A Guide to Mine Action A Guide to Mine Action Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining 7bis, avenue de la Paix P.O. Box 1300 CH - 1211 Geneva 1 Switzerland Tel. (41 22) 906 16 60, Fax (41 22) 906 16 90 www.gichd.ch A Guide to Mine Action i The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) supports the efforts of the international community in reducing the impact of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The Centre provides operational assistance, is active in research and supports the implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining 7bis, avenue de la Paix P.O. Box 1300 CH-1211 Geneva 1 Switzerland Tel. (41 22) 906 16 60 Fax (41 22) 906 16 90 www.gichd.ch [email protected] A Guide to Mine Action, 2nd edition, GICHD, Geneva, January 2004. This project was managed by Davide Orifici, Assistant to the Director ([email protected]). ISBN 2-88487-021-0 © Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining The views expressed in this publication are those of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area, or of its authorities or armed groups, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. ii Contents Foreword 1 An overview of A Guide to Mine Action 3 Chapter 1. An introduction to mines and unexploded ordnance 7 Chapter 2. A history of mine action 19 Chapter 3. A history of landmines and unexploded ordnance under international law 29 Chapter 4. The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention 41 Chapter 5. The Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons 55 Chapter 6. Humanitarian demining 63 Chapter 7. Mine risk education 79 Chapter 8. Victim assistance 93 Chapter 9. Stockpile destruction 105 Chapter 10. Coordination of mine action and capacity development 117 Chapter 11. Socio-economic approaches to mine action 127 Chapter 12. Information management in mine action 137 Select bibliography 143 Glossary of terms and acronyms 145 Appendixes 1. The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention 147 2. Adherence to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention 158 3. Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), Amended Protocol II to the CCW and Protocol V 161 4. States Parties to the CCW, Protocol II and Amended Protocol II 185 5. Selected definitions from the IMAS glossary 187 6. Mine Action and Effective Coordination: The UN Policy 200 Index 211 iii Acknowledgements The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining would like to thank all those who provided comments on drafts of this Guide, in particular Dr. David Atwood and Brigadier (ret.) Patrick Blagden. The Guide was drafted by Stuart Maslen, edited by Jack Glattbach and laid out for publication by Françoise Jaffré. Photo credits: Cover: clockwise from top left, ©ICRC, ©ICRC/M.A. Andersen, ©ICRC/J. Luyet, ©ICRC/ R. Gray and ©ICRC/P. Dutoit. P. 8: all mine photos ©ICRC/T. Gassmann except OZM-72 ©ICRC/G. Cauderay, and MON-100 ©H. Bach; p. 9: TM-57 and TM-62 ©ICRC/J. Sohlberg, Kuwait ©P. Blagden, BM-21, BLU 97 and RBL 755 ©V. Bohle 2002; p. 12: ©ICRC/D. Higgs; p. 13: ©ICRC/T. Gassmann; p. 15: Afghanistan ©V. Bohle 2002, Lao ©UNICEF Laos/Samphe Lhalungwa; p. 21: ©ICRC/Z. Ahad; p. 22: woman demining ©ICRC/P.Dutoit, demining kit ©GICHD; p. 25: ©ICRC/G. Diffidenti; p. 44: ©ICRC/J. Sohlberg; p. 64: ©ICRC/Z. Ahad; p. 67: ©ICRC/ T. Page; p. 68: ©Vilpo d.o.o; p. 69: ©ICBL; p. 70: ©Minelab Electronics Pty Ltd.; p. 72: man's best friend ©GICHD, dog being trained ©NOKSH AS; p. 73: rat ©GICHD, REST team ©NPA Angola; p. 75: ©V. Bohle 2002; p. 81: ©ICRC/G. Diffidenti; p. 82: drama ©ICRC/R. Prokrovac, MRE spot ©ICRC/G. Diffidenti; p. 83: both photos ©ICRC/T. Mayer; p. 85: ©ICRC/G. Diffidenti; p. 86: ©ICRC/G. Diffidenti; p. 87: left ©ICRC/D. Higgs, right ©ICRC/ C. Lo; p. 94: mine victim Cambodia ©ICRC/R. Gray, child victim ©ICRC/A. Brooks; p. 96: ©ICRC; p. 97: ©ICRC/A. Brooks; p. 99: ©UNICEF/J. Hartley; p. 100: ©ICRC/P. Dutoit; p. 101: ©ICRC/T. Page; p. 106: ©GICHD. iv Foreword ver the past decade, mine action has developed rapidly as a humanitarian and development discipline. For the newcomer to the O subject, however, the disparate nature of the sources sometimes makes it difficult to understand the complexities and inter-relationships of the different mine action components and activities. Moreover, specialists in one area of the discipline may not be aware of developments in another. A Guide to Mine Action has been prepared by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining as a basic grounding to the diplomat, donor, lawyer, practitioner or scholar in the key aspects of mine action. It is intended to reflect current realities in a fast-developing humanitarian concern. Although focused on efforts to alleviate the problems caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance, many of the techniques and approaches that have been developed within mine action also have broader relevance to relief and development efforts. A Guide to Mine Action is available in hard copy in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish, and these versions can also be accessed on-line at: www.gichd.ch. The project was funded by the Swiss government whose support is gratefully acknowledged. Amb. Martin Dahinden Director Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining 1 A Guide to Mine Action 2 An overview of A Guide to Mine Action Guide to Mine Action is not an operational handbook, rather it is an information resource on mine action that can also assist in decision- Amaking, programme planning and research. Each of the 12 chapters contained in the Guide has been designed to stand alone (although, inevitably, there are a number of cross-references to other chapters). In general, therefore, readers can select the topic or topics most relevant to their particular needs or interest. In addition, each chapter begins with a brief summary of the key points. Chapter 1 provides an historical introduction to landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) and the problems they wreak on affected communities. Landmines were developed before the 20th century but became a weapon of choice for many armed forces and groups from the 1939-1945 war onwards. Widely used in international and internal armed conflicts alike, mines typically continue to be a threat to the civilian population long after hostilities have ceased. Similarly, UXO — bombs, shells, grenades and other ammunition that have been employed but which have failed to detonate as designed — plague post-conflict societies around the world. Chapter 2 looks at the development of the discipline of mine action since its inception. Its origins can be traced to October 1988, when, for the first time, the UN appealed for funds to carry out civilian demining activities in Afghanistan. There are now national programmes in dozens of countries covering humanitarian demining, battle area clearance and explosive ordnance disposal, mine risk education, international and national legislation against mines, stockpile destruction and victim assistance. Efforts to standardise and professionalise mine action continue and the willingness of operators and institutions to learn from its successes and failures is one of the great strengths of the discipline. Two instruments of international law apply specifically to landmines (Chapter 3 reviews the historical background to their adoption). The 1997 Anti- Personnel Mine Ban Convention prohibits the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of all anti-personnel mines. Although it has many of the characteristics of a disarmament treaty, its purpose is humanitarian. The 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons has two protocols regulating all landmines, 3 A Guide to Mine Action booby-traps and other devices. On 28 November 2003, States Parties to the 1980 Convention adopted a new protocol to address “the serious post-conflict humanitarian problems caused by explosive remnants of war.” Chapter 4 describes the content of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which was adopted on 18 September 1997, entering into force on 1 March 1999. By the end of 2003, more than two-thirds of the world’s States had already become parties to it. The Convention aims to put an end to the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines. It does so by obliging States Parties never to use, develop, produce, stockpile or transfer anti-personnel mines, and by requiring that they destroy existing stocks of anti-personnel mines, clear mined areas and assist victims. In fulfilling their obligations, States Parties in need may request assistance and States Parties “in a position to do so” are required to provide assistance. A variety of mechanisms exist or have been established to ensure that these cooperation and assistance provisions are brought to life. The 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) is an instrument of international humanitarian law that regulates the use, and in certain circumstances also the transfer, of a number of specific conventional weapons. Chapter 5 looks at two of the Protocols attached to the CCW, which govern landmines, booby-traps and what are termed ‘other devices’ (directional fragmentation munitions). CCW Protocol II, adopted in 1980, reflected customary law by limiting the use of mines to military objectives. The 1996 Amended Protocol II strengthened the rules governing anti-personnel mines, in particular, although it did not include the total prohibition that a significant number of States had been seeking. Advocacy to ban anti-personnel mines is one of the five core components of mine action; the others being mine risk education, victim assistance, stockpile destruction and humanitarian demining.