Efforts to Make Tajikistan Mine-Impact Free

Tajikistan can be mine-impact free by end of 2015. The Tajikistan Mine Action Programme has started a process of ‘nationalization’ and efforts are currently undertaken to establish TMAC as an official national agency under the Government of Tajikistan. In order to reach this aim, UNDP has invited all development partners and high-ranking Government officials to participate in a meeting on 25^th September, United Nations Development Programme, 39, Aini Str., Dushanbe in which the future programme and financial strategy has been discussed.       

The meeting has welcomed Mr. Hamraaliev Farrukh Muhiddinovich, State Advisor of the President of RT on Economic Issues, who has joined by Mr. Alexander Zuev, UNDP Resident Coordinator/ UN Resident Representative, as well as representatives of donor agencies and mine action implementing partners.

The agenda of the meeting has been dedicated to updating development partners on achievements of the Mine Action Programme in 2011/12 and the presentation of the strategy for the Programme until 2015. In connection to this, a special focus will be put on the review of the operational and financial plans for the year 2013 (for land release, victim assistance and mine risk education) and the exit strategy that has been developed with all involved partners and stakeholders for the period 2013-2015 and beyond. The 2013 draft of Tajikistan’s input into the worldwide Mine Action Portfolio will serve as a basis for the explanation of the Programme’s financial demands.                                         

The meeting’s outcome was to get all development partners aligned and involved with UNDP’s and the Government of Tajikistan’s plan how to enter the next strategic phase of the national Mine Action Programme. Tajikistan is one of 160 countries that have the obligation to liberate its communities of the landmines/unexploded ordnance hazard. Over the course of the last years, the Tajikistan Mine Action Programme has taken major steps towards its professionalization and now plans the transfer of its activities to a full national ownership.    

During the meeting, Mr. Hamraaliev was pleased to see the Mine Action Programme’s progress and ambitious plan to make the country mine-impact free by 2015. He emphasized the importance of the meeting for ongoing efforts to make Tajikistan a safe country for all its inhabitants and assured that the Government of Tajikistan fully supports UNDP and all its partners to carry out their projects in the country, thus helping Tajikistan to comply with its requirements under the Mine-Ban-Treaty. Mr. Zuev expressed his gratitude to the mine action community for the cooperation during these years and stressed the significance of increased Government ownership and programme mainstreaming for its success in the future.

The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (known as the Ottawa Treaty) was signed in 1997 and came into force in 1999. Tajikistan joined and ratified it on April 1^st, 2000. The Tajikistan Mine Action Centre (TMAC) was subsequently established on June 20, 2003 as a UNDP project and is the government body responsible for all issues related to the coordination, planning, control and analysis of mine action activities in the country and attraction of international support.

For more information please contact Mr. Parviz Mavlonkulov, TMAC Operations Manager through:  221 66 87 (work) or 98 865 95 60 (mob) or email: parviz.mavlonkulov@undp.org