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Full-Text Articles in Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Vietnam, Country Profile Nov 2006

Vietnam, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Long after the Vietnam War's end, remnants of the conflict remain in playgrounds, schools, farms and roads. Over 30 years have passed, but abandoned ammunition and unexploded ordnance—known as explosive remnants of war—have taken the lives of thousands of civilians. Once a week, a person in central Vietnam is killed or injured by an encounter with UXO. Vietnam is one of the most ERW-contaminated countries in the world, with abandoned explosives such as old bombs, artillery shells, grenades and other munitions left over from past wars. The country has an estimated 350,000 to 800,000 tons (317,515 to 725,748 metric tons) …


Contributing To Progress In Sri Lanka, Liz Wegman Nov 2006

Contributing To Progress In Sri Lanka, Liz Wegman

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article highlights the activities of People to People International in Sri Lanka. As part of its commitment to Sri Lanka, PTPI not only assisted in the clearance of high-priority minefields, but also provided aid following the 2004 tsunami. Today, PTPI remains dedicated to helping the of Sri Lankan people.


Book Review: Commentaries On Arms Control Treaties, Vol. 1, The Convention On The Prohibition Of The Use, Stockpiling, Production, And Transfer Of Anti-Personnel Mines And On Their Destruction, J. Peter Pham Nov 2006

Book Review: Commentaries On Arms Control Treaties, Vol. 1, The Convention On The Prohibition Of The Use, Stockpiling, Production, And Transfer Of Anti-Personnel Mines And On Their Destruction, J. Peter Pham

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Demining programs have evolved considerably since the first program for humanitarian demining, the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan, began in 1988. Likewise, the legal bases for dealing with the problem of landmines have developed substantially from the minimalist 1980 Protocol II to the Convention on the Prohibition or Restriction on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects, which entered into force in 1983, to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (also known as the …


Explosive Remnants Of War And Their Consequences, Jonmahmad Rajabov Nov 2006

Explosive Remnants Of War And Their Consequences, Jonmahmad Rajabov

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article examines the post-conflict situation of Tajikistan, which has not only anti-personnel mines but various kinds of explosive remnants of war. Recently Tajikistan signed Protocol V of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, which includes a commitment to clear the nation’s ERW. The author highlights some of the different sources of ERW in Tajikistan as well as the progress being made by authorities to clear and destroy ERW.


Spacetoon Kids Tv: Educating Kids On Erw, Daniele Ressler Nov 2006

Spacetoon Kids Tv: Educating Kids On Erw, Daniele Ressler

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.


Israel, Country Profile Nov 2006

Israel, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Again at the heart of Mideast conflict, Israel has received international attention not just because of persistent landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination in the region, but also because of military operations in southern Lebanon. Recent attention has underscored the need to address the threat posed by landmines and other explosive remnants of war; perhaps one important way to address this would be the signing of international agreements prohibiting the use of indiscriminate weapons.


Mine Action Support Group Update, Stacy Davis Nov 2006

Mine Action Support Group Update, Stacy Davis

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article contains excerpts from the United Nations’ third quarterly newsletter, which highlights the activities of the Mine Action Support Group from July to September 2006, including updates from the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF.


Closing The Circle, Eddie Banks, Rob Shahmir Nov 2006

Closing The Circle, Eddie Banks, Rob Shahmir

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The authors present a critique of the International Mine Action Standards currently in use. After highlighting gaps in IMAS related to assessment and survey, an improved aspect of mine-action planning methodology is presented, which includes a prioritization component using a socioeconomic approach. The result is LIRA: landmine impact combined with a new measurement of risk assessment. This updated model can contribute to improved safety, quality and productivity of landmine action through more effective strategic planning tools.


Afghanistan, Country Profile Nov 2006

Afghanistan, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Afghanistan's landmine contamination began with the Soviet occupation from 1979 to 1989. Pro-Soviet Afghan-government forces continued contributing to this landmine, unexploded ordnance and other explosive remnants of war contamination during the next three years. Factional fighting from 1992 to 1995, resistance to the Taliban from 1996 to 2001 and the 2001 US-led invasion added to the problem. Not only does this contamination injure or kill more than 100 Afghans a month, it also impacts the reconstruction and development of the country into an economically and politically stable nation.


Lao Pdr, Country Profile Nov 2006

Lao Pdr, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

From 1964 to 1973, the Lao People's Democratic Republic became involved in the Second Indochina War (known as the Vietnam War in the West) between the United States and North Vietnam. For those nine years, Lao PDR was subjected to the heaviest bombing in world history. U.S. bombing records indicate that there were over 580,000 bombing missions carried out and over two million metric tons (2.2 million U.S. tons) of ordnance dropped on Lao PDR during the conflict.


The Human Face Of Eod, Howard M. Thompson Nov 2006

The Human Face Of Eod, Howard M. Thompson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Being a specialist insurance broker to explosive-ordnance-disposal organisations around the world has provided Howard Thompson with the opportunity to be on the sidelines of the humanitarian-demining community. But during a 10-day visit to Cambodia, he was able to experience first-hand the significance of humanitarian demining and clearance. He writes about this experience here.


Effects Of Landmines On Sri Lanka, K.T. Manjula Udayanga Hemapala Nov 2006

Effects Of Landmines On Sri Lanka, K.T. Manjula Udayanga Hemapala

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In Sri Lanka, statistics show people between the ages of 20 and 45 are the most likely to be injured by landmines. When they are disabled, they become a burden to the country’s economy, requiring assistance instead of contributing to the country’s growth. This article discusses how landmines affect Sri Lanka and the efforts being undertaken to lessen their impact.


Successful Implementation Of Protocol V, Kerry Brinkert Nov 2006

Successful Implementation Of Protocol V, Kerry Brinkert

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Protocol V of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons recently entered into force, and the author hopes lessons learned from the operations of the Ottawa Convention can be applied to this Protocol.


Iraq, Country Profile Nov 2006

Iraq, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Decades of internal conflict, a history overtaken with war and a delicate new government put Iraq in the midst of an explosive-remnants-of-war situation that is worsening as the security situation continues to deteriorate. The country's unstable nature poses a challenge for organizations that wish to provide much needed humanitarian assistance. Conflicts between ethnic and political parties, the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the more recent U.S.-led invasion in 2003 left the country's 169,234 square miles (438,314 square meters) riddled with landmines, unexploded ordnance and abandoned explosive ordnance.


Mine Victims Needs Assessment And Assistance Coordination, Aziz Aliyev, Rauf Mamedov, Umud Mirzoyev, Siyab Mamedov Nov 2006

Mine Victims Needs Assessment And Assistance Coordination, Aziz Aliyev, Rauf Mamedov, Umud Mirzoyev, Siyab Mamedov

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A UNICEF feasibility study conducted in early 2001 showed that medical and surgical facilities in Azerbaijan are adequate to meet the immediate needs of mine survivors. In general, physical rehabilitation facilities are also considered suitable; however, the lack of psycho-social support to assist mine survivors with a disability is of particular concern. The study concluded that an integrated and comprehensive assistance program could not be established for the mine victims of Azerbaijan until a needs assessment was completed. In response, Azerbaijan planned and conducted a national survey to assess mine victims’ needs, including prosthetic, social and economic needs, as a …


Book Review: Angola—The Hope Of A People, Cisr Journal Nov 2006

Book Review: Angola—The Hope Of A People, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Brazilian photographers Vinicius Souza and Maria Eugênia Sá provide a glimpse of hope through their camera lenses in Angola—The Hope of a People. After many years of tumultuous civil war, these 48 powerful black-and-white and color images capture both the “new face of Angola” and the hope of the people to create a new identity.


News Briefs, News Brief Nov 2006

News Briefs, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

News Briefs


Kosovo, Country Profile Nov 2006

Kosovo, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

From 1998 to 1999, an internal struggle known as the Kosovo Conflict caused Kosovo, a U.N.-administered province of Serbia, to become littered with mines and unexploded ordnance, including cluster-bomb units. Since the conflict ended, mines and UXO have claimed hundreds of victims in Kosovo. Today, very little of the original contamination remains thanks to the success of Kosovo's excellent mine-action program.


A Change Of Heart, Dahib Mohamed Odwaa Nov 2006

A Change Of Heart, Dahib Mohamed Odwaa

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Geedka Dheenta is a small village in Somaliland located 45 kilometres (28 miles) east of Hargeisa in a mountainous area on the road between Hargeisa and Berbera. With a population of approximately 390 inhabitants according to the Landmine Impact Survey conducted in 2003, its citizens usually go to Hargeisa (the capital of Somaliland) to sell their products. The villagers’ main income is from small irrigation farms surrounding the village where they raise fruits and vegetables such as pawpaw, oranges, greens, and tomatoes, as well as some livestock. During the civil war that broke out in Somalia in 1988, this farming …


Issue 10.2 Endnotes, Cisr Journal Nov 2006

Issue 10.2 Endnotes, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Issue 10.2 Endnotes


Industrial Ammunition Stockpile Recovery: Saving Energy And Resources And Protecting The Environment, Erik Lauritzen, Mogens Straarup, Inés García Sánchez Nov 2006

Industrial Ammunition Stockpile Recovery: Saving Energy And Resources And Protecting The Environment, Erik Lauritzen, Mogens Straarup, Inés García Sánchez

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article presents the opportunities for the disposal of ammunition in an economically and environmentally feasible way, focusing on post-conflict disposal of larger stocks of ammunition with a special view to the ongoing Ammunition Stockpile Destruction Programme in Afghanistan managed by the Afghanistan New Beginning Programme. The contents of the article are based on the experiences gathered under the umbrella of the research and development programmes Western European Armament Group European Cooperation for the Long-Term in Defence and European Union L’Instrument Financier pour L’Environnement (EU LIFE), together with a study carried out for NATO’s Maintenance and Supply Agency, followed by …


Mine Action Support Group Update, Stacy Davis Aug 2006

Mine Action Support Group Update, Stacy Davis

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The following article highlights the recent activities of the Mine Action Support Group from the first quarterly U.N. newsletter of 2006, including updates on the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF.


Somaliland, Country Profile Aug 2006

Somaliland, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination in Somaliland is the result of the 1964 and 1977–78 border wars with Ethiopia and the 1988 –91 civil war between the Siyad Barre regime and the Somali National Movement. The Barre regime troops laid most of the landmines, using mines to threaten the civilian population and protect military installations and civilian infrastructure against SNM attacks.


Uganda, Country Profile Aug 2006

Uganda, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Due to the insurgency of the Lord’s Resistance Army against the Ugandan government, landmines have been placed by various groups throughout the country for the past two decades. In the early 1980s both rebel groups and Ugandan government forces laid mines. Since then, there have been no allegations of government use inside Uganda, though the Lord’s Resistance Army continues to use anti-personnel mines. Though the landmine and unexploded ordnance problem is not as severe as in other parts of the continent, these remnants of war continue to injure or kill civilians as well as pose a problem for returning refugees …


Decade Of Service: The Maic Is 10!, Dennis Barlow Aug 2006

Decade Of Service: The Maic Is 10!, Dennis Barlow

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The James Madison University Mine Action Information Center is celebrating 10 years of service to the mine action community. Director Dennis Barlow looks back on 10 years of accomplishments.


Ethiopia Part 2, Country Profile Aug 2006

Ethiopia Part 2, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Ethiopia’s 70-year history of internal and international armed conflict, from the Italian invasion of 1935 to the Ethiopian- Eritrean War (1998–2000), has contributed to significant landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination. Ethiopia is one of the world’s 10 most heavily mined countries, with the government estimating it will take decades to clear. The most extensive contamination is in the Tigray, Afar and Somali regions. It is estimated that during the recent Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict, Ethiopian forces laid 150,000–200,000 landmines and Eritrea laid 240,000 mines over the disputed border areas.


Ronco's Response To Explosive Remnants Of War In Post-Conflict Environments, Stacy L. Smith Aug 2006

Ronco's Response To Explosive Remnants Of War In Post-Conflict Environments, Stacy L. Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

RONCO’s technical experts are dedicated to eliminating threats created by landmines and explosive remnants of war. Part of RONCO’s disposal process is creating local demining capacities in their host countries. As part of a quick response, RONCO has most recently added mine-action programs in Iraq and Afghanistan, creating a specialized explosive ordnance- disposal capacity in Afghanistan and establishing a bomb-disposal training school in Iraq.


Mines Awareness Trust In Eastern Africa, Nigel Howard Aug 2006

Mines Awareness Trust In Eastern Africa, Nigel Howard

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mines Awareness Trust has been involved in many mine-action programmes that are aiding the mine-clearance process and improving the way of life for the people of eastern Africa. MAT has performed needs assessments in Uganda and has supervised the Ugandan Army. It has also developed a partnership with the International Mine Action Training Centre, which resulted in a state-of-the-art mine-detection dog training facility in Kenya. MAT’s collaboration with and assistance to eastern African organisations has put the area on the path to becoming mine safe.


Tajikistan Mine Action Programme, Jonmahmad Rajabov Aug 2006

Tajikistan Mine Action Programme, Jonmahmad Rajabov

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Tajikistan Mine Action Centre is responsible for all mine-action-related programs in the country. The author details Tajikistan’s landmine problems and provides a report on TMAC’s progress in various aspects of mine action as well as its goals for future mine-related operations.


Mauritania, Country Profile Aug 2006

Mauritania, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mauritania is located in northwest Africa. Poverty defines this country, ranking 149th of 174 countries on the human development index, where 40 percent of the children are malnourished and 60 percent of adults in Mauritania are illiterate. Much of the citizens’ income and government’s revenue come from the cities of Tiris Zemmour and Dakhlet Nouadhibou, which coincide with the location of a majority of mines.