Libyan
Arab Jamahiriya (Libya) has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. While stating
its support for the humanitarian goals of the
treaty,[1] Libya continues to
object that the Mine Ban Treaty “does not distinguish between the
legitimate use of landmines for legal self-defense purposes against powerful
aggressive countries, and the irresponsible use of landmines by other warring
countries.”[2] Libya has
also said the treaty should be amended to rectify the “non-inclusion of
any provisions relating to the determination of the legal responsibility of
states that have planted mines in the territories of other states, and the right
of the affected states to
compensation.”[3] In
November 2001, Libya was among the 19 countries that abstained in voting on UN
General Assembly Resolution 56/24M supporting universalization and
implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty.
Libya participated in the regional seminar on the Mine Ban Treaty held in
Tunisia from 15-16 January 2002. However, Libya did not participate in the
Third Meeting of State Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in September 2001, nor the
intersessional Standing Committee meetings in January or May 2002. Libya is not
party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, and did not attend the second
review conference or the third annual meeting of States Parties of Amended
Protocol II, both in December 2001.
PRODUCTION, STOCKPILING, TRANSFER, USE
Libya is not known to have either produced or
exported antipersonnel mines, but it imported and used antipersonnel mines in
the past. According to Libyan representatives at the Tunis seminar, Libya did
not import or use antipersonnel landmines in 2001. They told Landmine Monitor
that possessing, using, or transferring explosives, including antipersonnel
mines, is forbidden by and punishable under the Libyan penal
code.[4]
LANDMINE PROBLEM
Libya’s landmine and unexploded ordnance
(UXO) problem dates to World War II, and is also the result of later conflicts
with Egypt and Chad. Libya has planted mines in its border areas with Egypt and
Chad. According to Libyan officials, minefields are
marked.[5] Mines and UXO
continue to be an obstacle for infrastructure projects, cultivation, and
planning of national projects.
Previously, Libya has claimed that some 10,000 square kilometers of land are
mined, representing 27% of the agricultural land in the
country.[6] Libyan officials
have estimated that there are between 1.5 and 3 million mines in their
territory; unexploded ordnance appears to be a more significant problem than
mines.[7]
MINE ACTION, CASUALTIES, SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE
There is no national budget for mine clearance and
no national civilian body to oversee mine action in Libya. Landmine Monitor has
not received any new information about mine awareness activities in Libya or the
mine clearance operations of private companies in support of economic efforts
like oil and gas exploration.
In 2001, Italy allocated €1,265,320 (approximately US$1.1 million) to
Libya for demining and rehabilitation of agricultural areas mined during World
War II. But the terms of the agreement have not been finalized and the funds
have not been disbursed yet.[8]
Libya has called on other states to follow Italy’s
example.[9]
There were no reports of mine or UXO victims in 2001. The government
provides a medical and social care system for disabled persons, including mine
and UXO victims. The system offers free medical care, social reintegration, and
job opportunities for disabled. It also provides special transportation
benefits, including free private special cars in some
cases.[10]
[1] “We support the efforts made by
the international community to eradicate the problem of land mines.... The
whole world has underlined its concern at this hidden enemy which, in addition
to threatening the lives of thousands of children and women, causes tremendous
economic, social and environmental losses in affected countries.”
Statement by Isa Baba, Deputy Permanent Representative of Libya, UN General
Assembly First Committee Debate, New York, 8 October
2001. [2] Statement by Libya, UN General
Assembly First Committee Debate, 8 October
2001. [3]
Ibid. [4] Interview with members of
Libyan delegation to Tunis regional seminar, 16 January
2002. [5]
Ibid. [6] Letter from the Permanent
Representative of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the United Nations addressed to the
Secretary-General, dated 22 April 1997, (A/52/124), p.
6. [7] See Landmine Monitor Report 2000,
pp. 951- 952, for a more detailed description of the
problem. [8] “Italy - 2001. Mine
Clearance, Rehabilitation and Victim Assistance Programmes,” distributed
at Standing Committee meetings, January 2002; and, phone interviews with
Counsellor Vincenzo Celeste, Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March
and April 2002. [9] Statement by Libya,
UN General Assembly First Committee Debate, 8 October
2001. [10] See Landmine Monitor Report
2000, p. 953.
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