Tajikistan Mine Action News
This year the month of July
raised the attention of the world community to
Dushanbe, Regional Conference titled “Achieving a Mine Free Central Asia” that have been
held on July 7-8, 2009.
Official representatives of Central Asia
countries, including Afghanistan, representatives of
some other donor-countries, UN, OSCE, International
Red Cross Committee, International Company on
Prohibition of Antipersonnel Mines and other
International organizations, representatives of
diplomatic representations and international
organizations accredited in Tajikistan,
representatives of relevant ministries and agencies
of the Republic of Tajikistan attended the
Conference. Tajikistan is only the country of the
Central Asia who called its neighbor countries to
appreciate Ottawa Convention and world movement to
stop using of landmine/antipersonnel against the
peaceful citizens.
Tajikistan joined the
Conference on Prohibition on the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and
Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on their
Destruction (Ottawa Convention) on the basis of the
Decree of the Republic of Tajikistan President as of
September 18, 1997
and on April 1, 2000 it came into force
completely.
To
date, 156 countries are the members of the
Convention. It
is more than tree fourths of total number of
countries throughout the world. Lots of other
countries have undertaken specific steps to join the
Convention. Still, 46 countries possess about 176
million antipersonnel mines. These countries include
tree permanent members of UN Security Council
(China, Russia and USA), majority of Central Asia
countries, CIS and a big number of Asia countries.
Though having recognized that it is impossible to know the exact number
of mine incidents, their number is always 15-20
thousand per year. Due to preliminary assessment,
number of mine victims being disabled of varying
stages is more than 300 thousand.
The incidents
occur even in
2009. For instance, six people,
including one killed and five others got wounds of varying severity have suffered from the mine explosions
occurred exclusively in Tajikistan for the last
months.
Adoption of Ottawa Convention resulted in ceasing production of
antipersonnel mines. Antipersonnel mine global trade
has fallen down to extremely low level of illegal
traffic and trade. Total number of mines destructed
is more than 50 million units. The level of mine
caused incidents has down to the low level.
One of the most important provisions of the above
mentioned Convention are the obligations of each
member-country of the Convention to destruct the
stockpiles of antipersonnel mines not later than 4
years after entering the Treaty in force for each
specific country. The
deadline for Tajikistan
was April
1, 2004. In
the frame of international obligations under above
provisions, Republic of Tajikistan has completed the
destruction of its antipersonnel mine stockpiles.
Antipersonnel mine stockpiles in Tajikistan reached 3029
mines. The last lot of antipersonnel mine stockpiles
in Tajikistan was destructed on March 31, 2004,
thereby having confirmed completion of
implementation of international obligations provided
under the Article 4 of Ottawa Convention.
Major efforts have been done
in the field of demining of the country areas. From 2004 to present within
the period of the program implementation general
survey has been conducted in more than 900
communities to define the level of socio-economic
impact of the mine risk. As
a
result,
more
than
500 mine
contaminated
areas
have
been
identified.
More
than 2 mln. 700 thousand squire meters have been
surveyed and cleared. More than 4000 mine signs have
been installed, more than 12 thousand of mines and
UXOs (bombs, munitions and other types of UXOs) have
been identified and destructed.
In accordance with the Article 5 of the Convention, a
member–state has to destruct or provide the
destruction of all antipersonnel mines in the mined
districts that are under its jurisdiction or control
at the earliest possible date, but not later than
ten years after entering this Convention into force
for each specific member-state. The deadline for Tajikistan is April 1, 2010. However,
unfortunately, according to the data collected from
the last survey, approximately 15 million square
meters of the country’s territory is still mined
and it is now vivid that for the remainder of the
period (1 year) it is impossible to implement those
obligations due to various reasons (late start in
humanitarian demining, lack of means, lack of
demining groups, absence of mechanic means on
demining and other reasons).
Taking into consideration this
condition and
using the opportunity provided by the article 5 of
Ottawa Convention, Tajikistan Mine Action Center has
prepared The
Request for Extension the demining deadlines and
was coordinated with respecting ministries and
agencies. On March 04, 2009 the commission on
Implementation of International Humanitarian Law
under the Government of Tajikistan has
approved the draft on this Request and this vital
document was directed to be revised at the meeting
of the participants of Ottawa Convention on March
31. In accordance with the mentioned Request, to
finish demining
completely in Tajikistan it is necessary to have
additional 9 years and 9 months and there is a hope
that on the upcoming Second Review Convention held
in Colombia, the presented issue will be approved
and our country will also have additional
opportunity, in the framework of
international cooperation, complete the
cleaning of fields which are under mine risk
during the requested new deadline..
Demining
is a complicated and expensive action. Tajikistan is
not able to resolve independently this issue.
Therefore, International community remains to be
relevant and priority.
Dushanbe
Regional Conference will be of a big practical
importance for universalization of Ottawa Convention
in the Central Asia region. It can give the
participants an opportunity to discuss mine related
problems and continue a dialog on the need to
strengthen and develop collaboration in that field.
The Conference will be an important event in the
threshold of the Second Review Conference
(November-December, 2009) where the findings of the
Ottawa Convention for the last 5 years will be
summarized.
Expressing
adherence to its international obligations,
following main humanistic principles, our Government
is ready to cooperate with all states and
international organizations on the issue of
antipersonnel mine prohibition.
