africa. Belgium promotes by Ambassador Marc Baptist, Deputy universalization of the Mine Ban Director-General of Political Multilat- Treaty via bilateral contacts. Louis eral Relations and Thematic Ques- Michel, Vice-Prime Minister and Min- tions, at the Ministry of Foreign ister of Foreign Affairs, has sent Affairs, and Ambassador Jean Lint, letters to a number of States not Permanent Representative to the party to the Mine Ban Treaty, encour- Conference on Disarmament (CD). aging them to join the treaty. Efforts Advisers from the nongovernmental to promote universalization are also organization Handicap International made in multilateral or international (HI) Belgium were also members of fora, such as the UN, NATO, and the the Belgian delegation. In a speech CD. The interdepartmental working at the opening ceremony, Her Royal group established by the Ministry of Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, Foreign Affairs has continued to work Landmine Monitor Report 2001 / 1 on promoting the Mine Ban Treaty, reporting by States Parties of imple- and regularly invites HI Belgium to mentation measures under Article 7 attend its meetings. of the Mine Ban Treaty. Together with The Second Meeting of the NGO VERTIC, the International States Parties Campaign to Ban Landmines, and UN Department for Disarmament At the Second Meeting of States Affairs, Belgium undertook to develop Parties, Belgium became co-chair a guide for Article 7 transparency with Zimbabwe of the Standing Com- reports. During the Bamako seminar, mittee on General Status and Oper- Burkina Faso and Belgium co-chaired Belgium has ation of the Convention. This Stand- a workshop on how to construct served as ing Committee has stressed the national Article 7 reports. Belgium co-chair of the importance of continuing efforts to and Burkina Faso agreed to make a intersessional universalize the Mine Ban Treaty. contact list of the African represen- Standing Belgium, together with a number of tatives responsible for Article 7 re- Committee on other States Parties, has taken the ports.4 Belgium has also undertaken General Status initiative to form the Universalization démarches in respect of a number and Operation Contact Group, which coordinates of countries that have not submitted of the activities encouraging non-States Article 7 reports to the UN. Parties to accede to, or ratify, the Convention Belgium submitted its transpar- Mine Ban Treaty without delay. The since ency reports under Mine Ban Treaty group was formally recognized at September Article 7 in May 1999, 15 August the Second Meeting of States Parties. 2000 1999, 27 April 2000, and 30 April Belgium was a very active partic- 2001.5 The most recent Article 7 ipant in the December 2000 and report includes the new Form J, in May 2001 intersessional Standing which Belgium provides information Committee meetings. Belgium has on mine action funding and victim given financial support to the Geneva assistance measures. International Center for Humanitarian Demining to create a sponsorship UN General Assembly fund, which will allow wider partici- pation in the intersessional work In November 2000 Belgium voted in and annual meetings of States Par- favor of UN General Assembly Reso- ties.3 lution 55/33v on the universalisation and implementation of the Mine Ban Implementation measures Treaty. In 2001, Belgium will lead In addition, Belgium is coordinating the drafting of the UN resolution on efforts to encourage full and prompt the Mine Ban Treaty. 2 / Landmine Monitor Report 2001 Amended Protocol II was the second anniversary of the of the CCW entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty. He encouraged States that Belgium is a party to Amended had not yet joined the Mine Ban Protocol II of the Convention on Treaty to do so.8 Conventional Weapons (CCW). At the Second Annual Conference of States Parties to the Protocol in The use of antipersonnel December 2000, Ambassador Lint mines by a non-signatory headed a small Belgian delegation, and Belgium was the only State Party Belgium's position regarding the to include an NGO member in its use of antipersonnel mines by a non- There has delegation. The Belgian position is signatory of the Mine Ban Treaty been much to continue encouraging States Par- during joint military operations with activity in ties to implement the Amended Pro- a State Party was elaborated by the Parliament and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June tocol II and also to encourage States elsewhere in 2000 and again in March 2001: “Any to join the Mine Ban Treaty. During support Belgian unit engaged in joint opera- the Second Annual Conference, the of a ban on Netherlands made an informal pro- tions outside national territory cannot antihandling posal for intensive consideration of use antipersonnel mines, in any devices whether to amend the CCW to cover circumstances, whatever framework “explosive remnants of war.” Bel- and subordination mode this engage- gium co-sponsored this proposal ment is undergoing. along with many other countries. Belgium will also continue to make Belgium submitted the annual report diplomatic and political efforts to as required by Article 13 of Amended NATO partners who have not ratified Protocol II on 15 October 2000.6 the Ottawa Convention and to en- courage them to adhere to it.”9 This issue has been raised by the ICBL Conference in the General Status Standing Com- on Disarmament mittee several times, and as co-chair, Belgium “considers that the Confer- Belgium has proposed that a con- ence on Disarmament, at the same structive debate on the scope of the level as other international and re- obligation take place in that Standing gional forums, may contribute to the Committee.10 promotion of the universalization and the reinforcement of the inter- national norm created by the Mine Ban Treaty.”7 On 1 March 2001, Bel- gium's Ambassador to the CD, Jean Lint, reminded the CD that this date Landmine Monitor Report 2001 / 3 Production, Transfer 11 and Stockpiling 13 Belgium has Belgium has not produced antiper- reported in detail. By March 2001, became one sonnel mines since demilitarization the number had been further reduced of facilities in 1990, and has stated to 5,426.14 of the first that “the actions in which Belgium On 1-2 February 2001, a represen- countries to participates, whether as a promoter tative of the Armed Forces participat- complete or as a participant, are by no means ed in a technical meeting in Budapest destruction aimed at conceiving or developing on the destruction of the PFM1 of its munitions whose operation would “Butterfly” mine. antipersonnel be similar to the operation of anti- 12 Antihandling devices mine personnel mines.” stockpile An issue of particular concern has been certain antivehicle mines with antihandling devices which may act like an antipersonnel mine and thus be banned under the Mine Ban Treaty. This issue has been discussed in various fora, including the meetings of the Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the photo: © Jane’s Mines and Mines clearance Convention. On 13-14 March 2001, In September 1997, Belgium be- the International Committee of the came one of the first countries to Red Cross (ICRC) hosted an expert complete destruction of its antiper- meeting on antivehicle mines with sonnel mine stockpile. Its most sensitive fuzes or sensitive antihan- recent Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 dling devices in Geneva, which Bel- report indicates that at the end of gium attended.15 reporting period on 31 December On 11 May 2001, when the results 2000, Belgium retained 5,433 M 35 of the ICRC meeting were discussed Bg antipersonnel mines, after using at the Standing Committee on the 383 mines during the year for per- General Status, the Belgian delega- mitted training purposes, which are tion stated that Articles 1 and 2 of 4 / Landmine Monitor Report 2001 the Mine Ban Treaty constitute an discussed in the External Affairs and “interdiction on using antivehicle National Defense Commission, were mines with antihandling devices adopted unanimously,19 and put on conceived or modified to activate the agenda of the plenary session when no attempt is made to tamper for voting by the Senate on 8 March with or disturb them.” The delegation 2001.20 But no vote was taken and went on to say that Belgium consid- the issue was referred back to the ered such devices as booby-traps, External Affairs and National Defense which are banned under Belgian Commission.