Azerbaijan

Mine Ban Policy

The Republic of Azerbaijan has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. Its policy toward banning antipersonnel mines and joining the treaty has evolved in the past three years. While it still states that it cannot accede until the conflict with Armenia has ended, Azerbaijan has shown greater signs of support for the mine ban and a willingness to discuss the landmine issue.

On 6 December 2006, Azerbaijan for the second successive year voted in favor of the annual UN General Assembly resolution calling for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty (UNGA Resolution 61/84).^[1]

Officials have made positive statements regarding the treaty since 2005.^[2] In a media interview in April 2007, the head of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) said that Azerbaijan cannot join the Mine Ban Treaty until the war ends, but “we comply with the requirements of the convention.”^[3] Similarly, he said in August 2006, “Once the war is over, there will be no further barriers to Azerbaijan acceding to the Ottawa Convention. Afterwards, all requirements of the Convention will be executed in the shortest amount of time.”^[4] In June 2005 Azerbaijan said it was considering submitting a voluntary transparency report under Article 7 of the Mine Ban Treaty, but it has not reported any progress since then.^[5]

Azerbaijan participated as an observer in the Seventh Meeting of States Parties in September 2006. It also attended the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in May 2006 and April 2007. It did not make any statements at the meetings.

Azerbaijan is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

NGO Activities

The Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines (AzCBL) undertook a variety of activities in 2006 and 2007 in support of the landmine ban. It issued quarterly news bulletins, organized several media briefings and a roundtable discussion, and met with members of parliament, and with international and local NGOs. Taking into account the official stance of the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the AzCBL has promoted the idea of both countries acceding to the Mine Ban Treaty immediately and simultaneously.^[6]

Production, Transfer, Stockpiling and Use

Azerbaijan has stated on several occasions that it does not produce or export antipersonnel mines. In June 2005 Azerbaijan said that it “is unilaterally committed to non producing and non accumulating” of antipersonnel mines.^[7] Azerbaijan’s landmine stockpile is a legacy of the Soviet era, but the number and types of landmines held is not known. In October and November 2005 officials indicated Azerbaijan had not used antipersonnel mines since the end of open conflict with Armenia in 1994 and did not intend to use them in the future, but would not rule out the possibility.^[8] Landmine Monitor is not aware of any specific legal measures Azerbaijan has taken to prohibit production, trade or use of antipersonnel mines.

Landmine and ERW Problem

Azerbaijan’s landmine problem results largely from the conflict with Armenia from 1988–1994.^[9] There are also explosive remnants of war (ERW) in the form of abandoned Soviet-era munition dumps and unexploded ordnance (UXO).^[10]

The 2003 Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) identified 116.8 square kilometers of suspected mine contamination and 47.1 square kilometers of battle areas.^[11] Most affected communities were found in Fizuli district in the west near Nagorno-Karabakh, and Aghstafa district in the northwest where a Soviet army base was formerly located. The LIS did not cover the Nakhchivan region or other small areas denied access by the military, in addition to areas under the control of Armenia, including Nagorno-Karabakh.^[12] The extent of the problem in areas occupied by Armenian forces (Jabrayil, Zangilan, Gubadly, Lachin, Kelbajar, and parts of Fizuli and Aghdam districts) is not known, but may be severe.^[13]

In August 2006 local authorities were asked to report hazardous areas, in order to confirm the LIS results. Their reports totaled 290.6 square kilometers of suspected mined areas and 15.2 square kilometers of battle areas. The difference in figures between the LIS and the local authorities is the result of overlapping information.^[14]

A large area around the former Soviet military base in Saloglu and Poylu villages of Aghstafa district is highly contaminated with UXO. The military ammunition warehouse located in Saloglu village consisted of 138 bunkers. In 1991, when Azerbaijan gained independence, the warehouse was blown up by the departing Soviet army, scattering tens of thousands of pieces of UXO over an area of 44 square kilometers. This posed a serious humanitarian, socioeconomic and environmental threat to the local population.^[15]

Mine Action Program

There is no formally constituted national mine action authority in Azerbaijan.^[16] The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), established by a July 1998 presidential decree, is said to have become equal in status to a ministry; issues that require the involvement of several ministries are resolved within a group convened by the ANAMA director.^[17]

ANAMA oversees all mine/ERW-related issues in the country. Its functions include national planning, prioritization, training, production of standards and quality management, resource mobilization, and coordination of all mine action. ^[18] Since 1999 the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has provided technical support to ANAMA .^[19]

There is no national mine action legislation in force, although a draft has existed since 2002. National mine action standards and standing operating procedures in line with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) were said to have been developed and approved in 2000.^[20]

Strategic Mine Action Planning

ANAMA produced a mine action strategy in 2001, which was revised in 2003 to cover the period 2004–2008.^[21] In the medium term, the strategy foresees clearance of 60 square kilometers of accessible priority areas by 2008. For 2007, ANAMA planned to clear 15.5 square kilometers and to reduce 6.3 square kilometers. For the long-term, the strategy is described as an “Expansion Plan” to address the challenges that will have to be faced if and when Azerbaijan regains control of the territories currently occupied by Armenia, since this will require an increase in ANAMA’s capacity. ANAMA’s very approximate estimate is that about 550 square kilometers of land in these territories not currently under Azerbaijan’s control will require clearance.^[22]

The Saloglu UXO clearance project is a Partnership for Peace project of the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA), with Turkey as the lead partner and ANAMA as the implementing partner. It envisages the clearance of 5.7 square kilometers of the most contaminated land around Saloglu and the destruction of ordnance remaining within the ammunition storage areas. The project was initially budgeted at some €1 million (US$1.25 million) and expected to take 18 months, but the level of contamination encountered has been higher than anticipated. A reassessment mission of NAMSA experts and ANAMA specialists resulted in the launch of a second phase of the project.^[23]

The areas for clearance were divided into two zones according to the level and complexity of contamination. The first phase of the project involved surface and sub-surface clearance of the less contaminated Green Zone and surface clearance of the heavily contaminated Red Zone.^[24] The second phase involves sub-surface clearance in the Red Zone, budgeted at some €440,000 ($552,772). It was due to start in April 2007 and last for a further 16 months but the start date was postponed to June.^[25] The government of Azerbaijan agreed to provide 10 percent of the budget and to seek other donors; by mid-2007 Turkey and Bulgaria had announced contributions to the second phase.^[26]

Integration of Mine Action with Reconstruction and Development

Mine action planning and resource allocation are said to follow the National Strategic Plan, and are mainly governed by the State Programme for Socio-Economic Development of Regions. During 2006 ANAMA implemented a demining project in support of a government resettlement initiative, involving clearance of 19 square kilometers of suspected mined area at Zobjug village, Fizuli region, over a 19 month period. This project is a high government priority as seven settlements for over 2,000 displaced families will be built on the cleared land.^[27]

Demining

As in previous years, the national NGOs Relief Azerbaijan (RA) and International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) were responsible for all demining in Azerbaijan in 2006. Each NGO had one technical survey team and one demining team; both are contracted by ANAMA. ANAMA also manages its own teams for technical survey, demining, UXO clearance and emergency response, supported by 32 mine detection dogs and six demining machines.^[28]

Marking and fencing of up to 15 square kilometers of land identified as hazardous by the LIS was undertaken by ANAMA, IEPF and RA teams.^[29]

Landmine/ERW Clearance

In 2006, 2.1 square kilometers of mined areas were cleared and almost 5.5 square kilometers of battle areas, with the destruction of only four antipersonnel mines and 14 antivehicle mines but more than 86,000 UXO. Demining was conducted in Fizuli, Aghjabedi, Aghdam, Aghstafa and Terter districts, in the southwest and northwest.^[30]

From January to mid-April 2007 a further 0.52 square kilometers were cleared manually, 1.3 square kilometers of battle areas were cleared, 0.08 square kilometers were released and 3.13 square kilometers reduced by technical survey. A new Bozena-4 demining machine was procured and deployed in clearance operations during 2007.^[32]

The Saloglu UXO clearance project resulted in clearance of 4.7 square kilometers and location of 153,106 UXO (the number destroyed has not been reported) from the project’s start in January 2005 to mid-April 2007. ^[33] The NAMSA website showed “some 400 hectares [4 square kilometers] cleared and 137,000 UXO destroyed.”^[34]

During 2006-2007 demining teams conducted daily internal quality control, checking about 10 percent of the land cleared by each deminer and/or dog team and 30-100 percent of battlefields. External quality control is conducted by a special ANAMA team, also responsible for monitoring that clearance procedures are followed in the field. Clearance certificates with topographical and sketch maps attached are provided to the end-users of the land.^[35]

No post-clearance land use survey had been conducted in Azerbaijan as of mid-April 2007.^[36]

The increase in clearance productivity of cleared land from 2002 to 2006 is said to result from increased clearance capacity across the different assets, as well as better planning and optimization of resource allocation. Area reduction in particular has accelerated the pace of demining with the introduction in 2006 of a new integrated area reduction methodology that combines manual deminers, mine detection dogs and extensive use of mechanical assets.^[38]

From July 2000 to April 2007 a total of 46.5 square kilometers of land have been released. Of this, almost two square kilometers is oil pipeline route, 0.1 square kilometers of powerline routes, 0.46 square kilometers of irrigation canals and water pipe routes, 0.02 square kilometers of roads and 5.77 square kilometers of housing. The remaining land is agricultural, benefiting directly more than 174,000 people.^[39]

Mine Risk Education

As in previous years, organizations involved in mine risk education (MRE) during 2006 were ANAMA, the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society and the two national clearance NGOs, RA and IEPF; UNICEF provided financial support.^[40] In Azerbaijan MRE includes emergency sessions for communities immediately after mine/ERW incidents.^[41]

During 2006 21,767 people received MRE: 6,515 children and 15,252 adults were reached in 38 sessions. In addition, about 35,000 students in 100 schools received school-based MRE in 18 frontline and border districts. MRE was also provided in camps for refugees and displaced people.^[42]

Community-based MRE continued through 59 MRE committees in three districts (Terter, Khanlar and Aghdam), but was not expanded to the other 10 districts identified by the LIS due to lack of funds. For the same reason, monitoring of MRE in targeted schools was rescheduled for 2007.^[43]

In 2006, unlike previous years, radio and television were used to support community-based MRE. A workshop for 10 media representatives helped stimulate journalists to cover this topic.^[44] Large billboards and road signs were also used to raise public awareness; 11 MRE billboards were installed in affected districts.^[45]

ANAMA coordinates MRE-related activities in Azerbaijan; its MRE Working Group includes representatives of the ministries of education, health, defense, social protection, youth and sport, and NGOs.^[46] ANAMA’s MRE strategy was described in a previous edition of Landmine Monitor.^[47]

In December 2006 United States European Command and UNICEF supported an ANAMA training for 200 teachers from over 100 schools in seven frontline and border districts (Aghstafa, Gazakh, Tovuz, Aghjabedi, Khanlar, Terter and Aghdam). Materials were distributed to schools through the district education departments.^[48] Refresher training was also provided to 16 master trainers. In total, 1,550 teachers (800 women) from 782 schools in 18 districts have been trained in MRE.^[49]

The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continued to implement the safe-play area project in 2006. Playgrounds in 10 mine/ERW affected villages in seven districts (Aghdam, Aghjabedi, Gazakh, Tovuz, Fizuli, Gadabey and Goranboy) were opened in October and November as planned. In total, 25 safe-play areas have been built. The project is funded by the Norwegian Red Cross.^[50]

On 22 November 2006 the Azerbaijan Children’s Organization with the financial support of the British Embassy conducted a drawing contest for children on the theme of “No Mines” in Khanlar and Tovuz regions. The pictures were displayed in an exhibition in Baku.^[51]

Landmine/ERW Casualties

In 2006 there were at least 17 new mine/ERW casualties in Azerbaijan, with two killed and 15 injured in 11 incidents. This total, recorded by ANAMA, is a significant decrease from 2005 (59 casualties); however, in 2005 just two incidents caused 38 casualties (26 in one incident, 12 in the other). All casualties reported in 2006 were male. The largest group was military personnel (13), two were deminers and two were male civilians. Antipersonnel mines caused six casualties, antivehicle mines one, and unspecified mines seven; three casualties were the result of ERW.^[52]

The AzCBL reported 35 new mine/ERW casualties in 2006, including four people killed and 31 injured, which was also a decrease from its 2005 total (64).^[53]

Casualties continued to occur in 2007 at a similar rate to 2006: by 10 April ANAMA recorded seven casualties (two killed and five injured) in four mine/ERW incidents.^[54] The AzCBL reported 15 new mine/ERW casualties (four killed and 11 injured) by April.^[55]

The cumulative number of mine/ERW casualties in Azerbaijan remains unknown. As of May 2007 ANAMA had recorded 2,315 casualties (355 killed and 1,960 injured); this includes both recent and non-recent casualties prior to 2000 that were identified by the Landmine Impact Survey completed in 2003.^[56] ANAMA estimates that there have been 272 child casualties, including 46 killed.^[57] There are also mine survivors in Azerbaijan from the war between the former USSR and Afghanistan, although the total number is not known.^[58]

Data Collection

ANAMA has maintained casualty data in its Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database since 2001. The database also contains casualties recorded by the Landmine Impact Survey, but not data from ANAMA’s 2004 countrywide needs assessment, which identified 1,883 mine survivors; this data is used for survivor assistance and MRE.^[59] IMSMA is not used for planning purposes and does not contain information on services provided, though ANAMA is reportedly considering this as an option.^[60] Information about casualties and services is distributed among stakeholders on a regular basis.

Casualties are reported via district administrative officials and their network of district representatives; information is also received from news media and national NGOs. The ANAMA casualty database differentiates between different types of mines and ERW.^[61] In October 2005 and March 2006 four ANAMA operations department staff participated in training courses organized by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining to familiarize operations staff with version 4 of IMSMA.^[62]

AzCBL gathers information from its regional coordinators, sources at civil and military hospitals, rehabilitation centers and news media.^[63]

Discrepancies between ANAMA and AzCBL casualty data are due to several factors: ANAMA’s inability to collect data in certain areas, differences between case definitions for casualties and incidents, and differences in sourcing, data collection methodology and verification. According to ANAMA, only incidents that occur in designated areas and “accessible territories” contaminated by mines and ERW are registered in IMSMA. Incidents that cannot be inspected and verified are not recorded in IMSMA.^[64] ANAMA estimates that 27-30 people are involved in mine/ERW incidents each year and that nearly 30 percent are killed.^[65] This would mean that under-reporting in Azerbaijan is significant (about 50 percent); in restricted border areas under-reporting would be even more likely, as would underreporting of fatal casualties. According to ANAMA this is a concern, but the agency is interested in cooperating with the AzCBL to provide broader coverage and better quality data collection through standardization of case definitions and verification procedures.^[66]

Survivor Assistance

Mine/ERW survivors are a small proportion of people with disabilities in Azerbaijan, and should not be a strain on the country’s assistance facilities. As they are among the poorest groups in society living in rural areas, they suffer more from limitations of service provision. However, this situation has improved as services have been decentralized, and access to rehabilitation services has improved in rural areas.^[67]

Medical and surgical facilities in Azerbaijan are believed to be adequate to treat mine/ERW casualties, with experienced physicians and ambulance services available. All medical and rehabilitation expenses for mine survivors and other people with disabilities are covered by the government. Physical rehabilitation is provided by a network of centers.^[68]

Refugees reportedly do not receive adequate treatment in Azerbaijan and are not entitled to free medical care. In 2006, 10 Chechen refugees who sought assistance at Baku Prosthetic Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center unsuccessfully petitioned the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population to receive official approval for treatment.^[69] The ICRC continues to assist Chechen refugees living in Azerbaijan in obtaining physical rehabilitation services, but it is not known if any were assisted in 2006.^[70]

On 1 April 2006 disability pensions for war disabled were increased by 50-100 percent for all disability levels, following the cancellation of many benefits in January 2002.^[71] In 2007 the government allocated 11.3 million Azeri Manat ($12.4 million) for assistance to people with disabilities―an increase of over 40 percent compared to 2005.^[72]

The State Programme on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development (SSPRD) in the Republic of Azerbaijan (2006-2015) included provisions for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. These groups were “actively involved in the discussion processes and consulted at regular intervals” and submitted proposals for inclusion in the SSPRD. Priority activities were increased vocational training opportunities and physical access, as these were the main unmet needs.^[73]

The 1997 Law on Prevention of Disability, Rehabilitation and Social Protection of People with Disability prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in state services. However, discrimination in employment does occur.^[74] As of 27 June 2007 Azerbaijan has not signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Survivor Assistance Strategic Framework

ANAMA coordinates survivor assistance through its Mine Victim Assistance Strategy.^[75] The strategy contains no time frames or specific plans to realize its objectives and since it was last revised in 2003 there have been no amendments.^[76] As of April 2007, the Mine Victim Assistance Working Group had not met since April 2005. Several projects operate directly under ANAMA’s victim assistance program in response to needs identified in the countrywide needs survey, including International Eurasia Press Fund and the local NGOs Shafali Eller, Education on Human Rights Public Association and Ojag Humanitarian Union.^[77] Projects administered under ANAMA are subject to a five percent administration fee from their overall budget.^[78]

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population are responsible for issues relating to people with disabilities.

At least 2,071 people with disabilities in Azerbaijan received services during 2006, including 438 mine/ERW survivors. Within these totals, 130 survivors received medical care, 204 received physical rehabilitation and at least 104 received socioeconomic reintegration services. ANAMA projects assisted 144 mine/ERW survivors, ICRC-supported centers assisted 1,154 people (112 were mine/ERW survivors), government rehabilitation centers assisted 683 people with rehabilitation services (92 were mine/ERW survivors) and AzCBL provided six survivors with micro-credits and 84 with business training.^[79] The International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) sponsored training for four rehabilitation specialists at the Institute for Rehabilitation in Slovenia.^[80]

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population provides physical rehabilitation through three main centers in Baku, Ganja and Nakhchivan, with other centers in Sumgayit, Sheki, Lenkeran and Ali-Bayramly.^[81] In 2006 the ICRC continued to provide raw materials and components, as well as technical support, to the three main centers. Recommendations from a 2005 external assessment of the physical rehabilitation sector, indicating that additional staff training was needed, were not implemented in 2006.^[82] Subsequently, the ICRC decided to “transfer responsibility for technical support to the Ministry by mid 2007.” However, ICRC intends to continue monitoring accessibility of services to both Azeri and refugees, and to complete a survey of local organizations working in physical rehabilitation to promote interaction amongst them.^[83] The last materials were provided to Ganja and Nakhichevan in September 2006.^[84] Crutches, canes and other basic mobility equipment produced at the center are reportedly of low quality, and patients often search for alternative sources. Wheelchairs are not produced in Azerbaijan and must be imported at great expense.^[85]

In September 2006 staff of the Baku Prosthetic Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center received training at Slovenia’s Institute for Rehabilitation with ITF sponsorship.^[86] The center’s director said that the staff of other rehabilitation centers not supported by the ICRC also needed international training as well.^[87]

In early 2006 the International Eurasia Press Fund started a survivor assistance project establishing a local association for survivor peer support, providing management, computer and lobbying skills, and encouraging entrepreneurship in Terter district with support from the US Department of State.^[88] Reportedly the activities were “progressing successfully” with group members having finished training courses at the end of 2006; no information was available for the number of survivors assisted.^[89]

The national NGO Education on Human Rights Public Association began a five-month project, Legal Aid to Mine Survivors, in September 2006 in Baku and Sumgayit cities and Absheron region. The project aimed to review the disability status of mine/ERW survivors to determine if they are entitled to increased disability benefits. The project budget was $12,584.^[90] Also in September, the Ojag Humanitarian Union began a five-month vocational project in Ganja city, for family members of mine survivors. The project budget was $28,023.^[91] In June 2006 Shafali Eller started a seven-month pilot project to provide survivors with 20-day health treatment at sanatoria.^[92]

In April 2006 the AzCBL began implementing a 15-month project, Creating Economic Opportunities for Landmine Survivors, in Tovuz, Terter and Fizuli districts and Ganja city.^[93] As well as micro-credits, business training was provided; income-generating activities included cattle breeding, beekeeping and a bakery. By mid-2007 several participants had repaid their loans.^[94]

Summer camps planned for child mine survivors and children from survivor families did not occur in 2006 due to a lack of funding.^[95]

Funding and Assistance

In 2006 international donations totaling $4,781,700 (€3,806,177) for mine action in Azerbaijan were reported by two countries and the European Commission (EC), an increase of 17 percent from 2005 ($4,100,776 provided by three countries).^[96] Donors reporting funding in 2006 were:

• EC: €1 million ($1,256,300) to UNDP for survey, capacity-building and MRE;^[97]
• Slovenia: SIT7,000,001 ($36,400) via ITF consisting of SIT3,000,001 for victim assistance, and SIT4 million for mine action and coordination;^[98]
• US: $3,489,000 consisting of $3,064,000 from the Department of State and $425,000 from the Department of Defense.^[99]

ANAMA reported receiving $3,796,900 in annual international funding for 2006, including contributions from UNDP and UNICEF. Other state donors reported by ANAMA included Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.^[100] In addition, ANAMA reported receiving $1,314,811 for the first phase (2005-2007) of the NATO Partnership for Peace project to clear UXO.^[101] Contributions to the project’s overall budget of €1.16 million ($1,457,308) have been made by the Azerbaijan government and by Australia, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, Turkey, US and UNDP.^[102] As of June 2007 donations for the second phase of the project had been made by Turkey (€50,000/$62,815), Bulgaria (€15,000/$18,845) and the Azerbaijan government (€131,000/$164,575).^[103]

The end-2006 review of the UN’s Mine Action Portfolio reported that Azerbaijan received international funding of only $186,000, which was 13 percent of funds requested through the appeal process.^[104]

The 2007 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects included seven project appeals for Azerbaijan with budgets totaling $1,267,686, of which $50,000 had been funded by November 2006.^[105]

At the beginning of September 2006 the ITF and ANAMA signed a memorandum of understanding that “will serve as the constant legal base and insure provision of overall support to demining and mine victim assistance projects implemented in Azerbaijan.”^[106]

National Contribution to Mine Action

ANAMA reported government funding in 2006 amounting to $1,241,379, an increase from $749,561 provided in 2005. In total, Azerbaijan has contributed almost $3.7 million to the mine action program from 1999 to the end of 2006, to cover the costs of capacity-building, resource mobilization and overall support to the mine action program.^[107]