The
Republic of Estonia has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. According to
diplomatic sources, the Prime Minister indicated in April 2002 that Estonia was
giving serious consideration to
accession.[1]
Estonia attended the regional seminar, “Understanding the Ottawa
Convention,” in Warsaw on 18-19 June 2001. Estonia did not participate in
the Third Meeting of States Parties in September 2001 in Managua, Nicaragua, but
endorsed the statement delivered by Belgium on behalf of the European Union
which called for “worldwide application of the Convention.” On 29
November 2001, Estonia voted in favor of United Nations General Assembly
Resolution 56/24M, which calls upon all States not party to the Mine Ban Treaty
to join without delay. It has supported similar resolutions in previous
years.
Estonia attended the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional Standing Committee
meetings in January and May 2002, represented by Hestrid Tedder, Advisor,
Defense Planning Bureau of the Ministry of Defense. A Canadian delegation
visited Estonia on 22 February 2002 to discuss the possibility of Estonian
accession to the Mine Ban Treaty The delegation met the head of armed forces
and other personnel.
Estonia is a State Party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and
its Amended Protocol II. An annual report as required by Article 13 of Amended
Protocol II was submitted on 23 October 2001, giving updated information on
donations to mine action and Estonia’s demining
center.[2] Estonia attended the
Third Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II and the Second
CCW Review Conference in December 2001.
In December 2001, Estonia submitted its annual report on landmines
to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It repeated
previous statements that Estonia considers the Conference on Disarmament
“has a clear mandate to address conventional disarmament issues,”
which include “strengthening the existing international regime against
anti-personnel
landmines”.[3]
PRODUCTION, TRANSFER, STOCKPILING, AND USE
Estonia has not produced or exported antipersonnel
mines. In official reports in October 2001 and December 2001, Estonia again
stated it “does not possess antipersonnel landmines (maintaining only a
limited number of mines for training
purposes).”[4] Officials
had previously said that there were about 1,000 training
mines.[5] In March and April
2002, however, the Ministry of Defense informed Landmine Monitor that the stock
of training mines had been destroyed and no antipersonnel mines
remained.[6]
Explosives, including unexploded ordnance (UXO) and mines, continue to be
used in criminal activity. The Rescue Board reports that in 2001 there were 25
explosions of a criminal character. This compares with 31 such explosions in
2000 and 35 explosions the previous
year.[7]
MINE/UXO PROBLEM, CLEARANCE, AND AWARENESS
The government reports that “there are no
special mine clearance programs in Estonia. Estonia is not a mine-affected
country, but some old munitions left from the World War II can be found in the
ground and in the seabed. In these areas, demining activities are carried out
by the Estonian Defense Forces and/or Rescue
Board.”[8] The Ministry
of Defense added that “there are no contaminated areas in Estonia which
are fenced and guarded.” The Rescue Board is responsible for clearance of
contamination (mainly UXO), except for military areas under control of the
Defense Forces.[9]
In 2001, there were 1,301 calls for the destruction of explosives, and 1,347
items of UXO were destroyed. In 2000, 1,437 items of UXO were
destroyed.[10]
The United States says that since its fiscal year 1999, it has provided $1.43
million in humanitarian demining assistance to Estonia, which has enable Estonia
“to establish a National Demining Office, to coordinate demining
activities, develop a comprehensive mine/UXO awareness program, acquire modern
demining equipment and protective clothing, and expand demining/UXO clearance
operations.”[11]
The U.S., in its fiscal year 2000, provided $998,493 “to establish a
training center in Tartu and to enable U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF)
soldiers to conduct a train-the-trainer program emphasizing UXO disposal, while
also providing mine clearance
assistance...”[12] The
U.S. provided an additional $99,000 in humanitarian demining assistance in
fiscal year 2001.
In early 2001, the Demining Center was transferred from the Defense Forces to
the Rescue Board and renamed the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operations Center
(EODOC). Its functions include: to collect information on mines and UXO; to
create a database on information collected; to coordinate and conduct civilian
explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) operations; to provide basic EOD training for
the rescue companies; to draft civilian legislative acts; and to inform the
civilian population about dangerous areas and the dangers of mines and UXO.
Since 2001, EODOC has been using the Information Management System for Mine
Action (IMSMA).[13] There are
about 40 professional deminers/EOD specialists belonging to EODOC; currently
EODOC has 18 deminers and EOD specialists working in the Tallinn area.Mine and UXO clearance is financed from state funds. Each year four
training courses are organized, one in Tallinn and three in the
provinces.[14]
In April 2001, a media campaign to inform the public about the dangers of
mines and UXO was launched on national television, and leaflets in Estonian and
Russian were distributed by mail and posters displayed. The United States
Embassy provided assistance for these
activities.[15]
In 2001, Estonia contributed US$2,000 to the United Nations Voluntary Trust
Fund for Mine Clearance.[16]
LANDMINE/UXO CASUALTIES AND SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE
Nine people were injured in mine and UXO incidents
in 2001, including one deminer, and three people were killed, including one
deminer.[17] In 2000, 18
civilians were injured by UXO and mines, and two civilians were killed in
separate incidents while handling UXO.
Estonia reports, “There are no special rehabilitation programs for
persons injured by mines in Estonia. If incident(s) happen, the injured
person(s) is treated in civilian hospitals with all available medical means and
resources.”[18]
[1] Interview with Malle Talvet, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Tallinn, 9 April 2001, and email to Landmine Monitor
researcher from Andres Talvik, Estonian Ambassador to France, 12 April 2002.
Mr. Talvet indicated that Andres Talvik, Estonian Ambassador to France, said
that Estonia was seriously considering joining the Mine Ban Treaty and claimed
that this was confirmed by Prime Minister Siim Kallas at NATO headquarters in
Brussels on 8 April 2002. [2] CCW
Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, submitted on 23 October
2001. [3] Report to the OSCE, submitted
on 14 December 2001, p. 2. [4] Amended
Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form C, 23 October 2001; Amended Protocol II
Article 13 Report, Form C, 3 November 2000; Report to the OSCE, 14 December
2001, p. 3. For previous production and transfer, see Landmine Monitor Report
2000, pp. 811-812. [5] Landmine Monitor
Report 2001, p. 871, citing Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. [6] Emails from Hestrid Tedder,
Advisor, Defense Planning Bureau, Ministry of Defense, 19 March 2002 and 11
April 2002. [7] Telephone interview with
Jüri Kask, Deputy Director, Rescue Board, 10 February
2002. [8] Amended Protocol II Article 13
Report, Form B, 23 October 2001. See Landmine Monitor Report 2000, p.
812. [9] Email from Hestrid Tedder,
Advisor, Ministry of Defense, 19 March
2002. [10] Telephone interview with
Jüri Kask, Rescue Board, 10 February
2002. [11] US Department of State,
“To Walk the Earth in Safety,” November 2001, p.
28. [12]
Ibid. [13] Amended Protocol II Article
13 Report, Form B, 23 October 2001. [14]
Telephone interview with Jüri Kask, Rescue Board, 10 February
2002. [15] Email from Hestrid Tedder,
Ministry of Defense, 13 February 2002; telephone interview with Jüri Kask,
Rescue Board, 10 February 2002. [16]
Report to the OSCE, 14 December 2001, p. 3; Amended Protocol II Article 13
Report, Form E, 23 October 2001. [17]
Telephone interview with Jüri Kask, Rescue Board, 10 February
2002. [18] Amended Protocol II Article
13 Report, Form B, 23 October 2001.
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