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Somalia, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 1960, Britain and Italy ended their colonial rule in Somaliland. British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland combined, creating the new state of Somalia. In 1969, however, the young nation was overthrown by Mohamed Siad Barre, who set up the authoritarian and socialist state of Somalia, bringing much-needed stability to the nation, despite his known corruption. 1991 marked the ousting of this authoritarian rule and began 15 years of anarchy and chaos as a variety of groups struggled for control of the nation or claimed regions of it as their own. At this point Somaliland broke away from Somalia as a …

Total Quality Management In Mine Action, Daniel Eriksson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Here the author relays the relationship between information management and quality management and how the latter depends on the efficiency of the former. With increasingly better tools for mine-action programs in the field of information management, such as the new versions of the Information Management System for Mine Action, the author discusses how mine action will move into a new age of information technology that will allow for better proficiency in the field.

Basra, Iraq, Prosthetics Project, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Basra, Iraq, Prosthetics Project, has given new hope to the many amputees in Iraq. With thousands already affected by the aftermath of landmines and other explosive remnants of war in Iraq, the Basra Prosthetics Project is dedicated to giving amputees their independence and futures back, literally one step at a time.

Project Documents Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities, Julie Miller

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article describes the beginning of the International Disability Rights Monitor and its advocacy for persons with disabilities. The author pays special attention to the passing of human rights laws for the disabled and future monitoring efforts to ensure that parties adhere to those laws.

Cluster Munitions: Should They Be Banned?, Henry Dowlen, Md

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Cluster munitions have been used in at least 23 countries, produced in 33 and stockpiled in over 70; their submunitions number into the billions. They cause lasting humanitarian problems and have recently been the target of campaigns to ban their use. This article aims to summarize the history, utility, legacy and legislation surrounding cluster munitions.

Mine Action Support Group Update, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The following article highlights the recent activities of the Mine Action Support Group, including updates on the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF. It is excerpted from the United Nations' newsletter covering the period from January to April 2008

Cambodia, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Plagued by nearly three decades of war, Cambodia remains one of the countries most afflicted by landmines and explosive remnants of war despite its recent decline in mine/ERW victims. There are nearly 14 million people living in Cambodia, and it is estimated that there are 43,316 survivors of landmines/unexploded ordnance who require assistance.

Vietnam, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Vietnam, a country of more than 85 million people, has one of the world’s highest rates of disabled citizens—greater than 6 percent of the entire population. That figure is partially attributable to contamination by landmines and unexploded ordnance, which encroaches on more than 60,000 square kilometers (23,166 square miles) and up to one-fifth of the country’s land surface. As a result, the Landmine Monitor Report has estimated that there are currently some 66,380 survivors of mines and explosive remnants of war in Vietnam—4,000 of whom received survivor services in 2006.

The Halo Trust And Hstamids, Chris Boshoff, Roger Cresci

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A technology that employs multiple mine-detection techniques could improve demining around the world. Six months of using this product on-site have shown exciting results. Benefits of using this demining tool include increased effectiveness, speed and safety. This device was initially manufactured and used for military purposes only. The process of making it available to non-military organizations was difficult but successful.

Victim Assistance: Still Seeking The Way, Suzanne Fiederlein

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article looks at the progress made in the area of victim assistance since 2002 with special attention paid to data collection, funding and program coordination.

In Remembrance: Silvija Bogdany, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Silvija Bogdany, Operations Manager for RONCO Consulting Corporation in Northern Sudan, died 30 April 2008, from injuries resulting from a vehicle accident outside the town of El Obeid, Sudan. Her coworker, Jan Bosman, United Nations Mine Action Office Regional Coordinator for Northern Sudan, was also killed in the accident.

Developing Medical Capacity In Lao Pdr, Barbara Lewis, Sarah Bruinooge

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Prior to 1996, Laotian victims of unexploded ordnance were left with few options for medical treatment. Since that time, however, the inadequacy of the healthcare system to handle such situations has been addressed and improvements made possible through the efforts of the World Victims Assistance Program. Though UXO accidents will continue to occur in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic well into the future, the impact of programs implemented by World Education and numerous other nongovernmental organizations and government entities has contributed to a significant increase in the number of survivors who have received effective treatment.

Empowering Iraqis: Rehabilitation Training In Bosnia, Nikola Prvulov, Julie Miller

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article discusses the role that aid workers from Bosnia have had in training Iraqi medical personnel to treat war injuries. It stresses the role that nongovernmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations have had in supporting these efforts and how countries affected by unexploded ordnance and landmines have tried to share their experience with other countries in need of training and assistance.

Improved Landmine Discrimination With An Off-The-Shelf Metal Detector, Marc Freese, Edwardo Fukushima, Shigeo Hirose

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While a lot of improvement has been achieved with metal detectors in detection depth and ground rejection, little effort has been directed toward better discrimination capabilities; high false-positive rates not only increase clearance time, they tend to lower deminer vigilance, causing accidents. The authors have modeled a statically operating, off-the-shelf metal detector by generating volumetric sensitivity profiles. They present in-laboratory measurements and results of experiments on a test demining site in Cambodia. This article aims at giving deminers a more informed view of metallic targets, allowing them to take differentiated actions during target identification and removal.

Mine Detonation Trailers: Stresses Induced By Wheels Below The Surface Of A Soil Road, Peter Renwick

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article examines the use of wheels to detonate mines buried in soil roads. Realistic pressure patterns and loading of the footprints of two types of detonation wheel were established. Solid modeling created typical tire footprints above a medium representing soil. Finite element analysis investigated stress patterns in the soil for two types of wheel at loads of both 1,800 and 5,000 kgf.

To Walk The Earth In Safety 7th Edition (Fy2006-Fy2007), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

We are pleased to offer the 7th Edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, the report of the interagency U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007. This report also describes the conventional weapons destruction efforts of the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement located in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. This office directs programs that encompass humanitarian mine action, and elimination of at-risk small arms, light weapons, man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), and munitions.

Every edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, archived at www.state.gov/t/pm/rls/rpt/walkearth, is a look back in time. This …

Operating With Uxo Containing White Phosphorus, Ilham Azizov

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article provides a brief account of the unexploded ordnance problem in Azerbaijan and describes the particular hazards of dealing with UXO containing white phosphorus. Drawing from the experience of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action's work at Saloglu, guidelines for handling WP UXO are discussed.

Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining provides operational assistance to mine-action programmes and operators, creates and disseminates knowledge, works to improve quality management and standards and provides support to instruments of international law.

Demining And The Environment: A Primer, Cisr Journal, Anthony Morin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since their widespread use during World War II, landmines have arguably become one of the most significant social, economic and environmental problems of the last half-century. Restricting access to land, roads and water supplies, landmines have been responsible for the displacement of persons and the stagnation of basic infrastructure development in every region of the world. They have also caused land and soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and severe limitations to agricultural productivity. These issues, along with several others, were at the heart of the mine-action debate during creation of the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention in 1997.

Time To Steady The Pendulum, Eddie Banks

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The author questions whether the ever-increasing emphasis on standards is diametrically opposed to principles of the United Nations and the International Mine Action Standards and whether the implementation of the IMAS restricts a humanitarian response.

Clearing The Way In Chad: Assessment, Access And Impact, Katharine Hopper

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Mines Advisory Group began working in Chad in late 2004 with the objective of demining the water points in several of the war-torn provinces in the northern portion of the country. MAG formulated a three-phase plan that was extremely well-executed, even while dealing with the harsh desert climate, achieving its objectives before the deadline and under budget. A total of 21 watering points and 28 paths to access the watering points were cleared, while 84 areas were identified as dangerous. The work had a particularly positive effect on the local nomadic populations, who make a living traveling, often through …

Lebanon, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The overwhelming presence of landmines and explosive remnants of war in Lebanon has created a diverse and complex problem that continues to affect the socioeconomic development of the country. A number of mine/ERW accidents have occurred while individuals engage in farming activities. According to Landmine Monitor, about 62 percent of contaminated areas is agricultural land, and casualties tend to increase in planting and harvesting months. With contamination of agricultural land, landmines have delayed the implementation of a major drinking and irrigation water pipeline project.3 Also, there has been a noticeable decrease in agricultural production, the major source of income for …

Iraq Facing The Legacy Of Landmines And Explosive Remnants Of War, Salomon Schreuder

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In this article the author describes the recent history and current state of mine-action efforts in Iraq. The author argues for a larger focus on these issues and for a comprehensive approach, linking other humanitarian efforts with mine action.

Unsung Hero: Zoran Grujić, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The passion to change the world began humbly for Zoran Grujić with a simple realization that "it would be much better to save people than to kill them." These powerful words came from a man now regarded as an expert in the field of mine-action information and a hero to the industry, its victims and, most of all, its future.

I Remember My Lost Leg: The Story Of Istahil, Dahib Mohamad Odwaa

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As a young girl of just 11 years, Istahil Ismail Ali's life was changed in an instant when she became the victim of a landmine explosion and lost her leg. The author tells of her challenges and the hardships her family has suffered as a result, while also describing the proactive measures Istahil has taken to combat this injustice.

Mine Action Support Group Update, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article contains excerpts from the United Nations' third quarterly newsletter in 2007, which highlights the activities of the Mine Action Support Group from July to September 2007, including updates from the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF.

Intelligent Robotic Behaviors For Landmine Detection And Marking, David Bremmer, David Few, Curtis Nielsen, Miles Walton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article discusses experimental results achieved with a robotic countermine system that utilizes autonomous behaviors and a mixed-initiative control scheme to address the challenges of detecting and marking buried landmines. By correlating aerial imagery and ground-based robot mapping, the interface provides context for the operator to task the robot. Once tasked, the robot can perform the search and detection task without the use of accurate global positioning system information or continuous communication with the operator. Results show that the system was able to find and mark landmines with a very low level of human involvement. In addition, the data indicates …

Lessons Learned From Field Tests In Croatia And Cambodia, Paulo Debenest, Marc Freese, Edwardo Fukushima, Toshiaki Matsuzawa, Shigeo Hirose

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article describes the development and the experiments performed with Gryphon, a new platform for tele-operated landmine detection. With Gryphon, the authors aim at reducing the gap between research and application by introducing partial autonomy in mine-detection operations with a robust platform. Tests have been performed in Croatia and Cambodia.

The Parable Of The Two Sons, Dennis Barlow

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

Jordan: Safeguarding Life And Promoting Development, Esma Al-Samarai, Stephen Bryant

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Jordan signed the Ottawa Convention in 1999 and is working to comply with the regulations by the May 2009 deadline. Jordan has enlisted Norwegian People's Aid to help the Royal Engineering Corps meet its deadline. Surveys have been completed and suspected hazardous areas have been significantly reduced. NPA is continuing to demine areas with the help of mine-detecting dogs and a MineWolf machine. The overall goal is to clear the land to allow agriculture and industry to return to areas currently inaccessible due to the threat of landmines.