LM Report 1999

Report   Executive Summary   Translated Country Reports   Print

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The United Arab Emirates has not signed the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. It has sent mixed signals with respect to its mine ban policy. It voted “Yes” on the 1996 UN General Assembly resolution supporting negotiations of a total ban on antipersonnel mines as soon as possible. It attended the treaty preparatory diplomatic meetings in early 1997. However, it did not endorse the pro-treaty Brussels Declaration in June 1997. Yet, it then attended the Oslo negotiations in September as a full participant, and later voted “Yes” on the 1997 UNGA resolution calling on nations to sign the Mine Ban Treaty. But in Ottawa in December it did not sign. According to one source, the UAE had told the Canadian government that it was willing to sign the treaty, although not necessarily when it first opened for signature on 3 December 1997.^[1] While it has still not signed, it voted in favor of the 1998 UNGA resolution calling on all states to sign the treaty and to attend the first meeting of States Parties in Mozambique in May 1999. The UAE is not a party to the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons.

The United Arab Emirates is not mine-affected. It is not believed to be a landmine producer or exporter and there are no known stockpiles of landmines on its territory. The UAE has not made any contributions to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance or to any known mine action programs.

^[1] Sana Bagersh, “UAE to Sign Canadian Landmine Treaty,” Middle East Intelligence Wire, 20 November 1997.

<SYRIA | IRAQI KURDISTAN>