Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

Building Tajikistan’S National Capacity, Bahriniso Shamsieva

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization of 57 member States. Currently conducting 16 field missions, OSCE develops confidence building measures in the field of security while providing conflict- prevention capabilities and a capacity-building process for participating nations. These mine action activities are supported by the OSCE Permanent Council and implemented by field missions via partnerships with the host countries.

The Uxo Sector In Laos, Titus Peachey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Nearly fifty years after the nine-year Secret War (1964–1973), Laos is the scene of a US$35–$40 million annual enterprise, employing more than 3,000 workers who, with assistance from governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGO) around the world, are engaged in unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance, victim assistance and mine risk education (MRE). The 2.2 million tons of bombs included an estimated 270 million cluster munitions, many of which failed to detonate on impact and created a lethal landscape to which villagers returned after the war. The inevitable post-war casualties now number more than 20,000. A high percentage of victims over the past …

Explosive Remnants Of War: A Deadly Threat To Refugees, Ken Rutherford, Andrew Cooney

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The deadly legacy of explosive remnants of war (ERW), including landmines, improvised explosive devices (IED) and unexploded ordnance (UXO) is increasingly a threat to refugee populations, economic migrants and internally displaced persons (IDP) in countries throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Finding Legacy Minefields In The Jordan Valley, Jamal Odibat

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Due to the many difficulties in accurately determining the location of legacy minefields, demining personnel need traditional and sometimes improvised methods for locating and verifying contamination. With a unique combination of terrain, vegetation, water resources and soil types, the Jordan Valley requires specialized minefield survey and clearance methods to avoid harming the environment.

Maximizing The Effectiveness Of Mobile Technology, Howard Rudat

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mobile technology has transformed the way we live our lives and has the potential to dramatically assist in demining. However, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems coupled with explosive remnants of war (ERW) related applications leave capability gaps and create potential risks that must be closed. A more tailored and deliberate ecosystem approach when employing mobile technology will yield greater benefits and avoid the problems encountered when Alexa, Cortana, Google Now or Siri do not provide the necessary information. It seems that at the times when you need information the most, the smart personal assistants provided by Google, Apple and Microsoft either …

Flail Technology In Demining, Ashish Juneja

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

With the use of rollers, tillers and chain flails, the focus of minefield clearance has shifted since the early 1980’s from military to humanitarian demining. These machines can clear 200–300 mm of soil depending on the speed of the vehicle and its configuration, the soil type and the terrain. Unfortunately, heavy machines are difficult to operate at these slow speeds unless large amounts of power are available to run and rotate the flails. Moreover, recent literature cites the use of modern technology in demining (e.g., infrared imaging, ground penetration radar, thermal neutron activation and X-ray tomography). Mechanical machines, however, are …

From The Field: Mobile Technologies For Mine Action, Torsten Vikstrom

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Breakthroughs in technology development transformed desktop computers into small, powerful mobile units equipped with intelligent software and extensive possibilities to connect and interact. Alternatively, the world of mine action still depends on manual work done with pen and paper, and the process of field data collection is especially exposed. However, field tests show that the use of mobile technology vastly improves safety and increases the effectiveness of field work. Adapting to new mobile technologies for field data collection will also positively affect the ways in which we gather, share, analyze, monitor and evaluate information.

Unmas Gaza Emergency Response Report, Mark Frankish

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

From 7 July to 26 August 2014, significant quantities of explosive ordnance were used during hostilities between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Gazan armed groups. It is reported that approximately 72,000 items of ordnance were fired and launched during this period. This presented a significant risk for civilians and hampered humanitarian and reconstruction operations. Many unexploded aircraft bombs, tank projectiles, mortar shells and other munitions from both sides of the conflict were reported in civilian areas. Based on a 10 percent fail rate, it was assumed there are approximately 7,200 items of explosive remnants of war (ERW) in Gaza, …

From The Director, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Welcome to our 20th edition of The Journal! This is an exciting year for us as we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) as well as The Journal. Since our founding in 1996, CISR’s mission, programs and publications have continuously evolved with the ever-changing face of mine action, reflecting the training, informational and program needs of the field. As mine action is absorbed into the broader scope of conventional weapons destruction, CISR and The Journal are prepared to be the information leader for this community of practice. With great anticipation we begin this …

Stockpile Destruction Of Obsolete Surface-To-Air Missiles In Mali, Marlène Dupouy, Charles Frisby

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Inadequate management of ammunition stockpiles can cause accidental explosions. The Small Arms Survey lists a total of 528 unplanned explosions of ammunition storage sites since January 1979, in more than half of United Nations member states. The March 2012 incident, which took place in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, is a reminder of the danger posed by poor stockpile management, as well as the tragic consequences affecting the population, environment and governments as a result of financial costs of clean-up exercises. The explosions in Brazzaville killed at least 300 people, injured more than 2,500 and left over 121,000 homeless, according …

The Argument For Thermal Treatment: Bosnia And Herzegovina, Chad Clifton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Historically, large, aging conventional weapons stockpiles in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been a challenge to regional security in Eastern Europe and potentially beyond. The International Trust Fund Enhancing Human Security (ITF), the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), and many other donors have funded stockpile reduction efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in surrounding regions since 1999. Currently, PM/WRA funds U.S.-based contractor Sterling International Group, LLC (Sterling) to destroy weapons stockpiles under a bilateral technical agreement between the United States and the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under this …

Arms Management And Destruction Programming: Taking Stock, Chris Loughran, Djadranka Gillesen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Arms Management and Destruction (AMD) sector— an element of conventional weapons destruction (CWD) that includes several elements of physical security and stockpile management (PSSM)—has experienced dynamic growth over the last 18 months. An increasing number of programs address illicit and poorly stored weapons, enhance the safety and security of arms storage, and support the development of national capacity, including MAG’s regional initiative in the Sahel and West Africa. As a distinct AMD sector emerges, now is the time to analyze what makes programming strategies effective as well as ineffective. The industry must resist the temptation to talk about best …

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 20.1 (2016), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Best Practices in CWD | Spotlight on Eastern Europe and the Caucasus | Notes from the Field | Research & Development

Unfinished Business: Cluster Munition Remnants In Kosovo, Darvin Lisica, Stuart Maslen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

During the period of June 1999 to mid-December 2001, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) coordinated major international cleanup activities in Kosovo, which resulted in the successful clearance of more than 12.4 sq mi (32.1 sq km) of land and the destruction of more than 50,000 landmines, unexploded submunitions and other unexploded ordnance (UXO). Kosovo had considerable mine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination, including cluster munition remnants (CMR) from armed conflict between forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Liberation Army in the late 1990s, exacerbated by the NATO bombing in 1999.

Provision Of Emergency Risk Education To Idps And Returnees In Ukraine, Abigail Jones, Edward Crowther

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While no official survey of the landmine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) situation has been carried out in Ukraine, the humanitarian impact is significant. Mines and booby traps strategically block access to essential infrastructure as well as to forested areas where people gather wood to heat their homes. Important infrastructure across the Donbas region, one of Europe’s most heavily industrialized areas, is contaminated, slowing repairs and reconstruction around power stations and water-treatment facilities, and seriously affecting the local population. Similarly, cluster munition use in urban and rural areas blocks access to family allotments and farms.

Explosive Hazards In The Aftermath Of Natural Disasters: Lessons Learned, Nicole Neitzey, Paula S. Daly

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Natural disasters have posed problems for demining operations in the past; the heavy flooding in Bosnia and Herzegovina was one recent example of many. Over the past 20 years, natural disasters have impacted countries affected by landmines or other explosive remnants of war (ERW), causing renewed danger. Despite reoccurring in recent years, these events continue catching the international CWD community by surprise, while experience and lessons learned from previous disasters in one country must be relearned in other regions.

Small Caliber De-Armers: An Answer To Explosive Acquisition Problems, Harold S. Pearson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In many mine-affected countries, sourcing, transporting and reliably initiating explosives is one of the major obstacles for mine action operators. Consequently, finding a reliable method of destroying anti-personnel (AP) landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination that does not require the use of high explosives is of great interest to many in the industry.

An Overview Of Mozambique’S Mine-Free District Process, Antonio Belchior Vaz Martíns, Hans Risser

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the 1990s, Mozambique ranked among countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, and Iraq as one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. At the time, experts estimated that clearing all landmines in Mozambique would take 50 to 100 years. Landmines were widely used by all sides during the conflicts that ravaged Mozambique from the mid-1960s until 1992. These nuisance minefields usually consisted of small numbers of mines in seemingly random or undefined areas mostly around paths, wells and rural infrastructure. Large-pattern minefields tended to be the exception rather than the norm in Mozambique. Given the …

Transition And National Capacity After Article 5 Compliance, Hans Risser, Christian Ruge

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In June 2014, State Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) met in Maputo, Mozambique, for the 3rd Review Conference of the APMBC, fifteen years after its entry into force. As the review conference approached, State Parties faced a growing call from civil society and some State Parties to commit to complete all obligations in the treaty as rapidly as possible. The majority of State Parties have already completed their APBMC obligations to destroy stockpiles of anti-personnel (AP) mines. However, surveying and clearing all known mined areas in a state’s territory in accordance with obligations under Article 5 of …

Tiramisu Final Technology Demonstration At Sedee-Dovo, Yann Yvinec, Vinciane Lacroix, Yvan Baudoin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On 24 September 2015, and in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium (RMA) organized a demonstration for mine action tools in Meerdael, Belgium. At the Belgian EOD battalion premises of SEDEE-DOVO, RMA presented technology developed under the TIRAMISU project, which was co-funded by the European Union and coordinated by RMA. Designed by twenty-six different organizations, the tools covered multiple elements of mine action, including survey, operation and validation, information management, mine risk education (MRE), close-in-detection, and personnel protective equipment (PPE). Organizers held inside and outside demonstrations as well as discussions …

Endnotes Issue 20.1, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction 20.1 Endnotes

To Walk The Earth In Safety 16th Edition (Cy2016), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

Even after a conflict ends and the fighters have gone home, the threats from landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and at-risk weapons and munitions remain. These threats foment instability; as long as men, women, and children fear to move about their communities due to the lingering threat of landmines and UXO, a society can never fully heal and rebuild.

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA) works with foreign governments and nongovernmental organizations to deliver programs and services aimed at reducing the harmful effects of at-risk, illicitly proliferated, and indiscriminately used …

Landmine Detonates On South Korean Side Of Demilitarized Zone, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Tensions between North Korea and South Korea rose as a result of the first major exchange of artillery fire in five years. On 4 August 2015, a landmine severely wounded two South Korean staff sergeants patrolling the DMZ.Officials from Seoul accused North Korea of planting three mines near the guard post on the south side of the DMZ, 440 meters (481 yards) away from the demarcation line; officials from Pyongyang denied these accusations. The explosives found were placed in wooden boxes, not unlike mines previously used by North Korea.

Mag: Mine Clearance In Lebanon, Sean Sutton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mines, cluster submunitions, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination plague Lebanon as a result of a 15-year civil war ending in 1990, two Israeli invasions in 1978 and 1982, and the July–August conflict with Israel in 2006. The Lebanon Mine Action Centre (LMAC) identified 2,598 mined areas covering 191,000,000 sq m of land. Following non-technical survey (NTS) and clearance operations, there is an estimated 30,316,080 sq m of suspected hazardous area remaining. Although some cluster munition contamination remains from the 1982 conflicts, much of the contamination is the result of the 2006 conflict with Israel, during which nearly four million cluster …

Integrating Mre Into Humanitarian Responses In Iraq, Tammy Hall

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As a result of conflict in Iraq, the safety and well-being of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons is at stake due to explosive remnants of war (ERW). In order to mitigate that threat, the Danish Refugee Council enlisted the help of the Danish Demining Group to incorporate mine and ERW risk education into existing humanitarian efforts in Iraq.

Solutions For Increasing Physical Accessibility, Capacity Building And Psychological Support In Tajikistan, Reykhan Muminova

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In order to fulfill requirements of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, modified the architecture of three public buildings and implemented a new psychological training process for medical centers in the area to provide awareness about disability rights and increase provision of psychological aid. The desired end goal is that advocacy will allow for increased public acceptance and understanding of disability while moving Tajikistan toward signing the CRPD.

Caught In The Crossfire: Challenges To Providing Victim Assistance In Colombia, Michelle Miller

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Due to ongoing civil conflict, many Colombian civilians experience both financial and physical harm, but those living in rural areas have limited or no access to much-needed medical and economic assistance. In conjunction with governmental and nongovernmental organizations, as well as multi-national corporations, the Polus Center for Social and Economic Development assesses the needs of and provides rehabilitative services to residents in these remote areas.

Humanitarian Mine Action In Afghanistan: A History, Ian Mansfield

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After a decade of Soviet occupation in Afghanistan and the resulting internal conflict, the removal of explosive remnants of war (ERW) became a complicated issue. Systematic clearance of ERW was difficult to establish due to the volatile security situation and an inability to regulate clearance work. However, due to collaboration between the United Nations and Afghan nongovernmental organizations, mine clearance operations were successfully established in Afghanistan in the 1990s.

Risk Education In Northern Jordan, Lindsay Aldrich, Suzanne Fiederlein, Jessica Rosati

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 2013 and 2014, the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at James Madison University led a project funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) to provide explosive remnants of war risk education to Syrian refugees living in urban areas of northern Jordan. At the time, it was unclear whether the hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing the civil conflict and seeking refuge in neighboring countries would be able to return home in the near future, but there was still significant hope this would happen.

Remote Risk Education In Syria, Nikolaj Søndergaard

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Unable to be physically present in Syria due to ongoing conflict, DanChurchAid (DCA) is collaborating with a network of journalists and activists in order to assess the need for risk education in the country. By framing its risk education curriculum and strategies around this information, DCA’s mine action initiatives are tailor-fit for the hard-to-reach populations of war-ravaged Syria.